Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-08-21

TfME.-A. 70 IS or .. near On, close
OF PauFs work at EphcsGs
FLACE-rhe city % Ephrsus
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Some Things with Which the Cos
pei Interferes. TIE Results
Business Interests versus the Cos
pei.-Vs. 2I-2S
Pauls Plans Tor the Future. FOR AZ
least two years and three months Paul
had been working ia Enhesus and
was about ready 90 90 on extending
Christianity even 90 Rome tsae Rom
j; -, 10. 231. and on 90 spain Rom
Is pa. after visiting and strengthen
ening the churches i'm Macedonia and
Greece. and bearing the gifts Of Phi
iippt Thessalonica. Berea. Ccrinth
and other Gentle churches Rom. Is.
26l TO the poor In Jerusalem
In C0riuth he expected 20 receive
contributions FOR the poor 10 Jerusa-
lem n Cor Is. Ia.
He sent two OF his helpers. Timothy
and Erastus I'D Tim q POD. through
Macedonia 90 Corinth ~ Cor g. 1870
70 prepare that church for his ap-
preaching visit Paul succeeded in all
these plans. but some % them were
accomplished in very different man
ner
Paul stayed tn Asia for a season"
". 22l Apparently for several weeks
OF months From The fact that Asia
is mentioned rather than Ephesus. its
capital IL has been inferred that he
did not remain ia the city all the
time. but labored In the outlying dis
tricts
A Contrast In our last lesson We
saw how Christians voluntarily gave
up bad business. az great cost %
themselves. lor ChrisCs sake Now
we ind some men who tried 90 de-
stroy the Gospel because IL vas iuiur,
ing their bad business.
There arose no small STIR" commo-
ton. like the sea tn "A storm "A GER.
tain man named Dcmetrius~ Proba-
bly, the head on the whole guild OF
shrine makers
Diana" The Ephesian Diana was
distinct goddess from The Greek Di-
ana Cthe Latinizei form OF Artemisl. .
who was virgin. huntress. per
was OF the sun She. was uorshiped
with the vilest debaucheries. as many
CT the heather idols were. incorpor-
ating the lusts % the flesh Ia 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 ali
Asia the Roman province 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 or few men in a
bad business
This was in direct contrast with the
character OF the Christians. who made
great sacrifices ia burning their own
mot other people's) bad books which
were iniuring the people.
The Mob in the Coliseum vs. %
Al The whole city vas hued with
confusion" The mob OF Ephesus
made for the house OF Aquila. with
whom Paul was lodging They missed
their prey. but as Paul tells "a that
Aquila and Priscilla had for his lie
laid down their own necks Rom. 10.
a., IL is likely that these faithful
friends. In shielding the apostle.
brought themselves into the most i'm
minent peril The mob. though bar
fed Of their principal aim. seized on
Gaius and Aristarchus. two Of Paul.
associates. and dragged them away az
criminals. Rushed with one accord
into the theater" the Colosseum. ca
pable OF holding $1,000 people
Alexander the Jew The Jews we're
always especially exposed 20 perse-
cuticn, and as the mob wOuld be like
ly TO make no distinction between
Jews and Christians. particularly as
Paul was a Jew. they put forward a
prominent Jew. named Alexander. TO
defend them.
The Mob Quelied The towuclerk"
at length interfered aud argued with
the excited people
L. The worship OF Diana was so
settled in Ephesus that no company Of
Jews could overthrow it You have
no real cause for violence The i'm
age" Of Diana which fell down from
Jupiter" their chief god AZ meteoric
stones fall from the sky
Thus was peace and quiet restored
The signs OF these times meant
that II was best for Paul TO leave i'm
mediately for another field of labor.
while Ephesus was settling down into
quiet peace. and the church continued
to grow in character and numbers
Therefore Paul babe the beloved
church goo6-by and departed for 20
go into Macedonia (Acts 20 u.
2. Paul had not committed the
wrong with which he was charged
His converts had been very careful
not to blaspheme the goddess His
method OF overcoming ido,atry Is
quite noticeable. The contrast be
tween them and the TEACHINGS s-I