Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there. Sermons (1) vital religion; (2) earnestness in Christ's services; and (3) the very progress of Christianity. We observe - I. CHRISTIANITY IS A LATE. It is a Divine inward renewal; it is a new creation; it is an impartation of Divine life; it is not, primarily, an interference with social evils, or any endeavor to set the world's wrong right. St. Paul preached the Christian truth, and bade men seek Christ for themselves, that "they might have life;" but we have no reason whatever for supposing that he attacked the shrine-makers, or even made any peril for himself by arguing against the claims of Diana. The power of Christianity still lies in the change which it works in each individual, the regeneration of the man, his possession of a new life. Christian teachers must deal afterwards with the relations between the Christian life and the family and society; but the Christian preacher comes first and declares that "God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his son: he that hath the Son hath life." II. CHRISTIANITY IS SURE TO EXERT A SOCIAL INFLUENCE. It comes to save souls; but the action of the renewed cannot fail to tell on social life, bringing in a new set of sentiments and habits, and steadfastly resisting some of the older ones. Illustrations may be found in connection with slavery. Christianity makes no plea against it, and yet, when men become Christians, they are sure to feel the evil of slavery, and are ready to resist it, as a social custom, even at a great sacrifice. So with war. At Ephesus no word need have been spoken about the superstitious use of charms and amulets; but when the Ephesians accepted Christ as their Savior, a social sentiment against these superstitions would speedily be raised. The one all-effectual counteractive to social and moral evils is strong, vigorous, noble Christian life; and just this the world so greatly needs today. III. CHRISTIANITY, IN EXERTING ITS SOCIAL INFLUENCE, IS SURE TO BEAR HEAVILY ON SOME. It did on the shrine-makers of Ephesus; it has done on slaveholders in England and America; it does on drink-sellers, and on all whose trade is in any form immoral: it does on those who would make personal gain out of the superstitions and fears of the people; it does on those who proclaim skeptical and infidel ideas. IV. THE INTENSEST OPPOSITION TO CHRISTIANITY IS AROUSED WHERE SELF-INTEREST IS AFFECTED. Men may feel more deeply when they are touched in their emotions, but they make more immediate and active show of their feelings when they are affected in their self-interests. And, on the ground of such self-interest, combinations of men are easily made to resist a truth or a reform. Show how this finds application in these our own milder times. Spiritual Christianity finds itself affecting men's purely worldly interests nowadays. Many a man wages a great fight with himself ere he lets his piety master his very trade; and wins a willingness to sacrifice golden opportunities of advancement and wealth, rather than lose his soul's eternal life. And there are modern illustrations of the way in which men, whose self-interest is touched, will combine to resist revival and reformation. In so many forms the principle laid down by our Lord finds ever fresh illustration: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Remarking on the deceptions which lead men to combine against established order or new truth, Bode names the following: - 1. One pretends to high aims, and is influenced by the grossest selfishness. 2. One thinks himself free to act, and is the involuntary instrument of crafty seducers. 3. One values himself as enlightened, and commits the most unreasonable acts of folly. 4. One prides himself that he contends for the right, and perpetrates the most unrighteous deeds of violence. 5. One is filled with extravagant expectations, and in the end gains nothing. - R.T.
