Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-08-19
Continuation Of
Paul'sThird journey
Ss.lay Sehssl Lsssss fss August u, 1870
Specially Arranged for This Paper

GOLDEN TExT.-"He said unto me:
Ny grace IL sufficient for thee; for my |
strength is made perfect in weakness."-
. Cor. 1928.
TIME.-A. D.. Sc or 81, near the close
OF Paul's work at Ephesus.
PLACE.-The city Of Ephesus.
Suggestion and Practical r. ought.
Some Things with Which the Cos.
pei 1nterferes. The Results.
Business Interests versus the Cos.
pel.-Vs. 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.
1: 10; Is: 23), and or to Spain from.
10: 24). after visiting and strengthen.
ening the churches in Macedonia and
Greece, and bearing the gifts Of Phi
lippi, T~hessalonica, Berea, Corinth
and other Gentle churches from. Is:
26) to the poor in Jerusalem.
In Corinth he expected to receive
contributions for the poor in Jerusa-
lem Il Cor. 16: ~.
He sent two Of his helpers, Timothy
and Erastus q Tim. 1: 20), through
Macedonia to Corinth q 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 a very different man.
ner,
Paul stayed in Asia for q season"
". 22). Apparently for several weeks
OF months. From the fact that Asia
is mentioned rather than Ephesus, its
capital, 1t has been inferred that he
did not remain in the city all the
time, but labored in the outlying dis
tricts.
A Contrast. In our last lesson w
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 1t was injur.
ing their bad business.
There arose no small STIR" commo-
ton, like the sea in a storm. "A Ger.
tain man named Demetrius." Proba.
bly, the head of the whole guild Of
shrine makers.
Diana" The Ephesian Diana was
a distinct goddess from the Greek Di.
mi (the Latinized form Of Artemis).
who was a virgin, a huntress, a per.
soni6cation 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 nc gods, which are made with
hands," and this throughout all
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 of a 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
(not other p%eople's) bad books which
were injuring the people.
The Mob in the Coliseum.-Vs. 20.
n. 1.-The whole city was filled 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 us that
Aquila and Priscilla had for his life
laid down their own necks rom. 16:
~, 1t is likely that these faithful
friends, in shielding the apostle.
brought themselves into the most im-
minent peril. The mob. though BAT.
fed of their principal aim, seized on
Gaius and Aristarchus. two OF Paul's
associates, and dragged them away as
criminals. Rushed with n accord
into the theater," the Colosseum. ca.
pable Of holdiSg $4,000 people.
Alexander the Jew. The Jews were
always especially exposed to perse.
cution, and as the mob would be like.
ly to make no distinction between
Jews and Christians. particularly as
Paul was q Jew. they put forward q
prominent Jew. named Alexander. to
defend them.
The Mob Quelled. 1.-THE townclerk"
at length interfered and argued with
the excited people.
1. The worship Of Diana wal 80
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, "a meteoric
stones fall from the sky.