Acts 19:22-28; Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 21:40-45; Philippians 2:9-11
Jewish leaders send Alexander as their representative to the city officials in an effort to separate themselves from the rapidly growing church. Dimitrius begins to beat the war drums against the Teacher from Syria. Timothy and Erastus arrive in Macedonia and remain there while sending Gaius and Aristarchus with an update to Paul.
Slamming his hand down upon the table in front of him, a high pitched nasally voice yells out: “It’s treason! That’s what this is. Treason! He has turned against us and…”
“Eliezer is of no concern to us.” Elam weighs in pensively. “No… It’s the Syrian, the one who calls himself a former Pharisee. He has turned our city against us, Hillel.”
As if slowly wading through a muddied marsh, Hillel quietly ponders the various suggestions for their collective course of action. He thoughtfully assesses the others as they pace the floor and offer their opinions. He doesn’t yet offer a word.
Eventually, the pacing slows, and the men exhaust their vitriol. Like a father waiting for his children to settle down, Hillel finally stands and walks over to a younger man seated a few feet away.
“Alexander.” Hillel says.
Without realizing who is standing above him, the younger man looks up to see Hillel staring back at him. He comes to attention and asks, “Yes sir?”
Hillel gently smiles and says. “You are a clerk and have influence among the Asiarchs, yes?”
“Yes, teacher.” Alexander responds. “I know many of them.”
Hillel turns to face the others in the room and says, “My brothers, we understand that this Paul fellow has had quite an influence in this city since his arrival.”
“He’s destroyed everything we’ve tried to establish.” The nasally pitched voice blurts out.
Hillel raises a hand to quiet the man and continues. “No. He has not. However, we would do well to disassociate ourselves from him and his disciples. Our problem, you see, is one of perception by the authorities. The Greeks incorrectly lump us together as one group. At this juncture, we would do well to clearly communicate to these city officials that we are supportive of Ephesus, its commerce… its goals.”
“What?” Elam sneers as he raises a fist. “We are not them!”
“No.” Hillel calmly replies. “We are not. However, we are not with the Way or this Syrian advocate either. And, he is the more pressing issue, yes?”
The room stays quiet.
Hillel slowly walks among the elders. “My brothers, for this matter, the Greeks need to see that we are not associated with this heretical movement. They need to see that we live in this community as supportive to its efforts. They need to know that we are on their side.” He then looks over at Alexander and continues. “And, we need the young Alexander here to lead our public relations campaign.”
…
The marble column climbs some 60 feet upwards to the cedar ceiling above. Dimitrius tilts his head back to follow the column to its Ionic cap which hoists a large interconnected frame of beams that are then supported by more than 100 similar columns. He then pans to the right to take in the sheer grandeur of one the greatest edicifices ever constructed.
“Gentlemen.” Dimitrius calls out.
The thirty or so craftsmen who have joined him for his impromptu tour gather around.
“What does Athens, Alexandria or even Rome have that compares to our lady?” Dimitrius asks with an enthusiastic wave of his arms. “There is nothing else in the world as magnificent as this temple and the Goddess who graces it. Many lay claim to Artemis, but we know… no, the whole world knows, this is her home. She is the reason why pilgrims travel from miles away to be here. She is also the reason we have our enterprises. Our beloved Artemis has commanded worshipers from all over the world to come to us, to give homage to her and to receive from us.” Dimitrius says. “We are her privileged stewards to the millions who travel here. We are blessed because of her.”
Dimitrius pauses to look around at the expansive farmland that surrounds the temple. “Everything that happens in Ephesus is because of our divine mother. Should something or someone besmirch our beloved, would we not rise to protect her at all costs? Is she not worth fighting for? Yet, someone has come in our midst and has gained the favorable attention of many within our city. Even some of our city officials have relented to his persistent teachings. I have warned you over and over again against the nature of what this man has done to our people. He has caused great damage to the thinking of the commoners of this city, and he has turned them against us.”
Linus begins shaking his head at the idea.
“What, Linus?” Dimitrius comments. “Has your vision become blurred as well?”
Linus objects, “You act as if Paul has sought to destroy us. Well, he…”
Interrupting with a hand, Dimistrius fires back, “Have you been swayed by Paul as well? You have obviously become chummy with the foreigner within a short amount of time. Has he fed you a line to satisfy your most inner needs as well?”
“Well…” Linus starts.
“You disgust me.” Dimitrius rebuts with a wave. “Can’t you people see what is happening. This Paul, for whom Linus here has such a new affection, has discredited our businesses, our crafts, and our calling as stewards to our mother. He speaks against us, men. He persuades our own people and the hundreds of thousands that come to our fair city by teaching that Artemis is no goddess at all. He discredits the household gods we create by saying they are nothing but metal. He clearly teaches that there is no other god but the one he serves.”
Confronting Linus within inches of his face, Dimitrius says, “Tell me I’m wrong, Linus. Tell me! C’mon tell these other men that I am wrong.”
Linus looks back at his accuser and says nothing.
