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RIOTING TODAY! – Testimony from many stakeholders
RIOT TODAY IN EPHESUS!

– READ all about it.

The NEWS headline could have been from TODAY! But first we return to this riot mentioned in our last edition and Luke’s account of Acts 19.

and fear fell upon them all – Phobias from the enemy

Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying,
“Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

The city was filled with the uproar, and the crowd rushed to the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
Acts of the Apostles 19:29 New English Translation

Some accounts begin: So the whole city was filled with confusion, while other accounts of the incident refer to this riot simply as an uproar.

And for the testimony of our trial later note its participants: the CROWD (who all rushed to the theater together) and two outsiders from Macedonia (Gaius and Aristarchus).

Syria War Refugees

This ‘trial‘ of these outside agitators in the public stadium (think of it as the social media outlets of the day) should solve the town’s local political problem.

These free-speaking men (shouting down the acts of these disciples of Jesus) stormed the Roman court with two Macedonians they had already convicted by majority mob rule.

U.S. Capitol under siege JANUARY 6, 2021
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READ some earlier accounts of recent events leading up to the riot (the A.D. 1st c. riot in Ephesus, that is). AND note the outsiders who come and go with Paul.
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ACTS 18:
- 23 .. Paul left and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
- 24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus..
- 26 ..Priscilla and Aquila (having arrived ahead of Paul) heard him..
- 27 [Apollos leaves Ephesus to] cross over to Achaia..
ACTS 19:

and when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. (Now there were about twelve men in all.)

So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God.
Acts of the Apostles 19:6-8 NET
- 9 .. he left them and took the disciples with him, addressing them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years..
  - * NOTE that the events leading up to this riot went back more than two years.
- .. so that all who lived in the province of Asia [of which Ephesus is its Roman political capital], both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
- 14 (Now seven sons of a man named Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)
- 17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; fear came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.
- 18 Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known.
  - 19 Large numbers of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them Inup in the presence of everyone. When the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.
- [Paul] .. after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia [and presumably in its capital Ephesus for the most part].
Inciting the riot of the day

THIS all leads up to what Luke describes as ‘NO SMALL DISTURBANCE’ concerning ‘the WAY’ or disciples (all followers) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have heard of these incidents before.
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Thessalonica & Berea in Macedonia 
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But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar.. they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting,

“These men who have upset the world have come here also.. And they disturbed the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.
Acts of the Apostles 17:5a,6b,8

But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing G5015 the crowds.
Acts 17:13 LSB

Trial of the ACTS 19 Riots in Ephesus

And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

And when Paul wanted to go into the [people of the] assembly, the disciples would not let him. Also some of the [*] Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.
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* These are Political or religious officials of the province of Asia, likely some Roman and others Jewish converts of The Way.
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32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the [*] meeting was in confusion..
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* Some Bibles translate this gathering of citizens as 'assembly,' from a word familiar to many Christians:  ekklēsia
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.. and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.

Centuries of riots and wars, refugees and massacres

Assyria takes Samarian captives 722 BC & Babylon takes Judah’s captives 607-537 BC

Assyria near Nineveh (art)

AD 2015 WWI 200 Christians Burned inside church in Turkey – 1915

Auschwitz AD 1945 WWII – genocide of the Jews and Eastren Europeans

1945 dead slave labors

Egypt circa 2013

refugee man embracing boy

Syria 2014 boy searching for food

2014 Syria Christians pray

2022 conquest

modern military map

more refugees driven from their cities in Syria & Iraq

Dublin, Ireland – Choice infant genocide

Jerusalem of Islam & Jew

But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours..
Acts of the Apostles 19:34a – at the riot in Ephesus

Undeniable Facts

35 Now after calming the crowd, the city clerk said..

‘So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.’

“So then, if [your leader and you] have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the [scheduled] lawful meeting.
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Sometimes riots END as quickly as they begin IF sensible leadership prevails over the CROWDS incited by hatred into a frenzy of lawlessness and sin. (Of course at other times sin simmers beneath the surface until it erupts into something worse -- even war.
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“For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot [stasis] in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.”
Acts of the Apostles 19:40 LSB

And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.
Acts of the Apostles 19:41-20:1 ESV

στάσις – stasis – From the base of ἵστημι (G2476)

The KJV translates Strong’s G4714 in the following manner: sedition (3x), dissension (3x), insurrection (1x), uproar (1x), standing (1x).

Eleven (11) other versions of the Bible translate this simply as a riot.

Contemporary applications to this lesson from first century Ephesus — in a Greek culture accommodating Jews and other religions under a heavy hand of a pagan Roman Empire and its governors with the power to judge and execute whom they will — consider one further application from the Greek root of this word:

A word of warning from Scripture received by the Apostle John a few years later near the end of the first century.

Then I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing G2476 before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 20:12 LSB

ACTS of the Apostles – The Third Missionary Journey of Paul —

To Be Continued… in Macedonia, God-willing…
October 23, 2023
and fear fell upon them all – Phobias from the enemy
FEAR descends upon us without warning when we least expect it. This is what has just happened in places distant from our secure homes and times more near these last days.

