The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-03-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lesson In the International Series
for March Is, 19O3-The Riot
at EpheSus.
THE LESSON TEXT.

(ACts ly.2S-4p)
20. And the whole city was filled with cen
fusion; and having caught Gaius and Ar.s-
tarchus, men of Macedonia. Paul's compan-
sons in travel. they rushed with one accord
into the theater.
~. And when Paul would have entered
In unto tkC Pc PIE, the disciples suffered him
not.
81. And certain of the chief of Asia, which
were his friends. sent unto him. desiring
him that he would not adventure himself
into the theater.
80. Some therefore cried one thing, and
some another; for the assembly was con-
fused, and the more part knew not where
fore they Were come together.
80. And they drew Alexander out of the
multitude, the Jews putting him forward.
And Alexander beckoned with the hand,
and would have made his defense unto the
people.
"a. But when they knew that he was
Jew, all with one voice about the space OF
two hours cried out, Great is Diana OF the
Ephe slams.
IS. And when the to~nc,erk had APP
p,asod the people. lie 81. p. ie men ot Eph-
,sus. what man is tL,.' dat kEUweih not
how that the city Oi tphesians Is
wu:sh!pper OF the groa; SuUuesS Diana, and
Of the image which tel. Gown = on Jupiter
s.. Seeing then that these ti.uSs cannot
=
TO Go nothing rashy.
b. For ye have brought hither these men,
which are neither robbers OF churches, nor
yet .biasphemers OF your goodies.
IS. Wherefore II Demetr.us, and the
craftsmen which are with him, have mat
ter against any man. the law / open ana
mere are deputies, let them !np'eaG one
another.
80 But If ye enquire anything concerning
ha, to- a.
lawful assembly,
10. For We are in danger TO be caIItd IN
qucs lon for this days uproar, there oe-
ing no cause whereby We may give an ac-
count OF this COnCourse.
GOLDEN TE\T.-The LORD preser|
eth the inithiui.-Ps. III ;-''
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Pauvs purpose .........''.Act t''-i' -
Great wrath aIUus scd........,..'AC ACts -. d.,
The great uproar. ~ - a.
The rioters quieteS. ACTS 4'o'-' A.
TlME.-A. ID. 5S.
PLACE.-Ephtsus.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
These three years of Pauls MINIS
try were very fruitful, but propao!y
they were also the hardest years Oh
his life. Paul saw in Ephesus "a
great door and elfectual opened 10
him. but there were also many ad-
versaries" G. Cor. 16:D. Pauls I'M
mediate plans were shaped by ms ue-
sire to take a generous collection Tor
the poor to the church at Jerusalem
so showing the loyalty of the mission
churches, which were rich, to the
mother church, which was poor.
The opposition here, which was
most prolonged and bitter, was great,
partlv because the success was great.
There was large class of men, en-
ployers and employed, who made
their living by the manufacture OF 1T
tie shrines for the worshipers at the
great temple of Diana. Their busi-
ness was actually falling off as a re-
suit of the increasing numbers of
those of 1.-The Way" as Christianity
was called. Every convert meant the
loss of customer. Their pockets
were touched and their wrath was
aroused. Observe the witness Deme-
trius bears in his speech to the work
inCmcn. to the success of PauPs
work. He makes his appeal Q) to
their pockets, and (2) to their pride
in the magnificent temple of Diana
and the worship ccntercd there. 1t
was not only religious, but patriotic
pride, for the temple was one of the
wonders of the ancient world.
When Dcmetrius was done a great
cry of Indignation was raised. An inn
mense crowd was gathering to see
what the trouble was. The hoarse
shouting continued. and the whole
throng surged onward into an enor-
Gus open air amphitheater which
would have held $4,000 persons, and
is still to be seen on the western
slope of Mount Prion. Here the con-
fusion increased rather than dimin.