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Paul and the Ephesian Christians had a special relationship. For two years they lived together, reasoned together, encouraged one another, and endured much hardship and spiritual warfare for the sake of Christ their Lord.

At the beginning of chapter 19, Luke tells us of the beginning of this special relationship. During his third missionary journey, Paul traveled through Asia and eventually arrived at the region’s capital, Ephesus. There he found some believers whose faith was so much in its infancy that they had not been baptized with Christian baptism (in the name of Jesus Christ). He baptized, discipled, and reasoned with them daily for two years in the hall of Tyrannus.

Spiritual Warfare Raged

Verses 23-41 tell an interesting story of spiritual warfare that the Church apparently experienced more intensely in Ephesus than anywhere else. Demetrius, a silversmith who made idols of Artemis, incited a riot against Paul and the other believers because he was losing business as a result of the spread of the gospel and the conversion of men and women to Christianity. Luke writes, “And a number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver” (19:19). The craftsmen stood to lose a lot of revenue if the gospel continued to change people’s hearts.

Their riot caused great confusion among the Ephesians. Men and women didn’t know what was going on. And, though they didn’t know the nature nor the reason for the riot, they joined in anyway crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” and dragging Paul’s companions Gaius and Aristarchus into the theater. They were prepared to kill these men until God intervened in his grace when the town clerk stepped up to defend these men and their rights to practice their religion. God brought their deliverance by ordinary means, by an Ephesian clerk who was not a Christian. He often does that kind of thing. He often uses the ordinary to do extraordinary things.

Given this experience, it is easy to see why Paul would later write, “For we do not wrestle (wrastle for us Chester folk) against flesh and blood, but against the rulers…authorities…cosmic powers over this present darkness…spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12) to the Ephesian congregation. They knew the reality of this spiritual warfare, the strength of this spiritual enemy. They had experienced it first hand along with Paul. They lived in a war zone. And, so do we.

Though we are not as intimately aware of spiritual warfare as the Ephesians were — though we haven’t experienced a riot because of it, though we often overlook it — it is a very real thing that we encounter every day. Like the Ephesians we must put on the whole armor of God and be prepared to stand against the spiritual forces of the Devil that seek to do us harm. We must be on guard to see and determine the real source of our challenge, hardship, and distraction. We must stand in the Holy Spirit and rely upon Him to bring us victory through whatever means he deems necessary. We must pray earnestly in the Spirit to overcome the wiles of our great adversary.

Paul’s Farewell Encouragement — “Beware of Wolves”

Luke concludes Acts 20 with a story of Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders whom he loved and with whom he’d shared so much of his life. It was tearful and sorrow-filled goodbye. Led by the Holy Spirit, Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, and he knew that if he went to Jerusalem, that he probably wouldn’t return to Ephesus. He was right. He would never see these beloved folks again. 

Paul’s instruction to the elders was simple “care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock…” (20:29). The church is not safe from outside influence nor from twisted men and women who seek her destruction, nor will she be until Christ Jesus should return. We are to always be on guard for there are always wolves ready to pounce and devour the Lord’s sheep. We must guard ourselves with prayerful vigilance and disciplined study of God’s word. We must guard each other by praying for one another, holding one another accountable before the eyes of God, protecting one another, ministering grace to one another, and defending the truth of God against the lies of the Devil.

God does amazing and wonderful things! He is a great and awesome God who brings light into darkness, order to chaos, hope in despair, and life into death. This is no more clearly seen than in his work of saving sinners. The Apostle Paul is proof.

When we first met Paul, he was on his way to Damascus to persecute and kill Christians. He was on a mission to destroy the church. To Timothy he admits, “I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent [of God] …I was the foremost of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:13,15). It doesn’t get any worse than that. He was a bad man.

But, by the time we get to Acts 18, he has become the first and greatest missionary, if not the greatest Christian, the world has ever seen. Where he once sought to destroy Christians, he now seeks to convert, disciple, and strengthen them. Where he once sought to tear the Church down, he now seeks to build her. Where he once organized efforts to stop the spread of Christ’s gospel, he now tirelessly organizes, participates in, and leads efforts to spread it around the world. WOW!

God is On a Mission.

From its beginning to its end, the Bible tells us that God is on a mission to save sinners and to build a people who will worship him and bear witness about him and his glory to the world. That’s what Acts is about. And, it’s especially the case in Acts 18 particularly verses 9-10.

While Paul is in Corinth, he receives a vision from God in which God tells him, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” Notice three things.

First, God has people — “there are many in this city who are my people.” The gospel has not penetrated and permeated Corinthian society yet. In fact, this is the first visit Paul makes to the city. It’s safe to assume that Paul’s visit is the first organized effort to spread the gospel in Corinth. But, God still had people in the city though they may not have known it at the time. God has people whom he has chosen from before the world existed and he works to bring them to himself in grace. Paul is the prime example — a murderer of Christians turned builder of the Church. God has people and he is building them in his mighty grace.