Acts of the Apostles 19:
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TODAY we return to Ephesus in the first century of our Lord and then quickly jump forward to fearful times ahead and even now in this 21st century of the Common Era.

IF you missed the account of Paul's previous preaching of Jesus Christ you might want to look back first.
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Evil spirits, exorcism, possession of Power

What do we fear?

Disgrace, as these men ran away from a situation over which they claimed to have power?

DEATH perhaps, IF the enemy should prevail?

The Apostle Paul [Saul of Tarsus] was a RELIGIOUS man once feared by Christians as he pursued the unrighteousness of men and women turned from Almighty God.

But a more powerful JESUS and the Holy Spirit had intervened most unexpectedly. NOW Paul in Christ demonstrates God’s POWER!

ACTS 19 – Believe in JESUS!

6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them..

.. some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude..

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul..and the evil spirits went out of them.

16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them..
Acts of the Apostles 19:16a NKJV

PAUL HAD POWER! Unseen power. The Jewish priests observed reactions of people who had witnessed this mysterious unseen power and sought such control of the crowds as well.

18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
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We may safely suppose that their confessions included the ordinary sins of every man and woman and their deeds being the evil against God and others so common in our everyday lives.
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19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Fear of the unseen enemy

The LORD GOD is your enemy when YOU SIN against HIM!

Satan and unseen spirits in which many of you do not believe are ENEMIES of the LORD GOD and His only SON JESUS CHRIST sent to SAVE you from the Judgment of your SIN.

This CHOSEN NATION of GOD had sinned and fallen many times.

AND they continued to deny Christ’s grace and power over sin demonstrated in JESUS.

Priests and preachers had sinned against the SON of GOD sent to HIS OWN for forgiveness of SINS.

The King of the Jews was sacrificed on a Roman Cross in Jerusalem.

Paul who by now has confessed Christ witnesses to the gentiles of first century Roman Asia Minor. The Apostle once again demonstrates the power of Jesus Christ OVER sin.

AND as always, there arose a great commotion about the Way. [v.23b]

מָשִׁיחַ מָשִׁיחַ
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PHOTO above from the 3-part Gospel Series: 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches
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a Common Era parable – phobomai
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We interrupt these ACTS of the first century for 
BREAKING NEWS from Israel in this 21st century of the Common Era
and a parable of current events.
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A man with seven sons and seven daughters whom he had set over an inheritance of great wealth and influence sent them out to build new settlements for his grandchildren. One day his oldest son gathered all of their brothers and sisters for a great music festival of songs celebrating the culture of their fathers.

So as a trumpet sounded from the besieged holy hill beyond the locked gate they departed toward this rave for the ages led by local guides into the valley of the shadow near the salt sea.

To be continued…
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In the diaspora, the first day is known by its biblical name, Shemini Atzeret. We still dwell in the sukkah, but without a blessing. Yizkor, the memorial for the departed, is also said on this day.

The second day is known as Simchat Torah, during which we complete and immediately begin the annual Torah reading cycle. - source: Chabad.org
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7 October, 2023 of the Common Era

At the RAVE of the enemy in the valley of the shadow many fall victim.

It was NOT a festival to the LORD God and the enemy provokes the spirit of evil in any who seek pleasure in sin and death.

May God have mercy on their lost souls.

FEAR

φόβος – phobos – From a primary phebomai (to be put in fear)
- Fear, dread, terror
- that which strikes terror
And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. And fear [G5401 – phobos] gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying,

“A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!”
Gospel of Luke 7:15-16 Legacy Standard Bible

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars,
and on the earth anguish among nations,
in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
men fainting from fear [G5401 – phobos]
and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world;
for the POWERS OF THE HEAVENS will be shaken…
Gospel of Luke 21:25-26 LSB
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We return now from the 21st c. C.E. to a FEAR in those witnessing GOOD in the Name of JESUS in the first century of the Lord in Ephesus recalling:
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And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear G5401 fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
Acts of the Apostles 19-17 LSB

Reaction against the Power of God

IT ALWAYS HAPPENS THAT WHEN GOD WORKS MIGHTY ACTS OF POWER THAT UNGODLY MEN WILL DO EVIL AGAINST THE WITNESSES OF GOD AND CHRIST JESUS.

ACTS 19:23 NKJV

And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said:

“Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

Some men FEAR disgrace, most men and women FEAR death, yet many cling to tradition forged into idols of culture condoning our sin and denying our mortality.

These would lead the leaven of life into a pit of eternal punishment.

“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
Paul later writes to the ROMANS, quoting PSALM 36

Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying,

“Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.

The Apostle Paul’s ACTS in Ephesus – To Be Continued, God-willing…

Acts 19, death, fear, God, holy spirit, israel, Luke, paul, phobia, romans, war
October 14, 2023
Evil spirits, exorcism, possession of Power
ACTS 19:

..and the evil spirits went out of them.
Acts of the Apostles 19:12c KJV

Acts of God, evil spirits and exorcists

In his account of Paul’s third missionary journey the physician Luke now records signs YOU may find hard to believe.

