The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1909-08-18
Continuation of
Paul's Third Journey
Sunday School Lesson for August ~, 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

NV grace IL sufficient for thee, for my
strength is made perfect In weakncss."-
Cor. 1870.
TIME.-A. n. 70 or 81. near the close
OF pauls work AZ Ephcsus.
pLACE.-The city OF Ephcsus
cuggestion and Practical Thought.
Some Things with Which the Cos.
pei lntcrferes. The Results.
business interests versus the Cos.
pcl.--Ns. 21.2S.
Paul's Plans for the Future. For at
| least two years and three months Paul
had been working In Ephesus and
was about ready to go on extending
| Christianity even to Rome (see Rom.
| I: 10: l5 23), and on to Spain (Rom.
| Is: 2D, after visiting and strengthen.
| cning the churches in Macedonia and
| Greece. and bearing the gifts OF Phi.
| lippi. ThessalonIca. l'crca, Corinth
and other Gentle churches (Rom 10:
| 26) to the poor in Jerusalem.
In Corinth he expected to receive
contributions for the poor in Jerusa
| lem Il Cor 16: 1-p.
He sent two of his helpers, Timothy
and Erastus e. Tim. 4: 20), through
Macedonia to Corinth II Cor. 4; 1919
to prepare that church for his ap.
preaching visit. Paul succeeded in all
these plans, but some Of them were
accomplished in very different man.
| ner.
Paul stayed in Asia for season"
". 22). Apparently for several weeks
or months. From the fact that Asia
Is mentioned rather than Ephcsus, its
capital, IL has been inferred that he
did not remain in the city all tho
time. but labored in the outlying dis
tricts.
A Contrast In our last lesson we
saw how Christians voluntarily gave
up a bad business. at great cost to
themselves, for Christ's sake. Now
we find some men who tried to de.
stroy the Gospel because It was injur.
ing their bad business.
There arose no small STIR" commo
ton, like the sea In n storm. "A Ger.
tain man named Demetrius." Proba.
bly, the head of the whole guild of
shrine makers.
Diana" The Ephesan Diana was
n distinct goddess from the Greek hi.
|
who was virgin, a huntress, per.
sonification of the moon, as Apollo
was OF the sun. She was worshiped
with the vilest debaucheries, as many
OF the heather idols were, incorpor.
ating the lusts Of the flesh in the very
ritual of worship.
/ "Our craft Is in danger" because
this Paul hath persuaded and turned
away much people, saying that they
be no gods, which are made with
hands," and this throughout al
ASIA" the Roman prcV'pce of that
name, of which Ephesus was the CAPT
, tai All the blessings of the Gospel
the uplift, the renovated character
the happiness and prosperity. and
eternal salvation of the great mass
Of the people, weighed nothing against
the money gains OF few men In a
bad business.
This was In direct contrast with the
character OF the Christians, who made
great sacrifices in burning their own
, mot other people's) bad books which
were injurlng the people.
The Mob in the Coliseum.-Vs. %
Al. "The whole city was filled with
confusion" The mob Of Ephesus
made for the house Of Aquila, with
J whom Paul was lodging. They missed
their prey; but as Paul tells us that
Aquila and Priscilla had for his life
laid down their own necks (Rom. 16:
! A., 1t is likely that these faithful
: friends, in shielding the apostle
3 brought themselves into the most i'm
b. minent peril. The mob, though BAT
e fed of their principal aim. seized OF
4 Gaius and Aristarchus, two OF Paul'
g associates, and dragged them away al
a criminals. Rushed with one accor,
: into the theater," the Colosseum, ca
r pable of holding $4,000 people.
q Alexander the Jew. The Jews wer'
always especially exposed to perse
!, cution, and as the mob would be like
y " to make no distinction between
y Jews and Christians. particularly a
= Paul was Jew, they put forward ;
prominent Jew, named Alexander, T.
|, defend them.
!. The Mob Quelled. 1.-THE townclerk
n at length interfered and argued will
the excited people.
" /. The worship of Diana was 8,
!. settled in Ephesus that no company o
Jews could overthrow 1t. You hav'
$ no real cause for violence. "The i'm
age" of Diana which fell down from
II Jupiter" their chief god, as meteori'
8 stones fall from the sky.
Thus was peace and quiet restored
The signs Of these times mean
that it was best for Paul to leave i'm
mediately for another field of labor
I while Ephesus was settling down int
= quiet peace, and the church continued
Q to grow in character and numbers
g Therefore Paul babe the beloved
4 church good,by and departed for t
i go into Macedonia" (Acts 20: -.
2. Paul had not committed tn
wrong with which he was charged