The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1916-08-18
LESSON FOR AUGUST 20
RIOT AT EPHESUS.

GOLDEN TEXT-The love of money is
'ne TUT OIL al KINDS OF evil Tim. 6:lo,
teachers ought to have good maps
anu keep before the minds of their
classes Doth the ancient and modern
haines oI the places Paul visited. Paul
resiueu ut EpheSns nearly three years,
"A. =. % 10 o. Inc events OF this les
sou occurred about three years after
our iasl lesson IN Acts.
/! me missionary work OF paul
WV. nv. HOW long faui renamed at
Aht'och after ms second journey we
10 NOT KNOW, but having passeu
throusl the upper coast he came TO
tilis Guy VI EoiiesuS, "hlch was an
iniportaut city ana Il great mission
heiu. III revelations ana 8 Is hst
Oh the churches Whlch ne eNahgeilzeu
from ulS center. II was great ana
eliee'uaI door lor MN u Cor o.
l.au ,''S' .No'' 49, ''''' III .'iis
CITY i"ui louhu reilslous euiid Oh u
N'Ve W. ~, WHOSE rei's-
'o"a 'i'e'e.i 'iie en- ioiiiAei'
VI IN ii''s Spiilt me heeu - ever
oeioie 'lie oiiiistiah church,
u. ne miracles wrought by pau'
wv iA--o'. Epnesus was center OF
magic ana "ltchcraft, ana speclal
power was gwen faul 10 work mira
cles winch COMPOUNDED the magiclans
IN thiS, their stronghold. Inc Gospei
proves It's power most ana pest by
TRANSFORMING the characters Oh men.
Deeds OF love ana service are the pest
proofs OF Christianity ana these are
the things which awaken heathen ma
lions to seek after the Christian re1g-
Ion. But such deeds are o1ten lhl-
tated as In this case. (See v. 49,
however, only the real spirit OF Chrlst
can work the true workings OF the
Gospel, and thus the name OF the Lord
Jesus was Inagnillcd in Ephesus. lml-
tation Is often the slncerest form OF
fiattery.
III. The Mob's Attack Upon PauPs
Work wv. 21-4D. The first result of
PauIs work was the burning CT the
books of magic wv. 1920. Many who
had been dupes of the magicians
ceased their secret practices and de-
clared their wrongdoings in this pub
lie manner. Literally, book after book
was thrown into the fire, much the
same as in Florence Savonarola had
his "bonfire of vanities." Pauls won
derful success had to have its testing
before he left. The Gospel sway" the
way Of salvation, of true living, Is
sure to create a stir sooner or later.
Preach the Gospel faithfully and fully,
and 1t will stir up any community. 1t
is not necessarily a bad sign when
things begin to be disturbed. 1t may
simply Indicate that the fire is get
ting hot. The good results of reviv-
ais do not hurt business, but they do
hurt the devil. So that "big business"
was intensely stirred up in the city
of Ephesus. Demetrius, their leader,
uttered a striking and truthful COM
mendation of Paul ". 26), although
it was entirely unintentional. (See
l Thess. :9-10). Demetrius does not
seem to seek to controvert the preach
ing of Paul, or that it did not square
with the word of God, but rather that
it would interfere with financial con-
siderations. The modern world is full
of descendants of the Ephesian silver
smiths,-politicians and business in
terests which defend the saloon, and
fairly respectable citizens who receive
rents from such business or from i'm
moral or unsanitary properties, and
who cry out against any reform which
interferes with trade and money maxi
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. 20, 31) Demetrius ap-
pealed (I) to wealth, (2) to religion,
(3) to the honor and fame OF the city,
and az he also made an esthetic ap-