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS, 21st Century believer in the Lord Jesus Christ?

..they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
Acts of the Apostles 19:12b NLT

Previously, in Luke’s account:

Lectures about God in Athens’ University of Idols

Back in Athens Paul had lectured about the futility of worshiping things made by man as having the power of God.

Powerful Preaching to powerless Christians

Luke tells us how (as an itinerate preacher) Paul had encountered some believers who had not received the power of the Holy Spirit.

Powers of Preaching

Apollos had preached the word with power prior to departing Ephesus for Corinth. Paul then arrives in Ephesus and proclaims the Gospel in the local synagogue for three months.

BUT in the meantime, some itinerate Jews have heard ot these men attracting a following and so sought to imitate their techniques and powers of persuasion.
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As you may know it doesn't go so well for them, even as some time ago on Paul's first missionary journey Bar-Jesus lost his evil influence on events in Cypress.

AND you probably have a Hollywood-tainted image of a ritualistic Roman Catholic ceremony.
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Jewish Exorcists

But there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus when dealing with those who had evil spirits. They would say, “I command you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
ACTS 19:13- J.B. Phillips New Testament paraphrase – The violence of evil and the power of the “name”

“I command you in the name of Jesus!

CAN ANYONE DO THIS? OR CAN A PRIEST OR PREACHER COMMAND EVIL SPIRITS?

YOU probably have your 21st century of the Common Era doubts.

But what happened to these exorcists?

Mostly nothing at all — just like the Pentecostalism preached on some 20th century television stages. AND of course no authentic healing of the sick like JESUS had done so often.

Luke’s account however does give us one powerful example of what did happen:

Acts 19:

14 Now seven sons of one named Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them,

“I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Acts 19:14-16 Legacy Standard Bible
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Don't YOU just want to say, 'GOOD!' They got their just due?
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BUT WAIT A MINUTE!

IF WE ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT LUKE TELLS US ABOUT SEVEN PRIESTS RUNNING OUT OF A HOUSE NAKED AND DEFEATED BY AN EVIL SPIRIT, THEN WE MUST ACCEPT AN IMPACT OF EVIL SPIRITS ON ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN.

Miracles and Power!

Luke now moves on from the ethereal teaching of Tyrannus and Mars Hill to the aetheris winds beyond that which is seen by man.

Most of us don’t really believe in miracles, do we?

WE know of the unexplainable, but rare is any occasion of seeing the unseen.

Sinful men and women want power!

Seven priests talked a good game, but when the higher unseen truth is told, they were humiliated and exposed as frauds.

POWER has a source — as does life and spirit.

And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that cloths or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
Acts of the Apostles 19:11-12 LSB

THEOS (Greek word for God) was performing extraordinary MIRACLES! — dynamis, from which (in English) we get DYNAMITE!

NOT Paul, but God by the hands of Paul.

And as a consequence of GOD using these lifeless items and Spirit-filled Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ became known for HIS MIRACLES among the Gentiles of Ephesus.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 120x
The KJV translates Strong’s G1411 in the following manner:

power (77x), mighty work (11x), strength (7x), miracle (7x), might (4x), virtue (3x), mighty (2x), miscellaneous (9x).
inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth; power for performing miracles; moral power and excellence of soul; the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth; power and resources arising from numbers; power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts
Strong’s G1411 – dynamis – BlueLetterBible.org

evil spirits

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:21; 20:6-7

confronted by Jesus
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“Aw, let us alone! What to us and to you, Jesus the Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

But Jesus rebuked it, saying, 
“Be quiet and come out of him!” 

And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, it came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they were talking with one another saying, 
“What is this word, that with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.”

And the report about Him was spreading into every place in the surrounding district.

Gospel of Luke 4:34-37
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So you say you don't believe in evil spirits? 
The Law of Moses addresses them AND
JESUS *cast them out of possessed men [*exorcism] and commanded unseen spirits with Authority.
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confronted by Paul

And certain of the wandering exorcist Jews, took upon them to name over those having the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul doth preach;’
Acts 19:13 Young’s Literal Translation

and the evil spirit, answering, said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with; and ye — who are ye?’
Acts of the Apostles 19:15 YLT

SPIRIT – pneuma – from ‘breath’ or ‘of the wind‘

Holy or unholy? Good or evil?

Can the HOLY SPIRIT or an EVIL SPIRIT indwell a mortal man [anthrōpos]? (OR perhaps influence intellectual reasoning or affect any actions of a man or women of flesh?)

By what POWER may a mere mortal become an EXORCIST of EVIL (ponēros) and healer of diseases?

Questions of the first century Ephesians.

Yes, even questions for 21st century christians of the Common Era, perhaps skeptical of Scripture and miraculous signs through the Apostles which God gave to witness the Lord Jesus Christ.

And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Acts of the Apostles 19:17 KJV

ACTS of the Apostles — To Be Continued…

NEXT:
and fear fell upon them all

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
October 5, 2023