Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-03-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lcs-on In the nternahi onal Series
for March IL, IoO3-The Riot
at Ephesus. =
THE LESSON TENT.
facts 10 -2q-xOl


| %. And he whole city was nlled With con-
fusion: and having caught Gaius and Aris-
| tarchus. men Of Macedonia. Paul's compan-
| long in travel. they rushed with one accord
into the theater.
| - And when Paul would have entered
in unto the people. 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 he theater.
| 81 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.
| -. 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 tho
"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
-. And when the townclerk hal APP
| peased the people. he said, Ne men OF Eph-
| eSus. what man is there that knoveth no;
now that the city OF Ephesians Is
| worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and
| OF the image which fell down from Jupiter!
| s. Seeing then that these things cannot
| he spoken against. ye ought TO be quiet. ana
10 90 nothing rashly.
| 81 For We have brought hitler tkeSe men,
which are neither robbers of churches. nor
| yet blasphemers OF your goddess
| Is Wherefore If Demetrius, and the
| crafts men which are with him, have mat
| ter against any man, the law Is open, ana
there are deputies; let them implead one
| another.
80 But II ye enquire anything concerning
| other matters 1t shall be determined III
lawful asse mbly.
40 For we are in danger to be called in
questio for this days uproar. there be
| ing no cause whereby we may give an ac-
| count OF this concourse.
GOLDEN TENT.-rhe Lord pEeserN-
eth the faithfuI.-P~. 81 ;23.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION;
Pauls purpose Act Isl -
Great wrath arous ed............Acts ls:55.
| The great uproar ................Ac $3.50.
| The rioters uieteG..............Acts 1909 ~
| TIME.-A ID. 5S.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
| These three years OF PAU Nuns
try were very fruitful, but probably
| they were also the hardest years OF
| his life. Paul saw in EpheSus a
great door and efTectual' opened TO
him, but there were also many adj
veryaries" q. Cor. 16:0. Pauls i'm
| mediate plans were shaped by his de-
sire to take a generous collection for
| 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,
partly because the success was great.
! There was large class Of men, en-
| ployers and employed, who made
| their living by the manufacture of lit
| tie Shrnes for the worshipcrs at the
| great temple of Diana. Their BUSH
ness was actually falling off as Il re-
suit of the increasing numbers of
those of 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
| ingmen, to the success of Paul's
work. lie makes his appeal GD to
their pockets. and CD to their pride
N the magnificent temple of Diana
and the worship centered there. 1t
was not only religious. but patriotic
pride, for the temple was one of the
wonders of the ancient world.
When Demetrius was done a great
| cry of Indignation was raised. An inn
mense crowd was gathering to see
shouting continued, and the whole
throng surged onward into an cnor-
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-
ishcd. The instigators of the mis-
chief had sliced two of Paul's help
erS. and they were now somewhere
in the midst of that bowling mob.
Iaul determined to 90 in himself at
all costs and meet the mob face TO
face, but the disciples refused to let
him. and the Nsiarchs, knowing the
| danger. urged him not to go i'm. and
so his life was saved. The friendsbip
Of these Roman officers is an indica-
ton of the place that Paul had won
for himself and Christianity at
EphcSus. The attitude of the Roman
officials i'm general was not hostile to
Christianity at this time. The fear
of the Jews that the mob. faiI,no to
distinguish between Jews and Chris
tianS. would end i'm an anti-tcyyi.b
riot. was responsible for AIexander's
futile attempt TO explain matters
One manuscript reads, Great Diana"
the form used in calling upon the
goddess. instead Of Great is Diana 9,
Ramsay believes this the correct
reading Compare the cry: go BaaI
hear us"
The townclerk:" or Secretary ~
the city The most important Of the
city officers His speech was very
skilIinl one. lie told the people that
thcir alarm was unnecessary. that tho