Bible Reading
Acts 19:23-41:
23And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
24For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
25Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
28And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
29And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
30And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
31And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
32Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused: and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
33And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
34But 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.
35And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
36Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
37For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
38Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
39But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
40For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
41And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Devotional
In the large theater of Ephesus the devotees of Diana cried out the praise of their grotesque nature goddess. For about two hours they confessed with one voice, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." The cries of their loyalty expressed the esteem that many had in that day for the crude goddess, whose worship centered in the magnificent temple that was one of the seven wonders of the world. If insistent and emphatic affirmation could establish falsehood as true, the cries of faith that were uttered in the theater of Ephesus should have established forever the excellence and magnificence of Diana.
The centuries have passed, however, and the worshipers of Diana have gone; the great city of Ephesus has fallen into ruins; the temple of Diana has been destroyed, and now a stagnant frog pond is found at its site. Today, instead of cries of devotion to Diana one hears the croaking of thousands of frogs.
Ephesus is dead and Diana is dead. With other discredited and abandoned deities of antiquity, Diana has perished - and her followers have been replaced by frogs in a stagnant pond. But the Gospel that Paul preached in Ephesus is not dead and will not die. And the God to whom Paul testified in Ephesus still lives and reigns and will live and reign forever. For He is the One who alone is great and is greatly to be praised, and whose greatness is unsearchable.
Welcome to "Think on These Things," a twelve-week daily devotional prepared by the late Dr. John H. Skilton, an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and for many years Chairman of the New Testament Department at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia.
We are indebted to P & R Publishing and Skilton House Ministries for permission to use this copyrighted material on the OPC Web site. (P & R held the copyright from 1975 to 2005, at which time they reassigned the copyright to Skilton House.)
