PAUL'S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY FROM ANTIOCH TO EPHESUS

"No man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron."

A Promise.

When Paul stopped off at Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem, as mentioned in the previous lesson, the Jews to whom he preached asked him "to tarry a longer time with them." Not being able to do so, he promised them to "return again if God will." This promise, as we shall see, Paul literally fulfilled.

Salutes the Church.

Whether he arrived in Jerusalem in time to attend the Passover we do not know. In fact we are led to infer that he did not, for all that we know of this visit is that he "saluted the church," and went down to Antioch.

Beginning of Third Journey.

After spending some time with the important church in Antioch, Paul started on his third missionary journey. Just what course he followed, it is difficult to determine; but since Luke tells us that he went "over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order," we may safely conclude that he visited his old home in Tarsus, as well as the cities of Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and possibly Antioch in Pisidia. The good people in Galatia also would again have the pleasure of meeting the apostle who first preached to them the Gospel, and to whom they had so kindly administered in affliction.

Neither do we know of a certainty who were his companions. Timotheus, undoubtedly, was one who accompanied him on the whole of his journey.

APOLLOS

An Eloquent Preacher.

While Paul and Timothy are visiting the churches in Galatia and Phrygia, let us hasten ahead of them to Ephesus; for there is a man there whose acquaintance we should make. His name is Apollos and he came from Alexandria. He was, undoubtedly, one of the most eloquent preachers of the Gospel in that day.

But when he first came to Ephesus, he "knew only the baptism of John." He had accepted the message of John the Baptist, but he had not heard the Gospel as it had been taught by Jesus and His disciples. He seemed to have been ignorant of the mission of the Holy Ghost.

With him were twelve other men who held the same incomplete belief.

New Light.

Believing they had the truth, these men went to the same synagogue in which Paul had preached when the Jews asked him to tarry longer, and Apollos spoke to the people. In the congregation sat Aquila and Priscilla. These good Christians perceived at once that Apollos did not understand the Gospel; so, they invited him home with them and "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly."

Shortly after this, Apollos left Ephesus for Corinth, taking with him a letter of recommendation from the Saints in Ephesus.

THE HOLY GHOST GIVEN

Thus it was that when Paul arrived in Ephesus he met the twelve men who had been taught the Gospel as Apollos had known it. When they told Paul that they believed the Gospel, he asked them, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?"

"We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost," they answered.

"Unto what then were ye baptized?" asked Paul.

"Unto John's baptism," they replied.

"John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance," said Paul, "saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him that is, on Christ Jesus."

They were then baptized by the proper authority, in the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul then "laid his hands upon them" and "the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied."

Three Months in the Synagogue.

For three months Paul continued to preach in the synagogue, "disputing and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom of God." During this time, he worked at his trade supporting himself "with his hands." Daily the Church grew in strength, and daily its enemies became so bitter in their opposition that Paul left the synagogue, and held his meetings in a schoolhouse where taught a man named Tyrannus.

Two Years at Ephesus.

In this place, Paul labored for two years, a period in his life marked by wonderful manifestations from the Lord. Sick people were healed by the power of faith in most miraculous ways. Sometimes when Paul could not visit in person those afflicted, they would be healed by simply touching a handkerchief or an apron he had worn. Thus "the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified."

MEN WHO ACTED WITHOUT AUTHORITY

Sons of Sceva.

Among those who witnessed these miracles were some vagabond Jews who made a living by deceiving the people by pretending to be magicians. When they saw Paul heal the sick in the name of Jesus, they thought they could do the same, and thus make a great deal of money. So one day these seven men who were sons of Sceva, meeting a man who was afflicted with an evil spirit, said, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth," to come out of him.

"Jesus I know," said the evil spirit, "and Paul I know, but who are ye?" And the man leaped on them, and overcame them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.

A Big Bonfire.

The treatment that these seven men received through their hypocrisy, soon spread over the city. Many who had practiced such arts as the sons of Sceva had, brought all their books of magic and made a bonfire of them. Paul saw burned that day about $10,000 worth of books and papers.

Annual Festival.

Every year in Ephesus, in the month of May, there was held a great festival in honor of the Goddess Diana. Rich men came from all parts of Asia, and "paid vast sums of money for the entertainment of the people. The entertainments were of different kinds. In the theatre were concerts and shows; in the hippodrome horse-racing; in the stadium gymnastic games of running, leaping and wrestling. There were noisy scenes through the day and night. In every hour of the day there were gay processions to the temple, following the bleating animals crowned with garland, being led to sacrifice. Idlers and drunkards could be seen almost everywhere at any time. * * * The shops and bazaars were filled with all the attractive things of those days which parents and friends would buy themselves and those left in distant homes. The special mementos would be little models of Diana and her shrine. The poorest of purchasers would buy those made of wood; others those of silver; and the wealthy those of gold."^[1]

A Loss of Trade.

Paul, no doubt, had told the Ephesians as he had the Athenians, that God is not made of wood or of silver, or of gold, "neither graven by art of man's devise." These were hundreds and thousands of people who believed Paul and worshiped the true God. Consequently, at this annual feast, there were not so many images of Diana bought as there had been at other festivals.

A MOB GATHERS

Demetrius

Demetrius, a sliversmoth, who made silver shrines for Diana, became very much agitated when he saw his trade interfered with. He called together all his workmen and said:

"Sirs, ye know by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover 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."

He continued to speak to them until they became thoroughly aroused and cried out, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

Paul's Companions Seized.

Soon the whole city became in confusion. A mob gathered, and tried to find Paul. Failing in this, they caught Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's companions, and rushed them into the theatre.

Paul was kept in safety by his friends who refused to let him enter the theatre, although he insisted on doing so.

A Howling Mob.

A Jew named Alexander tried to speak to the mob, but they would not listen, and continued to howl for two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians, Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

When they had worn themselves out, the town clerk arose and told them they had better go home and be quiet, or the Romans might "call them in question for this day's uproar." He said, too, that if Demetrius had any case against Paul, he could have Paul arrested and taken into court.

As half the people, as is the case of all mobs, did not know why they had come, they began to move out of the theatre. "The stone seats were gradually emptied, the uproar ceased and the rioters dispersed to their various occupations and amusements."

As Paul had already made preparations to go into Macedonia, he called the disciples to him, and after embracing them, left Ephesus so far as we know, forever. Later, however, as we shall learn in the next lesson, he met some of the Elders and Saints from Ephesus.

Footnotes:

1. Weed.