God Running is a place for anyone who wants to (or even anyone who wants to want to) love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to.

In our last post from the book of Acts we left off in Ephesus where a silversmith named Demetrius was stirring up the locals against Paul because in the course of Paul’s teaching, Paul shared that the Greek goddess Artemis was only an idol. This trend was bad for the silversmith business because Demetrius and his mates made their money by producing miniature Artemis images out of silver. If you’re interested, you can learn more here: Disruptive Christianity–Acts 19:21-27.

In today’s post we’ll see how Gaius, Aristarchus, and Paul share a common virtue, and how that virtue contributed to their escape from the riot against them.

Acts 19:28-41

When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Acts 19:28-34

The inflammatory rhetoric of Demetrius successfully serves his aim to light up the crowds respective amygdalas. They’re enraged. And they begin to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Word spreads quickly and the city is thrown into confusion. People rush into the theatre dragging two of Paul’s companions with them, Gaius and Aristarchus. Paul’s noble character is demonstrated here as we see he desired to go into the crowd to try to help but his disciples wouldn’t let him. And even some of the Asiarchs who were Paul’s friends (Asiarchs were the most prominent men in the province), sent word to him urging him not to go into the theatre.

This mob in the theatre was in confusion. Some shouted one thing and some shouted another. Most didn’t even know why the crowd had gathered. The Jews put forward a representative named Alexander and he tried to address the crowd. But when they recognized he was a Jew, for about two hours straight the mob chanted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Alexander probably wanted to explain that the Jewish community didn’t have anything to do with the current state of confusion. But resentment against the Jews was a common attitude among pagan Gentiles, because of the Jew’s “monotheism and dietary separatism.” So Alexander is shouted down. (Keener)

And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Acts 19:35-41

In comes the town clerk. The title used in our Bibles betrays this man’s authority. The city or town clerk was the highest ranking city official in Ephesus. He represented the city to the Roman government officers of that province. The city clerk has an interest in diffusing the situation because the Roman government didn’t look favorably upon riots. At the time Rome had granted Ephesus the title of “free city” which meant they could hold public meetings and had the right to assemble. They even had their own senate. But all these privileges were dependent on the Roman government’s favor. Privileges like these had been revoked in other cities within the Roman Empire. The riot in the theatre put Ephesus at risk. (Keener)

So this city clerk begins by affirming his own enthusiasm for the city of Ephesus’s special status as the “temple keeper of the great Artemis.” Which is of course something none of us can endorse. But then he continues by saying that Paul’s Christian companions Gaius and Aristarchus “are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers” of Artemis.

For or Against

I’ve been friends with a certain pastor for decades. I never regularly attended his church but I’ve followed his ministry and listened to his teachings. I love this man. He’s done so much for Jesus and he’s been a huge blessing to me and my family. But he’ll remain unnamed, because over the last ten years he’s had some health challenges. And these health challenges have affected his attitude and disposition. An angry tone has crept into his teachings to the point where he’s becoming known for what he’s against more than for Who he’s for. I know people who have left his church because of this change in disposition. Sometimes I listen to his old teachings online from ten or more years ago.

It’s astounding.

In some of those old sermons he’s preaching against the behavior he’s exhibiting today. It’s one of the saddest experiences I’ve ever had in a friendship.

Something I appreciate about Gaius, Aristarchus, and Paul is that they’re known for Who they’re for, way more than for what they’re against. We see this in the comments from the city clerk about Gaius and Aristarchus. We see it in Paul when he preached from common ground in his sermon to the unbelievers on Mars Hill. We see it in Jesus when he’s with the people on the margins: the prostitutes and tax collectors.

Sometimes we also see Paul, Paul the Apostle with a capital “A”, sharing hard truths with churches. And we think, wow, I guess maybe that’s how I should be, unafraid to share hard truths. But when we think like that we’re not mindful of context. Paul the Apostle with a capital “A” was a person of authority over those church congregations. He was one of the founders of those church congregations.

It’s the same with Jesus. We see him overturning the tables in the temple, and we might think, yeah, I should be like that. I should overturn some tables when the tables belong to people who are in the wrong. But we need to keep in mind: Jesus is God. And you and I–we’re not God. When Jesus overturned the tables he said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.” So yeah, Jesus is God, and that house, it was his house, or we could even say, His house: His with a capital “H”. (Matthew 21:12-14)

I’m not saying we should pretend immoral things are moral, or false things are true, or bad things are good. I’m not saying we should abandon truth. I’m just saying Who we’re for, that is Jesus, and following Jesus’ Way, that is the way of love: that should overwhelmingly be what we’re known for.

That’s what Gaius and Aristarchus were known for.

That’s what Paul was known for.

That’s what Jesus was known for.

That’s what Jesus’ disciples were known for.

That’s what I want to be known for.

If we want to follow Jesus’ Way, we must be known for our love for Jesus and our love for each other way more than for what we’re against.

In Jesus’ name.

Notes:

Craig Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, IVP Academic; 2nd edition, January 3, 2014, pp. 385-387

Available on Amazon! Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus) Love Like Jesus begins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others. Love Like Jesus examines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including:

• Specific examples of how Jesus communicated God’s love to others.
• How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapman’s love languages (and how you can too).
• The story of how Billy Graham extended Christ’s extraordinary love and grace toward a man who misrepresented Jesus to millions.
• How to respond to critics the way Jesus did.
• How to love unlovable people the way Jesus did.
• How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat).
• How Jesus didn’t love everyone the same (and why you shouldn’t either).
• How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himself–he even napped–and why you should do the same.
• How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end.

With genuine unfiltered honesty, Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to God’s definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too.

A life of loving like Jesus. (Kindle, hardcover, and paperback now available on Amazon.)