-
“Growing and Prevailing” Despite Opposition“Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom
-
-
“Quite a Disturbance Arose” (Acts 19:23-41)
16, 17. (a) Describe how Demetrius got the riot started in Ephesus. (b) How did the Ephesians show their fanaticism?
16 We come now to the tactic of Satan described by Luke when he wrote that “quite a disturbance arose concerning The Way.” He was hardly overstating matters.e (Acts 19:23) A silversmith named Demetrius started the trouble. He got the attention of his fellow craftsmen by first reminding them that their prosperity came from selling idols. He went on to suggest that the message Paul preached was bad for business, since the Christians did not worship idols. Then he appealed to the civic pride and nationalism of his audience, warning them that their goddess Artemis and their world-famous temple to her were in danger of being “viewed as nothing.”—Acts 19:24-27.
-
-
“Growing and Prevailing” Despite Opposition“Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom
-
-
e Some say that Paul referred to this incident when he told the Corinthians that “we were very uncertain even of our lives.” (2 Cor. 1:8) However, he may have had in mind a more dangerous occasion. When Paul wrote that he “fought with wild beasts at Ephesus,” he could have been referring to an experience with ferocious animals in an arena or to human opposition. (1 Cor. 15:32) Both the literal and the figurative interpretations are possible.
-