Acts 19:24-41 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain to the craftsmen;… I. BORE BRAVE TESTIMONY TO THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. Had the work of Paul been confined to a few, or only reached the heads and not the hearts of many in Ephesus, Demetrius would have paid no attention to it. The offence lay in the fact that it had gained power, and was pushing the old faith to the wall. So in our day. When liquordealers rally, and policy shop holders amalgamate, it is because righteousness is beginning to make itself felt. II. WAS ROOTED IN SELFISHNESS. In this case the selfishness was pecuniary. In other cases it was political; in others yet it was ecclesiastical. So today. III. WAS FOSTERED BY FALSE ARGUMENTS. "The temple of the great goddess Diana is to be despised." Had they stopped to investigate the matter, they would have found that the apostle would have substituted in the place of an idol the only living and true God, and in the place of filth and lust would have put purity and virtue; and that surely would have been better. But when the purse was threatened they were blind to all else, and bolstered up their cause as best they might with poor arguments. So it is yet. Rum sellers cry "fanaticism" and extol "personal liberty." Infidels decry Sunday laws, pleading "liberty of conscience" for all. But, as in Paul's time, the motive is selfishness and the argument hypocritical. IV. PROCEEDS TO VIOLENCE. This spirit, modified, is what underlies all petty persecutions. If we are not ready to succumb to evil, it turns on us, and delights to inflict pain by look, by word, by deed. V. IN NO WAY INJURED CHRISTIANITY. No blood was shed. But if it had Christianity would not have been injured. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." A persecuted Church is far more alive in true heroic virtue than a rich Church. No opposition of evil men today, however they may band themselves together, can truly hinder the progress of Christ's Church. (A. F. Schauffler.) Parallel Verses KJV: For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; |
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