“Do you understand now, men?” Dimitrius says while shoving Linus out of the way. “Even in our midst we have a pathetic excuse of a defector. Our mother is at risk, our trade is at risk. Artemis will be dethroned from her magnificence, and we will be left to sweep up the rubble of our own demise.”
Seeing the multiple furrowed brows around him, Dimitrius continues, “But this doesn’t need to happen. We can stop this now. We can, no we must, stop Paul now. This is a call to war, men. We must keep our blessed mother at the helm where she belongs. The mighty Ephesus is what it is because of her. If she goes, so… will… you. Do you wish to see her fall?”
“No!” A number of men shout out in unison. “No way!” many continue.
Dimitrius continues, “When Bouphogos strategized to rape our mother for his own sinful gain, what did she do? Knowing his intentions, she struck him down at the opportune time on Mount Foloi. Our mother is a skillful hunter. She has always resolved to preserve what is hers. As her stewards, are we not called to do the same? Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” He chants. “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
The men cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
…
Shouts are heard up the road from the Hall of Tyrannus. Hearing them, Paul looks away from the two men in front of him to see what the skirmish might be about. He smirks and lets out a breath. The two men then turn around to observe as well. Together, all three of them watch one man berate two younger men who seem to be coming their way.
“That, my friends…” Paul says as he points over to the tussle, “has become more commonplace as of late.”
“Yes,” One of the men agrees. “I suspect it has.”
Paul then curiously looks back at the man and says, “Tell me what you know. What is being talked about among you and your official colleagues?”
The two look at each other in resignation when one of them finally speaks up. “Look, this is not for us to share.”
“Let alone even for us to be here talking with you.” The other interrupts as the first one nods.
“Tell me.” Paul says.
“Your being here…” One of them begins.
The other interjects: “And your amassing of disciples from all walks of life.”
The first one continues, “Is sounding some alarms in our circles. Here in Ephesus, we have been permitted to rule ourselves without Rome’s interference. When tension continues to mount, then we will have to act at some point.”
“Act.” Paul asks. “What do you mean by act?”
“Look.” One of the men says. “We personally support what is happening here, but officially…”
“Officially,” The other adds, “We cannot condone any sort of instability in our community.”
The shouting match gets louder, as Paul shakes his head. “Instability?” He argues. “We’re the stable answer to the instability that has wrought this city for years.” He peers over the Asiarch’s shoulder and his jaw falls open. “Oh my Lord.” He says. “Those guys… they look so familiar to me.
“Who?” One of the Asiarchs turns around.
Paul points and exclaims. “Those two over there being yelled at by the merchant. The guy accusing them looks really steamed. But, those two…” Paul suddenly realizes. He then grabs the shoulders of the man in front of him. “Oh my… I think I know who they are. Come with me right now.”
The three briskly walk closer to the men shouting at one another, as Paul raises his voice to get their attention. “Hey!” He yells out.
The three turn towards him.
“What is…” Paul yells out. “Gaius? Is that?” He looks deeper at the young man.
“Paulus!” Gaius returns a smile.
Paul smiles back and tries to identify the other younger man. “Aristarchus? What are…” Paul lunges in to hug both of the men and turns them away from the irate merchant who now watches in confusion.
With his arms around each of their shoulders, Paul asks, “What are you two doing here? Did you come to seek me out?”
“Yes!” Gaius replies. “Timothy sent us.”
The man then turns to look at the shrugging officials standing behind Paul and remarks, “Hey, what are you doing? I’m not done here.”
“Oh, I’m afraid you are, my friend.” One of the Asiarchs replies as he steps in front of the merchant. “Go back to your booth and get back to work. Cool off.”
“Work? Are you kidding? What work?” The man yells out while pointing at Paul. “They are the reason I have no work. They’re with him, and you’re okay with that? What? Are you one of his followers too?”
“Oh, thank you, Lord. Thank you!!!” Paul replies upward. He then looks at Aristarchus and asks. “Are you two hungry? C’mon, let’s get some food and you can catch me up. I’ll eat. You talk. I want to hear everything that’s going on.”
…
We’re going to stop here for today:
If you have been listening to this podcast for a while, then it’s likely that you’re seeing a pattern here. Paul goes into a city like Ephesus, begins teaching about Messiah’s coming at a synagogue service, only to eventually get thrown out of the synagogue and begins to assemble disciples from both Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds. Over time, he teaches them about God’s plans and commissions them to go out and do as he has shown them.
This happened in Corinth, Berea, Thessalonica, and throughout Asia Minor. While Athens and Philippi were a little different, in most cases, the strategy has remained the same. Go, preach within the synagogue, reason among the Jewish leaders as well as the local philosophers, and build a following of those wishing to learn under your teaching. This following will eventually emerge as a group of faithful disciples who will go and do likewise within their own spheres of influence.
