Evening star., 1925-10-24
Sunday School Lesson

sionary work by laymen preaching in
some of the towns and villages, where
the apostle had not preached, until
"all they that dWelt in Asia heard
the word of the Lord" The church
at Ephesus helped win Asia Minor
| for Christ. Churches were established
in Philadelphia, Laodicea, Smyrna,
Pergamos. Thyatira and Sardis.
Mastering Difficulties.
! Paul was welcomed by the Jews of
! the synagogue In Ephesus upon his
! first visit and urged by them to re-
turn. He commenced his ministry in
| their synagogue after attending the
! Jerusalem Passover feast, where he
/ argued patiently with all who ques-
| toned him concerning the Chris, o.
the gospel of salvation until he faced
| on the part of some an abusive ana
| blasphemous attitude toward the Lord
Jesus. This made il clear TO the
apostle that he ought to depart from
| them. He reluctantly left the syna-
! goSue. because all Israel was dear to
/ him, as they ought to be to us, for
all the religion that we have has
come TO us through Jewish sources.
He found in the school of Tyrannus,
who was probably a Christian, an
open door. There in the school OF
rhetoric the church grew more rap
idly than ii had in the school of re-
liGioH.
! Ephesus was noted center OF
| magic. Magicians. eXorcists and won
der workers were everywhere. They
were as full of tricks and wonder
works as the magicians ol Egypt.
! When Moses faced them God impaired
| unto him power TO work miracles.
! When PAU commenced his work In
| Ephesus the Lord gave such spiritual
| power to him that many miracles
! were wrought through him. The pc
| CulIar character of the miracles con
nected with the apostles ministry is
! That they were not performed directly
b' Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons
| carried from his person cured diseases
ana expelled demons. The apostles
extraordinary power incited travelling
magicians to use the name of Jesus
| In their lncantationS over a denoniac
with unexpected results. The DOS
seSsed man rose against the falIirs and
drove them from the house in the
presence OF many. The whole city
! quickly learned about il. Ephesus was
stirred by the news. Many heather
and fakirs were converted and pro
fessed faith in Christ. The nlagicians
proved the genulneness of their reli-
gion by burning up their occult books
in the public market place. They
commenced to earn their living by
engaging In honest fields OF industry
Financial Interests Aroused.
PauIs success is revealed in the
most instructive picture OF society
in an Asia city that has come down to
us The driving power of the gospel
was seen in the large number of un-
employed found among the idol
makers. who manufactured idols OF
Diana and miniature copies of her
temple III terra Gotta. marble and sil-
Yer. Men who had most money
invested in the trade were the silver
smiths. Demetrlus called a confer
ehce OF all involved TO consider the
problem of unemployment He tried
10 cover his own seIfishness under the
appeal TO their love OF the goddess
and civic pride. 1t was an old polt-
ical trick that many modern politi-
clans have used successfully. If as
result of President Coolidge's ad-
dress before the Congrega tionalist ma
tlonal convention last Tuesday, all Of
! the Christian forces in America were
mobi.lzed to attack every form Of vice
in our land. We would witness a union
OF All the profiteers whose fortune has
Decn made in debaSing of manhood
destroying virtue and disregarding the
law, pleading with Americans that we
extend TO them liberty to continue
evil and immoral business. A city
/ wide revival will always cut the prof
| lts or any inlquitouS trade and in
| crease the bank deposits of every
| legitimate business
II Is easy to arouse a. people when
| the pocket nerve is touched Ephesus
was stirred by the appeal of the '.al-
mighty dollar" for they were filed
with the spirit of mob when they saw
their trade disappearing. Luke's de-
scription proves that he was an eve
witness of the community riot. He
probably shared PauPs anxiety for
his two companions. His accuracy OF
statement has been confirmed by
many modern discoveries. Two prom
! inent Roman officials proved their
friendship for Paul by pleading with
MIN not to risk his life in the riot.
The apostle must have chafed at their
request. He would willingly have
shared the danger faced By two of
the disciples for the glory of the Lord
The cause of Christ was greater than
MS reputation. He recognized the
wisdom of their advice and lid not
enter the theater when men ,yera
crying out their loyalty to Diana. The
just administration of the law gave
protection to the early church, so that
Paul paid heed to the suggestion of
the proper government officials
Inc tact displayed by the town clerk
'CsiS noW rome was able to eXpand
her boundaries and govern her colo
MES successfully. His appeal WAS a
mastery one that used argument
and Judicious tact" in mastering the
mob, pointing out the dangers Of los.
ing their own civil liberty If thew
failed to use the courts to settle their
problems. He put Demetrius in an
awkward position by calling upon him
| 10 persecute legally the Christians IL
they had done anything unlawfully.
Nhlle. .Demetrius was defeated. Ephe-
sus aost. She decided to place gold
before the gospel. She put her trust
IN cash and commerce and today is
the most extensive ruins of apy city
ever visited by Paul. Politicians have
assumed that economies have been
the determining factors In the worlds
history. Statesmen have recognized
that back Of every economic problem
was a moral question that could only
oe solved by the application of spir
ltual principles. Barton was right
Whe1, he pointed cut thar Jesus Vas
the founder of modern big business
put 1t Will go on the rocks of failure
IKE Ephesus, If the love of money is
put before the love of the Master and