he world retaliates when Christians no longer support their ways. This is true in every aspect of life. One of the most important reasons for retaliation is financial. When anyone or any company starts losing out with sales they will automatically analyze the reason for their losses. As an example, take the Welsh Revival. As soon as coalminers were converted, the pubs were empty, bottle stores lost big time, brothels were not used, the hospitals and clinics returned to normal activities because there was no domestic violence and fighting caused by drunkenness, the prisons emptied and the police started choirs to occupy themselves. The negative was that some businesses lost sales and profits whilst other aspects of society stabilized with Churches filling up, morals and ethics seeing great strides towards Gospel Living. That is the great tension between God working and society changing. What we see happen in Ephesus is because of spiritual revival. Please read again:
Ac 19:23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” 28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater.
1) Spiritual Revival.
Ac 19:26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia.
When we couple “large numbers” to practically the whole Province of Asia … the Greek implies “multitudes. This ought not to surprise us because when God works, great numbers are convinced of the Gospel’s Truth and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. We saw what happened at Pentecost!
2) The economic effects of the Spiritual Revival.
(1) Paul was to blame.
Ac 19:26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia.
The word “convince” means to persuade … to induce one by words to believe. It was not Paul … he was only the agent of the Holy Spirit. He took the Gospel (Word of God) and proclaimed it accurately and the Holy Spirit descended in convincing and convicting power, softening hard hearts, opening minds, giving faith and administering grace. God’s appointed time for those Ephesians was at hand. He wrenched those bound in pagan idolatry and blinded by the evil one out and away from the dungeons of eternal ruin and brought them into the Kingdom of Glorious Light belonging to His Son, Jesus Christ! God is Savior, not man. All man is … even the very best evangelists and preachers … only instruments in the hands of a sovereign, wonder working God who is Lord and King of all creation.
(2) The deceit of idolatry … He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. Demetrius said to the craftsmen that Paul said the gods they made with their hands were not gods at all. If it was in our day it would read something like … “How dare he say that the wood or silver we craft into shapes we call gods are not gods at all?” Do you understand the impact of what Demetrius is saying? He is saying they have the ability to create their own gods. How dangerous is this? We have the same today where people create a god that will allow them to do as they please and have morals and ethics of choice. Those gods have no eyes to see, ears to hear or mouths to speak … but wait … why argue, let our God speak against them. How He puts it, we cannot:
Ps 115:4 But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; 6 they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; 7 they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
Beloved please get this … idolatry is deceitful. You believe what you make as a god. You allow that god to know whatever you want it to know, say what you want it to say, accept or reject whatever you want it to. Some might think this harsh because of all the religions in the world and their so called gods … so called gods … yes:
Ps 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
If Paul said the idols they made and worshipped were not gods, he was right, for there is only one true God, who is alive. He is the almighty, all powerful and all-knowing God who is!
(3) Money before religion. Listen to this:
Ac 19:27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
(i) Before they are concerned about their religion they are concerned about their pockets! The word “danger” is associated with “jeopardy and peril”. They feared losing their business to Christianity’s progress. They were petrified of losing their income.
(ii) Second to money was their religion! Why would the temple be mentioned before the so called goddess? Because it was at the temple that all the coins, relics, amulets and figurines were sold. It was at the temple that the “indoctrination of the cult of Artemis was fostered”. The religion and the so called deity were secondary!
(iii) The extent of this religion spread far further than the borders of Ephesus. It had spread throughout the Province of Asia and the then known world.
(iv) Lastly, the goddess would be robbed of her “divine majesty”. Did you see that? In Christianity, God who is Triune comes first and foremost. Before buildings and furniture and selling Bibles, prayer books or Christian books … God is and must be adored, loved and worshipped for His existence is not dependent upon crosses, crucifixes, candles, Church buildings or temples, clerical or choir garments, organs or musical instruments. The last thing a Church is, is a business that makes a profit! In reality, if it was it would be liquidated over and over because it always runs at a lost … and should. May I also add that if clergy are fixated with money, they have lost the plot completely. Manmade gods (idols) cannot be dependent upon to provide the needs of the clergy and flock … but the true God of Creation can!
Blessed and precious Lord, thank You for making Yourself known to us through Your Word. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to open our spiritually blind eyes to see and deaf ear to hear the wonderful sound of the Gospel call and wooing us to believe. For indeed it is by grace we have been saved through You giving us faith. Amen.