JESUS AND LOVE #4 THIS LOVE CANNOT BE SILENT

JESUS AND LOVE #4

THIS LOVE CANNOT BE SILENT 

The Love of Jesus is demonstrated for the course of the Gospel!. We saw this in the life and ministry of Apostle Paul.

In Acts 19, during the third Missionary journey of Apostle Paul, there rose up a war in Ephesus at that time, and an Ephesian silversmith Demetrius (who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis or Diana) incited a riot against Paul for Preaching Christ Jesus in Ephesus, he gathered together his craftsmen along with other workers in related trade, this was his charge;

"...Sirs, ye know that 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: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." (Acts 19:26-28) 

At that time, Ephesus had as many as many as a quarter million inhabitants, making it the largest city in the province of Asia. Its size was reason enough for Paul to found a church in Ephesus, but another significant factor was religion: Ephesus was the cult center for the Worship of Artemis or Diana.

Diana was was a very popular Greek goddess. In Greek religion she was the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon, and the daughter of the Greek god Zeus. In Roman religion she was identified as the goddess Diana. Part of what made Artemis important in Ephesus was her temple. It was the largest temple in Asia minor (modern Turkey). The floor of the temple was 168 feet, 9 inches wide by 365 feet, 9 inches long.

The temple of Diana was one the seven wonder of the ancient world. Its size and magnificence made it an attraction for tourists and pilgrims. For Ephesus, it was a place of the worship, but also a treasury and a store house. 

Paul took on a size able opponent in Artemis. She had become the guardian deity of Ephesus. She influenced the politics, culture, and economy of the city. The people of Ephesus were prepared to defend Diana against any who would threaten her, and Paul's gospel threatened to destroy the profit of the craftsmen who made silver shrines of the goddess. 

"And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?" (Acts 19:35) 

"And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre." (Acts 19:30-31) 

Word-drill/JESUS and LOVE

#JESUSalltheway