Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, August 2, 2013 Read – Acts 19:21-41 Luke now tells us the Paul “resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia and then go on to Jerusalem … after I have gone there I must also see Rome” (Acts 19:21). Having made this decision, Paul sent “two of his helpers” ahead of him to prepare the way while he remained a while longer in Ephesus. There are two things that are important about the way that Luke has said this. First of all the word he uses for “must” is a particular word in Greek that always indicates Divine Necessity. This must happen because God has determined that it must. We may recall that when Jesus came to the crucial point in his ministry when he turned toward Jerusalem, Luke put it this way, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Luke is now portraying Paul in the same way that he portrayed Jesus. As it goes with the Master, so it goes with the servant. Luke tells us that there is a destiny for Paul that has been set by God, just as there was a destiny set by God for Jesus. As we move forward in Luke’s story we need to keep an ear open for more of this. The second thing that is important here is that just as Jesus sent helpers ahead of him to prepare the way, Paul is sending helpers to prepare his way too. Luke is unmistakably attempting to draw a parallel between the journey of Jesus to the cross and the journey of Paul to Jerusalem and eventually to Rome. Once again the skill and brilliance of our author is on display! Paul’s delay in Ephesus does not produce a great success – in fact, exactly the opposite occurs. All havoc breaks loose. The story is reminiscent of a similar story that happened at Philippi. Paul’s gospel is conflicting with the economics of the people of Ephesus – particularly the silver smiths who made images of the goddess Artemis. The temple of Artemis was in fact a very crucial part of the economy of Ephesus and functioned not only as a place of worship but a bank. The temple itself became known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The scene in Ephesus turns into a mob scene – people are saying one thing and another, and some people do not even know why they are gathering and protesting. Total mayhem results. Paul is the one who is blamed for the demise of the economy of the artisans of the goddess Artemis, but he is nowhere to be found – a similarity to other places when conflict arises and Paul’s friends hide him from view. A couple of Paul’s companions are drug into the theater – an open air gathering space shaped in a semi-circle and seating about 25,000 people in Ephesus. Luke tells us Paul wanted to enter the theater and speak to the crowd, but his friends and even some well thinking officials forbid him. Eventually a Jew names Alexander attempts to bring order, but once the crowd realizes that he is a Jew, they drown out his speech. As far as they are concerned, the local population does not distinguish between Jewish Christians and Jews who do not believe – a clear sign that Judaism and Christianity were once viewed as the same religious faith in the ancient world. It was not until several years later that a distinction was recognized by the average person. Finally, the town clerk was able to still the crowd. First of all he assures them that the goddess Artemis is not in danger – after all Ephesus is the keeper of a “statue” that fell from heaven – likely a meteorite that people understood to be a “god” fallen from the sky. Secondly, the town clerk appeals to the self-interest of the crowd that a riot be avoided. The Roman authorities would not appreciate such an occurrence. Once order is restored, Paul leaves for Macedonia after encouraging the members of the church in Ephesus. He will speak to them one more time on his way to Jerusalem.