The Riot in Ephesus

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

April 12, 2021

The Riot in Ephesus

You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.

Acts 19:37

Read: Acts 19:23-41       

I noted last week (April 6) that a city official had intervened on behalf of Paul. Something similar happens in our reading for today. Demetrius had started a riot and seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. The situation was so dangerous the disciples would not let Paul speak to the crowd. “Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.” (v.31)

I believe there are two essential lessons we can draw from the riot in Ephesus. First, Christian faith, or as Luke refers to it in this passage, the Way, is acutely counter-cultural. I cringe when I hear church leaders talk about the need for the church to be culturally relevant. The only relevance for our life, as disciples of Jesus, is in Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. We do not seek to model our life after cultural values and mores; rather, “It is God who works in (us) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13) Because Paul was seeking to reconcile the people of Ephesus with God, people “who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly . . . (i)n this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” (v.19-20)

Secondly, the disciples were innocent in their behavior so that no charges could be brought against them. I think this behavior goes hand-in-hand with the humility I noted in yesterday’s meditation. We are called to allow God to order our steps as we proclaim the Good News of Jesus that will cause people to see their vested interest radically challenged.

My Takeaway: I pray for pastors in all of our churches who will challenge their congregations to turn away from cultural norms and turn to God, and who validate their authority by doing “nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility (they) value others above (themselves), not looking to (their) own interests but each of (them) to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

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