The Dermott news., 1916-08-17
INTERNATIONAL. SUNDNSQlOOL
 LESSON (By F. O. SELLERS. Acting Director of the Sunday School Course of the Moody Bible Institute. Chicago) Copyright. 1916. Western Newspaper Union
LESSON FOR AUGUST 20
RIOT AT EPHESUS.
,SSON TEXT-kcts Ig.23-41

the root of all kinds of eYil-I Tim. 6.l0
 Teachers ought to have good maps and keep before the minds of their classes both the ancient and modern names of the places Paul visited. Paul resided at Ephesus nearly three years. A. D 53 to 1G. The events of this les son occurred about three years after our last lesson in Acts.
 |. The Missionary Work of Paul (vy. 1-1e4. How long Paul remained at Antioch after his second journey we lo not know, but having passed through the upper coast" he came to thts city of Ephesus, which was m important city and a great mission deid In Revelations and 3 is list of the churches which he evangelized from this center. It was q great and cfectuaI door for him q Cor. 6:9; read also Acts 20:17; 2:35). In this city Paul found q religious guild of 12 members (see ". 2-7), whose relig- Ious experience needed the enrichment of tEe Holy Spirit; q like need is ever before the Christian church.
 II. The Miracles Wrought by Paul (vyllI20} Ephesus was center of magic and wtchcraft, and special power was given Paul to work mira eieS which cuufoHhded the magieans in thls. their stronghold. The Gospel proves fts power most and best by transforming the characters of men. Deeds af love and service are the best proofs of Christianity. and these are |, hAo h.ar, yg- tiaas ta sock after the Christian Es.ys- iaa. But such deeds are oftent0hi- tated as in this case. (See v:T3) However, only the real spirit of Christ can work the true workings of the Gospel. and thus the name of the Lord Jesus was magniAed in Ephcsus. Imi- tadon is often the sinccrest form of natterE.
 H. The mobs Attack Upon Paurs Work tvy. 2l-4D. The first result of Paaes work was the burning of the books of magic (vv. 1s-20). Many who hal been dupes of the magicians cesse8 thcir secret practices and de- cIarHd their wronEdoings In this pub emaauer Literally. book after book was thrown into the fire, much the ea#e- as- in Florence Sav6nhrola had his ..haa6re of vanities." Paul's won derfuI success had to have its testing before he loft. The Gospel way the WAY of salvation. of true living. is sure to create stir sooner or later. rreach che Gospel faithfully and fully, aud 1t will stir up any community. It tS not necessarily q pad sign when things begin to be disturbed. It may simply indicate that the fire Is get tIUg hot The good results of reyiv- als do not hurt business, but they do hurt the devil Sc tLat 'big business" was intensely stirred up in the city of FpheSuS. Demettius, their leader, uttered striking and truthful com mendation of Paul (v. 2G), although lt was entirely unintentional (See TheSS :9-10). Demetrius does not seem to seek to controvert the preach ing of Paul, or that 1t did not square with the word of God but rather that it would interfere with financial con- alterations The modern world is full of descendants of the Ephesian silver smiths,-poljtician and business in- tereSts which defend the saloon, and fairly respectable citizens who receive rents from such business, or from im- moral or unsantary properties, and who cry out against any reform which interferes with trade and money mak- Ing. There are many today who are very enthusiastic religionists if they can coin money out of 1t or get into an office.
 At this theater meeting Paul was not present, w. %, 3I Demetrius ap- pealed CD to wealth, (2) to religion, (3) to the honor and fame of the city, and (4} he also made an esthetic ap- peal, (yy. 25 26, 2O. The Jews put forward one of their number, Alexan- der, to make a defense unto the peo- pie and to show that they were not in sympathy with Paul and his com- paniOns in their preaching against the worship of Diana or that as Jewish Christians they did not maliciously hope to destroy the worship of Diana and the business interests of that city. Their effort, however, only stirred the mob to larger shout, Great Is Diana of the Ephesians," which lasted for two hours.
 Those who yell the loudest think they are sure to prove their point, though in such a way the point does not stay proved. Paul combines fear less courage and humble common sense, and, while he fain would ap- peal to the mob (v. 30), he refrained. The mob must soon awaken to the manllness and spirit of Paul's soul. It was the town clerk who interfered (v. 35-4D and by skillful management quelled the excited mob. He was the temple keeper and showed that the worship of Diana was so settled in Ephesus that no company of Jews could overthrow 1t, and that they did ! l... xl.I1.-