Acts 19:21 - 20:3

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
Series: Acts

Rusty's Notes

Let’s back up to September 6, 2020

• Acts 19:11-20 & Intro 1 Corinthians
• Emperor Claudius dies on October 13, 54 AD
• Nero becomes next Emperor of Rome
• Paul is in Ephesus (Map) casting out demons and doing miracles.
• Apollos comes from Corinth and informs Paul of all the issues occurring (pagan worship, sexual immorality, stealing, etc.)
• Paul writes a letter to Corinth addressing these issues (we do not have this letter).
• We know that Titus went to Corinth with the letter and began collecting funds for Jerusalem. (2 Corinthians 1:15-16)
• In the Spring of 55 AD, Chloe visits Paul in Ephesus and tells him about all the division in Corinth.
• Paul begins writing 1 Corinthians.
• As Paul is finishing the letter 3 more men from Corinth come to Ephesus and tell Paul of incest, sexual immorality and has a list of questions for Paul.
• Paul finishes 1 Corinthians and addresses these issues and answers their questions.
• We covered 1 Corinthians from 09/20 – 01/21.

 
In the meantime:

• Nero lifts the ban on Jews and allows them to return to Rome.
• Paul hears of this and send Aquila and Priscilla to Rome.
• Paul wants to establish a gentile church in the Eternal City before the Jews start trickling back into Rome.
• Delegates to the Church in Rome:
•  - Aquila and Priscilla from Ephesus
•  - Phoebe from Cenchrea
•  - Rufus from Syrian Antioch
•  - Andronicus and Junias from Jerusalem
•  - Urbanus from Macedonia
•  - Apelles from Asia Minor

 
AN URGENT VISIT TO CORINTH

• Timothy returns from Corinth and brings Erastus back with him. Timothy tells Paul that his letter (CORINTHIANS B – I Corinthians) has been rejected.
• Tragically, there is a strong-willed brother in the church who defies Paul’s apostolic authority and persuades most of the church to follow his line of thinking.
• Upon hearing this news, Paul pays an urgent visit to Corinth.
• But the visit turns out to be extremely painful. The strong-willed brother defies Paul’s apostolic authority in Paul’s presence.
• And the others do not defend Paul in the midst of the man’s accusations.
• Paul leaves Corinth angry and deeply humiliated. He wants to visit Corinth again and try to correct the problem, but he chooses not to lest he experience sorrow a second time.47
• In haste, he writes a severe letter and gives it to Titus to read to the church. We will call it CORINTHIANS C. This letter no longer exists.48

 
PAUL WRITES CORINTHIANS C
(This letter is lost to us.) Year: A.D. 55
From: Ephesus
To: The church in Corinth (which is about 5 years old) Provocation: After returning from Corinth in anger, Paul composes this stinging and severe letter to the Corinthians. He writes it in pure agony and bathes it in tears.
In the letter, Paul asks the church to prove its love for him by disciplining the man who has defied his authority.

• As soon as Titus goes off to Corinth with the letter, Paul regrets writing it. He fears that its severe tone may exacerbate the situation. Paul is heartbroken and worried over the Corinthian church.

 
THE RIOT IN EPHESUS
Acts 19:21-41
21 After these events, Paul resolved by the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “It is necessary for me to see Rome as well.” 22 After sending to Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
 
Opposition in Ephesus
June 57
Paul is plotting his next move. He plans to leave Ephesus and visit the churches in Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea) and Corinth. He then plans to bring the relief fund from these churches to Jerusalem, after which he plans to visit Rome. Paul sends Timothy and Erastus ahead of him to prepare for his arrival in Macedonia.49
23 About that time there was a major disturbance about the Way. 24 For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for the craftsmen. 25 When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. 26 You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods.

• Paul’s influence in Ephesus causes many in the city to forsake their idols.

27 Not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world worship.”

• As a result, the silversmiths who make their living selling miniature statues of the Greek goddess Diana (also called Artemis, the goddess of fertility) are losing customers.