Second, God uses people to build his Church (his people) — “go on speaking and do not be silent.” The primary way that God has chosen, in his good pleasure, to bring men and women to himself is other people. He uses people to tell the story of Jesus and his love. He uses people to minister to others. He uses people to spread his fame throughout the world. Paul was one of those as are all others who have said “yes” to following Jesus.

Third, God promised his presence to Paul — “for I am with you.” Paul’s ministry in Corinth did not go as well as he would have hoped at first. He was reviled, opposed, and violently shaken by the Jews, and he was eventually brought before Gallio the proconsul of Achaia. Paul’s ministry throughout Macedonia can be understood in terms of persecution. He faced it wherever he went. However, while we can understand his ministry that way, we cannot define that way. His life and ministry is defined by the presence of God. Jesus promised his disciples that, as they were going into all the world, he would be with them until the end of the age (Matt. 28:18-20). Paul knew that presence.

Paul is On God’s Mission. 

In rereading the story of Acts, I have been amazed by the way in which Paul continues to plod along the rocky path. He goes from Athens to Corinth to Antioch to Ephesus. He encounters one hardship after another, but he is not deterred. He is on a mission for God; he is on God’s mission. In every aspect of his life, he is devoted to reaching his neighbors and those who are far off. That’s the heart of the Christian. The children of the king want what the king wants. Paul had been transformed from a wicked man so that every other man would know that he is not beyond the reach of God’s grace. And, Paul wanted to tell them that.

Is that what I want with my life? Is that what you want? Do we want to be on God’s mission? Are we on God’s mission? Find someone to minister grace to today. Find someone to whom you can tell the story of Jesus and his love. God has promised to be with you as you live on mission for him.

It is not uncommon for us to talk about motivation with people. We’ll talk about what does or does not motivate us — what motivates our children, what we think motivates our politicians or the leaders of our churches or our schools, etc. This is because motivation is important. It is the reason we do what we do; it’s what provokes us to action; it’s what inspires our souls; it’s the cause to which we dedicate ourselves.

In Acts 17, Luke tells us what Paul’s greatest motivation is. It is his desire for the glory of God in Christ to be known throughout the world and for men, women, and children of every tribe and nation to worship the one true God. Reread verse 16 — “Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.” Paul was bothered, broken, burdened over the reality that the Athenians worshipped idols and not God.

His Spirit Was Provoked

Athens was great city full of its great cultural and educational establishments; yet, it was devoted wholly to the worship of false gods. Her people did not revere the God of glory from whom they received their lives and in whom they lived and had their being. This exasperated Paul and brought him to the point of tears (sorrow and anger wrapped in one) because his heart was for the people of this great city to worship God and give him glory.

Here is Paul’s motivation, not just in Athens, but in all of his life. His greatest desire was to spread the fame of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world. I have heard, on more than one occasion, that Paul’s greatest motivation was his desire to see people come to Christ because he loved them so. I do believe that he was motivated by his love for people; however, I do not believe that that was his primary motivation. I don’t believe that any motivation other than the spread of the fame and glory of God would have enabled him to endure the hardships of his life. To continue to minister to and love someone who doesn’t love you and is seeking to harm you requires something more than a feeling or commitment to love them. It requires a desire for the glory of God to be revealed in that person’s or that society’s life through gospel transformation. And, that was Paul’s motivation.

Motivation and Heart Transformation

This motivation was not natural to Paul. In fact, his natural motivation was the complete opposite. He wanted to destroy the Christian Church and to persecute and kill Christians while doing it. But, he had an encounter with the risen Lord. His life, which was devoted to destruction and was sure to end in eternal death was given new life and transformation of purpose by the mercy and grace of God. In this experience, he saw the glory of God, and therefore, he wanted that glory to spread across the globe through the lives of men and women.

That’s the heart of a true Christian, isn’t it? We desire to see the glory of God expand and encompass the globe because we have personally experienced the grace and glory of God in our lives. In response to him, we want to see him supremely glorified in all things.

The question that this passage leaves me with as I think through it this morning is simple. What is my motivation in life? Am I motivated to see the glory of Christ spread around the globe? Do I want to see people (even my enemies) come to Jesus so that his glory may be seen, proclaimed, and advanced through gospel transformation in their lives? Do I weep when I look at Chester and the cultural around me because of the idolatry of people’s lives that takes away from the worship and glory of God?

Persecution and hardship are real. Paul faced them in his life as follower of Christ and many others have throughout out the history of the church. As I write, there are many men, women, and children around the globe being persecuted for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and for their faith in him. It was not just a reality for the early Christians; it is a reality today.

Imprisoned Without Condemnation

Paul and Silas were dragged into the “marketplace before the rulers” (16:19) in Philippi. There they were accused of “advocat[ing] customs that are not lawful for…Romans to accept or practice” (16:21), judged, sentenced, beaten, and imprisoned.

Why did they receive such a harsh sentence? It was because they had previously met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination that was not from God. And, they cast the demon out; even though, she proclaimed the truth about Paul and Silas, for they were “servants of the Most High God, who proclaim[ed] to [the people] the way of salvation” (16:17). She followed them for many days continually proclaiming this truth.