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another. Stems and Twigs for Sermon Framework. I. WHAT PRODUCED IT.1. Self-interest endangered. 2. Superstitious feelings aroused. 3. The unpopularity of the gospel. 4. The persuasive eloquence of one man. II. WHAT IT PRODUCED. A display of the spirit of — 1. Enemies of truth. 2. True friends. 3. Eminent Christians. (Stems and Twigs for Sermon Framework.) I. ITS CAUSES.1. The preaching of Paul. 2. The speech of Demetrius. II. THE TUMULT ITSELF. 1. Paul's courageous demeanour. 2. The conduct of the populace. III. THE TUMULT STILLED. The speech of the town clerk. 1. A model of worldly prudence. 2. An example of great moral courage.Application: 1. Be not dismayed in times of danger. 2. Unite prudence with courage and justice. (J. H. Tasson.) A depraved commonalty is the teeming source of all moral and political disorder, and the fearful presage, if not speedily averted by an efficient system of Christian instruction, of a sweeping anarchy and great national overthrow.(T. Chalmers, D. D.) And when the town clerk had appeased the people. When the tumult had gone on for about two hours down comes the town clerk. At the appearance of a well-known Roman official order is quickly restored, just as we have seen a crowd in the streets of London, assembled to witness a fight, quietly disperse on the appearance of one policeman, whilst the two excited combatants saunter off calmly in the opposite direction with their hands in their pockets. This sudden quieting of the city was a great tribute to the genius of Rome for good government. The Roman officials, indeed, usually appear to advantage in the New Testament, especially in the Acts. Gallio knew his business at Corinth, and the town clerk knew his business at Ephesus. His speech was brief and admirable — quite as good as Gallio's, in its way, and to the point. He said in effect — "Good people, what is this noise about? 'Great is Diana!' We all know Diana is great. If a wretched, wandering Jew, half off his head, comes here and says otherwise, what can it matter? Every one in this assembly is aware that the famous image we adore came straight down from Jupiter. Nobody doubts that, so there's an end of the matter. You are not so simple as to suppose that our temple, celebrated throughout the world, can be in any danger from the windy chatter of this half-blind Paulus and his crew? Then, after all, poor deluded troublesome creatures as we know all the Jews are, yet these particular ones have committed no robbery. (Cries of 'Demetrius and all of us are being robbed. Here's the month of May, the place is full of visitors, the temple festival at its height, and we can't sell our shrines; there's a lot of dead stock on hand.') Well, well, if Demetrius and his friends have any grievance, the law is open; let him get his solicitor to prepare his case; both sides will then be heard, and you know that in a Roman law court justice will be done. I'll see to that. But this is not the way to get your rights. Go home quietly, and your business shall be attended to 'in a lawful manner.' Remember, an uproar like this is a serious matter. You have special privileges, and you are in danger of forfeiting them by your unseemly behaviour. You are not under martial law with a propraetor and a legion to rule you, but you are a senatorial province, with a proconsul, and your humble servant in office, who is likely to be 'called to account' for this disturbance, and in what a ridiculous, if not criminal light will Demetrius and his followers have to appear then! I fear they, and not Paulus and Alexander, will have to stand as prisoners in the dock." And beneath this mixture of flattery, irony, and menace, the excited crowd melted away.(H. R. Haweis, M. A.) Cotton Mather used to say that there was a gentleman mentioned in Acts 19, to whom he was often and greatly indebted — viz., the town clerk of Ephesus, whose counsel was, "Do nothing rashly." And on any proposal of consequence he would say, "Let us consult a little with the town clerk of Ephesus."Observe here: —I. CONCILIATION. As if he had said, These poor Jews cannot in any way weaken the authority, limit the influence, or dim the glory of Diana. You may as well be anxious about the radiance of the quenchless stars as about Diana (ver. 36). As there is not the slightest occasion for all this tumult, be quiet; act as men, not as children. II. CONSCIENCE. He speaks out the just as well as the politic (ver. 37). There is a high testimony from a learned and dignified pagan to the conduct of the apostles as the promoters of a new faith. It shows — 1. That they exhibited a respectful deference to the feelings of the errorists. 2. That they set forth God's truth rather than battled with men's opinions. 