28 When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

• Demetrius, one of the silversmiths, calls his fellow silversmiths together and spearheads a mob protest against Paul.
• Demetrius convinces the silversmiths that Paul is hurting their business by discrediting the temple of the Great Diana.
• Upon hearing this, the mob is filled with fury and screams out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

29 So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.

• The protest bleeds throughout the city, causing a massive uproar.
• The protesters move into the Ephesian amphitheater, which holds 25,000 people. In a ranting rage, the mob seizes Aristarchus and Gaius.50

30 Although Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. 31 Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to venture into the amphitheater.

• Paul wants to go into the theater to confront the mob, but the Ephesian believers prevent him.
• Even some officials of the province, who are Paul’s friends, send him a message begging him not to go into the theater.

32 Some were shouting one thing and some another, because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some Jews in the crowd gave instructions to Alexander after they pushed him to the front. Motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people.

• The Jews from Ephesus wish to dissociate themselves from Paul, so they have a Jew named Alexander speak on their behalf.

34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

• When the Ephesians realize that Alexander is a Jew—knowing that Jews do not worship pagan gods—the crowd shouts continually for two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

35 When the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our goddess. 38 So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further, it must be decided in a legal assembly. 40 In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disturbance.” 41 After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.[1]

• After several hours of mayhem, the town clerk calms the mob down and suggests that those who have a complaint against Paul go through the proper governmental channels to resolve it. The clerk then dismisses the crowd.51

 

• It is here that Paul drops to the lowest point of his life. The opposition from Ephesian “wild beasts” (as he calls them metaphorically) is so great that Paul falls into despair.52 (1 Corinthians 15:32)
• The plots of the Jews have severely tried him.53
• He describes himself as feeling “pressed out of measure,” “despairing even of life,” “having the sentence of death” upon me.

 

• (During this period of time, Priscilla and Aquila risk their necks for the apostle.)55 Back in nearby Colosse, Epaphras plants three churches in the south banks of the Lycus valley: One in Colosse (his hometown), one in Laodicea, and one in Hierapolis.56 (According to letters of Colossians & Philemon)

 
From Ephesus to Troas
Before leaving Ephesus, Paul sends for the Ephesian believers to secretly meet him somewhere in the city.

• The meeting is held and Paul speaks words of encouragement to the church, says good-bye, and heads out for Troas.
• In Troas, Paul is given an open door to preach the gospel, and he plants a church in that city.
• A community expressing God’s nature is born in Troas!
• Tragically, Paul’s mind is still unsettled about the Corinthian church.
• He desperately hopes to see Titus and find out how the Corinthians received his “severe letter.” Paul searches for Titus throughout Troas, but he fails to find him.
• Paul is so burdened about the church at Corinth that he leaves Troas despite the open door that God has given him.
• He sets out for Macedonia where he will look for Titus.57 As Paul travels to Macedonia, he fights fears within his own heart about the Corinthian church.
• When he arrives in the province, he receives opposition.
• Yet in spite of it, Paul encourages the three Macedonian churches (Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea).58
• Paul exhorts each of the churches to continue collecting for the Jerusalem relief fund, and boasts in the example set by the church in Corinth…for they have been zealous in laying up for their collection for the past year.59
• As Paul visits each church, the Holy Spirit reveals to him through various believers that tribulation and imprisonment await him in Jerusalem.60

 
 
PAUL IN MACEDONIA
Acts 20
1 After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia. 2 And when he had passed through those areas and offered them many words of encouragement, he came to Greece 3 and stayed three months.[2]
 
Finally, Paul finds Titus in Macedonia with good news from Corinth.

