Tom:
This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, and Dave, you know, for all the stuff that we go through, it’s like a treat, this is like an oasis to get to this segment, because we are going through God’s Word, and that’s our encouragement to our listeners.We point out some things that are going on, some trends that are going on in the church, and so on, and try to give you information about it so people don’t get caught up in it, but the bottom line is, we want to point people to the Lord and to His Word, that’s our hope in this program.
Dave:
Well, that’s the only authority we have, Tom.
Tom:
Right now we are in Acts chapter 19 in this segment, we’re going to pick up with verse 30.A little background for this Dave, talked about the DSM earlier, and money, it’s really about money, and in this particular case, Paul was disrupting the income for those who made idols in the city of Ephesus.So they were upset, they were losing some income here.
Dave:
Well, Paul had the audacity to say there are no gods that are made with hands.You can’t create gods out of silver, these were silversmiths, and that just ruined their business.
Tom:
Well Dave, Paul had this trouble before, do you remember, Act 16, chapter 16, there was a woman following them around saying she was possessed of a spirit of divination.And Paul finally had enough of it, he couldn’t handle it anymore, I assume, and he delivered her from the demons.
Dave:
Well, he didn’t want any endorsement of the gospel from that source.
Tom:
Right.There was income now being obstructed by Paul’s act.
Dave:
Yeah, because certain people had used her—well, her handlers used her to earn money, to tell fortunes for various people.
Tom:
Well, two of Paul’s disciples, Gaius and Aristarchus, the crowd jumped all over them.They were his companions there and Paul wanted to help them out, he wanted to go and rescue them, I assume.
Dave:
He was going to appeal to the mob.
Tom:
Right.So that brings us up to verse 30:“And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered himnot.”So, he took their counsel, they said, no, Paul, they’re going to beat you up, as well.“And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theater.Some therefore cried one thing, and some another:for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.”
Dave:
Jesus said, They won’t receive you, go to the next city, and don’t try to push anything on anybody, don’t cast your pearls before swine, they will rend you.So Paul doesn’t say, Well, God is with me, the Lord will protect me, He will send His angels.He doesn’t say, Well, I don’t care, I’ll go out there and be killed.No, he listens to reason, and it’s something that we need to do as well.I had a dear friend, Tom, you would remember him.
Tom:
Wally, yeah, and he adventured himself into the Watts riot, and thought he would preach the gospel.He was very zealous for the gospel, zealous very much with Mormons, and of course he got knocked down and kicked and he was in a coma for months and then he died.I thought of him the other day because I was in Boise speaking.
Tom:
Where there are many Mormons.
Dave:
Yeah, and we had a debate there at BoiseStateUniversity, and he was my partner.We debated two Mormons, and interestingly enough, they said that Joseph Smith—one of their arguments was:Joseph Smith was the first prophet of the new age!And I said, Well, he was one of the prophets in the new age, but the first one happened to be a serpent in the garden.Anyway, we had an interesting time there, that made me think of Wally.And Paul was not going to go against the counsel of the brethren.He’s not the big shot who calls all the shots, and says, Why don’t we do what I want to do, and we all need to take advice.I guess my best counselor is my wife, she’s got more wisdom than I have.
Tom:
Well Dave, that brings up an interesting point, especially those who have such a burden for our relatives or friends and so on, and at what point, or how would you go about—Okay, now I think that I am casting my pearls before swine.Is there some reasons or rationale that you apply to that?
Dave:
You can’t force yourself, and you can’t force the gospel, you can’t force Christ on anyone, and of course that’s what Islam does, Off with your head, if you don’t confess there’s no—
Tom:
And they don’t even care if you believe it just as long as you support it.
Dave:
That’s right, but God is not going to force anybody to go to heaven, not going to force anybody to believe. Because if you are forced to believe something you haven’t really believed it.And you know the old saying:A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.So, they are keeping him back.I mean, he’s not going to be able to reason with this wild mob.What are they going to do?They’re going to throw dust in the air and say, Great is the goddess of the Ephesians, and so forth.But anyway Tom, carry on here.
Tom:
Verse 33:“And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward.And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defense unto the people.But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”Well, they turned that into a mantra, Dave, or was it just—what?
Dave:
It’s fanaticism, just like at a football game, you probably get more of it there.In high school they really do it, chanting for the team.
Tom:
A basketball game—fair ball, fair ball, you know that one?
Dave:
Yeah, yeah, but it’s their team and you see how excited they get because their team is winning, or they subside because their team is losing.And this was their champion, Diana of the Ephesians, she was their goddess, and she brought a lot of income for them.So just fanatically, Great is Diana the goddess of the Ephesians, over and over and over.It doesn’t mean anything, there’s no rationale for it, there’s no proof of it, it’s just an emotional surge.
Tom:
Thirty-Five:“And when the town clerk had appeases the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.”
Dave:
Well Tom, he doesn’t say:Seeing that we have proof of Diana of the Ephesians is the true goddess, or god, he says, Well, of course everybody knows that this is what we worship here.So nobody is going to argue about that.It’s really pitiful, it’s sad.
Tom:
They do the same thing today with evolution, don’t they, Dave?
Dave:
Yeah, or, I was born a Catholic, I’ll die a Catholic, or a Hindu or whatever, Ours is the largest church and the oldest—it has nothing to do with the truth.Hopefully, we try to give people the truth of the Word of God, and we encourage them to search the scriptures daily.Don’t take what we say, just check it out for yourself.