It may at first appear that this girl was doing a good thing for Paul and Silas. She was a young girl of Macedonia who not only knew their identity and purpose, but was willing to join them in their endeavor. But, was that what was really happening? No. She was a “fortune-teller” who was illumined by a demonic spirit, not the Holy Spirit. As such, she was a distraction for the message and work of Paul and Silas. Instead of lending credence to their ministry she brought ridicule. In addition, God had forbidden fortune-telling to his people in the Old Testament. Thus, allowing her to walk around with them and to be a part of the ministry was sinful.

So, Paul commanded the spirit to come out of her in the name of jesus Christ. It did. This made her owners unhappy. They had lost their cash cow, so to speak. They made money off of her “ability,” and now her ability was gone. She could no longer tell fortunes. There was only one thing to do — create a riot and have Paul and Silas arrested, jailed, and exiled from the city.

Rejoicing in Hardship Brings People to Jesus

While in prison, Paul and Silas join together in singing hymns to God as the other prisoners listened in. Suddenly, the Lord brought an earthquake that caused all the doors of the prison cells to be opened and the prisoners shackles loosed. But, all the prisoners remained inside their cells by the grace of God and at the urging of Paul and Silas. The jailer rushed in and found the surprise of his life — all the prisoners still there. He knew something great had happened, and he knew that Paul and Silas were at the center of it.

At once he asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” Their answer was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (16:30-31). He responded in faith, was baptized along with his household, and became a servant of the Most High God.

Paul and Silas were unjustly condemned and sentenced to prison. They were unfairly treated. They were given undue hardship by the hand of the Macedonians. But in God’s sovereign providence, they were placed in the midst of hardship for his glory, their benefit (though its hard to see at the moment), and the salvation of the Philippian jailer and his family. This a beautiful thing.

The way we endure hardships, the way we walk faithfully in the midst of strife, the way we rejoice when our circumstances are anything but pleasant is often the greatest testimony to the glory of God in Christ that our lives can bear. And, it is staggering to see the number of conversions to faith in Christ that God has wrought in people’s lives through the testimony of believers who rejoice and continue to praise God in the midst of hardship and persecution.

Follow Suit and Pray for the Oppressed and Persecuted

You will face trouble. You will face hardship. You may be enduring in one way or other today. Are you rejoicing in it? Can others see that your faith is set in the sovereign and providential God of all glory? Does your endurance of hardship bear witness to your faith in Christ? Be like Paul and Silas: break out into a hymn sing. Let your faith in the supreme God carry your through. And, take a moment to pray for those who are oppressed, persecuted, and carrying huge burdens today.

Paul and Barnabas were selected by the Holy Spirit and the congregation at Antioch to be set aside for missionary service. And, they accepted the call. They went from Antioch to Cyprus, Barnabas’ home island (4:36), to Antioch in Pisidia. In each place they preached good news to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles.

The majority of chapter 13 is concerned with reporting the sermon Paul preached in the Synagogue on the first Sabbath that the men were in Antioch of Pisidia. Initially, the sermon was well received. However, by the next Sabbath, as word of the new gospel had spread throughout the town and a large crowd (of Jews and Gentiles) gathered to hear Paul preach, the Jewish leaders became jealous of Paul and Barnabas’ fame and concerned with their growing influence in the city. So, the leaders incited a revolt against Paul and Barnabas by disputing, contradicting, and reviling them. Paul and Barnabas left the city and set out for Iconium.

There is much to say about this incident and the people’s rejection of the gospel. It’s been a common experience throughout Christian history. People have rejected and will continue to reject the gospel of Christ when it is preached boldly and clearly. In some cases the rejection is as dramatic as it was in Antioch, and in other cases to so much. But, we should not lose heart when people reject Christ and his gospel.

We are told in verse 48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” And then in verse 52, “…the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” The gospel does not go out and return void. When it is proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit, men, women, and children are convicted of their sins and led to place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The presence of human opposition does not prohibit the divine work of the Holy Spirit in bringing men and women to faith. The disciples were encouraged, and so should we be. The Lord is at work!

Everyone Needs a Barnabas

We can’t leave chapter 13 without saying a word about Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement. When we first meet Barnabas in 4:36, we are told that he “sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” for distribution among the poor and for assistance to those in need. The next time we hear of Barnabas, he is speaking on Paul’s (Saul) behalf before the other apostles testifying to the change in Paul’s life. He’s not afraid of Paul (9:27). Then, we see Barnabas traveling with Paul and others throughout the region proclaiming the good news and ministering to people (chapters 11 and 13).

Barnabas was gift from God to the church and to those with whom he traveled. He was a gracious encouragement to them. He understood how grace is to be lived out in the lives of those who follow Christ.

I recently heard a friend of mine described as one who “drips leadership.” To use that analogy with Barnabas, I think we can easily say that he was one who “dripped” encouragement.

You need a Barnabas in your life. You need to be a Barnabas in someone’s life. Thank the Barnabas in your life today, and strive to be a Barnabas for someone else. Be encouraged in the grace of God and its advancement through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and be an encouragement to others.