• Paul’s severe letter has been received! The Corinthians have repented and have taken action!
• The church disciplined the man who defied the apostle’s spiritual authority.
• But it was too extreme in its discipline.61
• Titus tells Paul that the church treated him (Titus) with great respect and humility.
• He also tells him that Corinth has slacked off in collecting money for the relief fund.62
• Paul is comforted by the report and begins writing the church another letter.63 We will call it CORINTHIANS D. This is our 2 Corinthians.
• While Paul is writing this letter, he gets word that the church in Corinth is having a new problem.
• Not long after Titus left Corinth, the church was visited by Jewish “super apostles” (as Paul sarcastically calls them) who undermine Paul’s authority and seek to bring the Corinthians under the authority of the Jerusalem church.64
• Regrettably, some of the Corinthians have received these men and their false gospel—which is a gospel of Law. The “super apostles” try to discredit Paul in the eyes of the Corinthians by telling them the following:
• Paul cannot be trusted. He is not a man of his word. Example: He changed his mind regarding his travel plans. He says one thing but does another. Therefore, his “yes” does not mean “yes,” and his “no” does not mean “no.”
• When Paul preached to you, he left out the most glorious and life-giving part of the gospel…the Law.
• Paul is not a real apostle. He does not have a letter of commendation like we (the “super apostles”) have nor does he accept money for himself. If he were a real apostle, he would have a letter of commendation, and he would take your money.
• Paul is exploiting you by asking you to collect money for a supposed relief fund.
• When Paul is among you, he is weak, humble, and unimpressive in his speaking. But when he is upset, he becomes bold, fierce, and articulate in his letters.
• Paul does not have supernatural experiences like we (the “super apostles”) have.
• Paul does not possess the impeccable Israelite pedigree that we (the “super apostles”) have.65

 
PAUL WRITES CORINTHIANS D
(This is our 2 Corinthians.) Year: A.D. 57
From: Macedonia
To: The church in Corinth (which is about 6 years old)
Provocation: Paul encourages the church to forgive the man who defied him. He shares his heart about why he wrote the “painful” letter (CORINTHIANS C).
 

• Paul responds to the charge that his word cannot be trusted and clarifies why he changed his travel plans (chapters 1–2). (The letter digresses into a parenthesis from 2:14 to 7:4.)
• He responds to the charge that he has no letter of commendation and compares his life-giving gospel with the death-giving gospel of his opponents (chapters 3–4).
• Paul exhorts the believers to not yoke themselves with unbelievers and becomes very autobiographical about his emotions behind writing the severe letter. In doing so, he exhorts the church to be reconciled to him and to the Lord (chapters 5–7).
• Paul then encourages the church to resume the collection for the Jerusalem relief fund (chapters 8–9).
• He urges Titus to visit the church along with another brother “whose fame in the gospel has spread to all the churches” (probably Luke) to help the Corinthians complete the collection.
• Titus and Luke willingly accept Paul’s appeal. In the last three chapters (chapters 10–13), Paul addresses the major charges the Jewish “super apostles” have employed in an effort to take over the Corinthian church.
• To Paul, the process of defending his apostleship is utter foolishness.
• But he does so anyway to save the church from accepting a false gospel.
• And in doing so, he exposes the fleshliness of the “super apostles” in very strong terms.
• Paul sends the letter with Titus and Luke.

 
Here is my take away from this story:

• I’ve literally had two friends this week that have been “dismissed” by their own ministries.
• Both of these men posted on Facebook about their situations.
• Both men experienced opposition based upon theology and practice.
• It is going to happen… division is a practice of the evil one if you haven’t figured it out yet.
• Division starts small and weeds its way into the very thing that is experiencing growth.
• Our flesh wants to respond just like Paul did in his 3rd letter to Corinth.
• Although there is much fleshly satisfaction in hitting the send button, we often regret our harsh words.
• We then come to the realization that it is not our place to defend ourselves.
• God said He would do that… “Well, hurry up and do it!”
• Keep teaching the Truth. Stay focused on the main thing. Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is our Savior and Jesus is our Lord.
• The Truth will always win over the darkness.
• The Truth is greater than the secondary discussions.
• Stay focused on Jesus.
• My identity is in Jesus… not my ministry… not Leavener.

Jesus alone.

* Most of these notes come from the book: The Untold Story of the New Testament Church by Frank Viola. (Destiney Images Publishing Inc., 2004.)

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ac 19:21–41). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ac 20:1–3). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.