3. That their language was kind and not reproachful. Would that all promoters of truth had imitated the example of the apostles in this respect. III. COUNSEL. He administers wise advice (ver. 38). This assembly is an unlawful one. Let there be an assembly of men lawfully called together to settle the matter in dispute. IV. CAUTION. In conclusion, he gives them a word of warning (ver. 40). (D. Thomas, D. D.) is the model of a popular harangue. Such excitement was —I. UNDIGNIFIED, as they stood above all suspicion in religious matters (ver. 35, 36). II. UNJUSTIFIABLE, as they could establish nothing against the men (ver. 37). III. UNNECESSARY, as other means of redress were open to them (ver. 38, 39). IV. DANGEROUS; if neither pride nor justice availed anything, fear of the Roman power should restrain them (ver. 40). (W. Hackett.) The image which fell down from Jupiter. A many-breasted idol of wood, rude as an African fetich, was worshipped in its shrine, in some portion of which a meteoric stone may have been inserted, the token of its being "the image that fell down from Jupiter." Similar superstitions belong to various countries, such as the Palladium of Troy, the Ceres of Sicily, the Minerva Polias of Athens, and the Diana of Tauris. Somewhat of the same nature were the shield of Mars at Rome, the black stone in the Caabah at Mecca, that in the temple of the Sun at Baalbec, and the Lia Fail, or stone of destiny, on which the Scottish kings were for many centuries crowned at Scone. Popularly supposed in those ancient times to be a portion of Jacob's pillar, it was thought to be so connected with the destiny of the kingdom, that wherever it happened to be, there should reign the Scottish race, and though it was removed by Edward to Westminster Abbey, where it now forms the support of the coronation chair of the British sovereign, the old prophecy was fondly believed to be verified when James VI ascended the English throne on the death of Elizabeth.(Prof. Eadie.). People Alexander, Apollos, Aristarchus, Demetrius, Diana, Ephesians, Erastus, Gaius, John, Jupiter, Macedonians, Paul, Sceva, Timotheus, Timothy, TyrannusPlaces Achaia, Asia, Corinth, Ephesus, Jerusalem, Macedonia, RomeTopics Assembly, Calling, Cause, Confused, Confusion, Cried, Didn't, Different, Greater, Idea, Indeed, Kept, Majority, Meanwhile, Meeting, Order, Persons, Reason, Shouting, Tumultuous, Uproar, WhereforeOutline 1. The Holy Spirit is given by Paul's hands.8. The Jews blaspheme his doctrine, which is confirmed by miracles. 13. The Jewish exorcists, 16. are beaten by a man who had an evil spirit. 19. Conjuring books are burnt. 21. Demetrius, for love of gain, raises an uproar against Paul; 35. which is appeased by the town clerk. Dictionary of Bible Themes Acts 19:32Library Would-Be Exorcists'...Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?' --ACTS xix. 15. These exorcists had no personal union with Jesus. To them He was only 'Jesus whom Paul preached.' They spoke His name tentatively, as an experiment, and imitatively. To command 'in the name of Jesus' was an appeal to Jesus to glorify His name and exert His power, and so when the speaker had no real faith in the name or the power, there was no answer, because there was really no appeal. I. The only power which can cast out the evil … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts Two Fruitful Years The Fight with Wild Beasts at Ephesus Whitsunday. On the Study of the Evidences of Christianity. Paul's Journeys Acts 13:1-38:31 The Pastoral Epistles. Whether Baptism May be Reiterated? Pastor in Parish (ii. ). The Scriptures Christ's Exaltation The Old Faiths and the New The Supremacy of Christ The Spirit and Power of Elias. Baptism unto Repentance Elucidation. Whether those who had Been Baptized with John's Baptism had to be Baptized with the Baptism of Christ? Whether the Wicked Can Work Miracles? How Long Between? The Doctrine of the Church i. Definition; Distinctions. Gifts no Certain Evidence of Grace. Preventive against Backsliding. Links Acts 19:32 NIVActs 19:32 NLT Acts 19:32 ESV Acts 19:32 NASB Acts 19:32 KJV Acts 19:32 Bible Apps Acts 19:32 Parallel Acts 19:32 Biblia Paralela Acts 19:32 Chinese Bible Acts 19:32 French Bible Acts 19:32 German Bible Acts 19:32 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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