In essence, we understand this as the “Great Commission” uttered by Jesus at the end of Matthew’s gospel:
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:18-20
What started out as a beachhead strategy upon Paul’s arrival with Priscilla and Aquila has become a full-on base camp for training and sending ministry. Ephesus would grow to become a ministry hub for all types of future ministry activity throughout the known world, much like Antioch of Orantes and Alexandria in Egypt. Some of the surviving original apostles would make their way here, such as the apostle John and possibly Peter as well. It is likely that Barnabas and Mark showed up at some point to encourage those throughout Roman Phrygia, which would have included Colossae where Baranabas and Mark are later mentioned in Colossians 4:10, and Ionia which is the larger province surrounding Ephesus.
As with any advancement effort, there is likely to be opposition from those not wishing to see change. Here in Ephesus, we see two groups are at odds with Paul and his followers. On one hand we have the Jewish contingency aiming to separate themselves from the Christ followers. During Caligula, Claudius and Nero’s reigns over Imperial Rome, the Christ followers were lumped together with the Jewish community at large and seen as one in the same. What policies and provisions were made for the Jews would apply to the Christ followers as well… for a time. By AD 150, the widely spread-out Jewish community as a whole had successfully divorced itself from the assembly of Christ followers, that is, the church. But this effort took much time and was generally the reason why Paul and others were met with such hostility. The Jews were not interested in incurring the wrath of Rome if they could help it. Having a surge in evangelistic activity did not help the Jewish situation. Consequently, they were in a hurry to purge any Christ activity out from among them.
We get a taste of this hostility even here in Ephesus when the Jewish leaders assign Alexander as their liaison in front of the city authorities. They wanted to be sure that the city officials would not confuse them for this problem child named Paul who happened to be amassing an army of followers down the street.
The fact that the Jews were already disliked by many within the city didn’t help. As mentioned in the narrative, Ephesus’ primary economic engine revolved around Artemis and the worship of her. The Jews would’ve stayed clear of any involvement with Artemis and formed their own fairly large exclusive community. Similarly to Alexandria, those who were of Greek culture did not appreciate a growing subculture of people moving into their city and snubbing their heritage. So, when Paul, a self-proclaiming Jewish teacher, opens up a disciple making factory down the street… Well, let’s just say the Ephesians were not excited about that prospect. Most thought that he was not only a pushy and outspoken Jew, but that he was deliberately trying to ruin their city.
Can you feel the tension here? Moreover, if things get out of hand, and they will, the Ephesian authorities would be deeply worried about being seen as insurrectionists in the eyes of Rome. Rome left Ephesus alone for the most part. Any thought of forming an army that went against Roman policy would mean bad news for the city that has long enjoyed its independence. If given the attention of Rome, Ephesus would have been commandeered by the giant to the West and the city’s landscape would have been forever changed.
If you want to know how the Gospel was offensive, it was seen by outsiders as a threat to all that had been established and built by them. Livelihoods were threatened, families were split, and those in authority were challenged. Established systems crumbled and those in positions of authority within these existing organized systems crumbled with them. As you might imagine, the Gospel’s spread required significant sacrifice in the face of such systemic opposition.
Jesus predicted this larger reality at several points in his ministry. One such example is found in a heated discussion between Jesus and some of Jerusalem’s chief priests and Pharisees. Jesus shared a story, a parable, about a wealthy landowner who leased out his farm to some tenants who failed to provide tribute and wrongly assumed ownership of the farm. The story continues with the landowner’s efforts to collect on a bill. He sends messengers, but the tenants treat them with hostility. He even sends his son to collect, but they kill him thinking they would replace him as the heir to the property. So, the landowner prepares for his return to rightfully deal with the abusive tenants. Upon his return with a brute squad in tow, he would rightfully evict the arrogant tenants, remove them from their positions and execute them. He would then lease out the farm to other tenants who would carry out their agreement.
Seeing how the parable was directed at them, the chief priests and Pharisees did not take kindly to Jesus’ story. The threat of removing them from their authoritative positions did not sit well and stirred them to strategize for his arrest and execution. Here’s how this part of the passage reads:
“When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?” The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”
Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’ I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”
When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.
– Matthew 21:40-45
Here Jesus was promising a whole new world fashioned by the Kingdom of Heaven and that those who were in existing positions of authority were like the abusive tenants and would be permanently removed. Ouch, right?
Yes, much like Jesus, the message Paul brought was a message of the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven and how God was about to permanently change the current system of authority. You might imagine that this message wasn’t well received by those in positions of authority, so they would fight to preserve what they already had in place.
We need to wrap things up for today, but I hope this gives you a sense of how Paul and Jesus were seen by those in authority and how the Gospel message would be opposed. One last thought from the perspective of Paul here is about the alignment that you and I have. Do we side with the current systemic establishment of authority, or do we side with the Kingdom of Heaven?
Paul wonderfully expresses this challenge in Philippians 2:9-11:
For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
– Philippians 2:9-11
Where is your alignment? May you be aligned with the Kingdom of Heaven, and while that may be offensive to some, may you know that God has your back when you align yourselves with him. With that, let’s move forward together.