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Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's Word alone, our authority, every word, every step in the name of Christ Back to the Bible for the way of life. Welcome to this period of Bible study. We are delighted, as always, to have the opportunity to share in a consideration of God's Word. Today, our study is going to come from the end of Acts 19, and we might make our way into chapter 20 depending on how the time allows. But we're going to start in about Acts 19:21. And if you have not been able to hear other programs leading up to this section of the Book of Acts, you could go to backtothebiblepodcast.com and you could click on Listen to previous episodes here. And you would be able to go back and backtrack over all of the programs and be able to listen to them again and lead up to this point. And there are other episodes as well that would be on different topics, and we would love for you to be able to listen to those. But if you are not able to do that, we are thankful that you're able to listen to this one and hope that it is helpful and beneficial and that it accurately reflects the instructions that God's Word gives us and that we come to a better understanding. So when we come to Acts chapter 19 and the Middle of the chapter, the Apostle Paul has been in the city of Ephesus, and it seems as though he will have been there about three years. And when Paul is preaching there in Ephesus, the text tells us that all Asia heard the word. Now, that is not a reference to Asia in the sense of, like, Korea and China. Rather, it's an area that would be called Asia Minor. And this is today would be in what is the nation of Turkey in the Middle east or around the Mediterranean. And those who were believing kept coming. And what you see here is intense devotion in that they are leaving behind their pagan practices, they are burning their magic books. And the text there says, so the word of the Lord was growing mightily and and prevailing. The word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. That was the way that Luke describes the spread of the Gospel and the conversion of many people in Asia to the truth about Jesus. Now we come to verse 21, and it says, now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, after I have been there, I must also see Rome. And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus he himself stayed in Asia for a while. Now Paul decides that, that he needs to go to Macedonia and Achaia, and then he was going to go ahead to Rome. Now, before he leaves, it's going to say he stayed in Asia for a while. I take it to be. I think we have a reference at the beginning of 19 to him being there two years, and then this would add some additional time to that. But he goes ahead and he sends Timothy and Erastus kind of preparing the way for him as he's going to go into Macedonia, then down into Achaia and then make his way to Jerusalem. Now we come to verse there, where he's in Asia, and he's already sent Timothy and Erastus ahead. It seems to be that this is the occasion upon which he wrote First Corinthians. When you look at the conclusion of the letter to the Corinthians in First Corinthians, chapter 16 and verse 8, the text there says, I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. And notice verse 10, it says, now if Timothy comes, take care that he is with you without fear, for he is doing the Lord's work, as also I am. So what you've got here is you have Paul still in Ephesus. He sends this letter back up in verse five. He says, I'll go through Macedonia and then I'm going to come stay with you, perhaps stay for the winter, but I don't want to see you just in passing, but I'm going to stay in Ephesus for a bit. But if Timothy comes, so you can see all of the setup for that here in the book of Acts. And you kind of have. I think what you would see here is a harmonization. Everything kind of fits together here. He sends Timothy ahead. He's going to stay in Ephesus, he's going to go through Macedonia, then he's going to go to Achaia, and he wants him to be prepared for his arrival. Now, in verse 23, the text there says, now about that time there occurred. This is Acts 19, verse 23. About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the way for a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together with the workers of similar trades and said, men, you know that our prosperity is from this business. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a Considerable crowd saying that things made with hands are not gods, and not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be considered as worthless, and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship is even about to be brought down from her majesty. When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, great is Artemis of the Ephesians. And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia. And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. So then some were shouting one thing and some another, for the meeting was in confusion, and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. And some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward, and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, great is Artemis of the Ephesians. Now, after calming the crowd, the city clerk said, men of Ephesus, what man is there, after all, who does not know that the city of Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and and of the image which fell down from heaven? So since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash, for you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful meeting. For indeed, we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with the day's events, since there is no cause for which we can give an account for this disorderly gathering. After saying this, he dismissed the meeting. So the word is spreading. Paul is making preparations to leave. But there is a major disturbance about what is called the Way. So there's this man named Demetrius, and he leads the makers of the pagan shrines to create a massive mob against Paul. Now, because Paul's work was teaching people to turn away from idolatry and turn to serving Jesus the king, this was costing them business. Now, of Course, he's going to frame it as, oh, and we're also concerned about the worship of Artemis or Diana, depending on your translation there. But really, I think what you see here is his concern about his pocketbook. That's what he's concerned about. Falling apart. Now a massive crowd forms and they are shouting praise to Artemis. Now, Artemis was, as they thought of it, the patron goddess of the Ephesians. And they even grabbed two of Paul's Macedonian travel companions. Now, Paul wants to speak to the crowd, but the disciples, who are afraid for his life, wouldn't let him. And there's even some Asia Minor rulers, they're called the Asiarchs, who are friendly to Paul, are telling him not to come in. But the crowd was in mayhem. Many didn't even know what this chaotic assembly was about. So a Jew named Alexander tried to speak. Perhaps he was trying to prevent any persecution coming upon them because of a supposed connection with Paul. But when they found out that he was Jewish, they resumed their shouting of praise for Artemis. And perhaps it was the same hostility in some ways to him as it would have been to Paul, knowing what his belief about Artemis would have been. Now, of course, the Jews were not as effective and they weren't as focused on evangelism as Paul would have been, but they would still have known that there was something about the Jews with regards to idolatry. Now, finally, a city clerk, perhaps like the mayor of Ephesus, is trying to appeal to the people and trying to calm them down. And he's explaining that the accusations that were being made were too strong and that things could be handled in a regular court. And so he says, listen, everybody knows how great Artemis is. Everybody knows how great Diana is. And he was afraid that the riot was going to catch the attention of the Romans and that they, the Romans, were going to come in and settle things down by force. And so he dismissed them. Now, what we see here is this. This outrage by the people of Ephesus demonstrates that there was an effective work going on in Ephesus and in all of Asia with regards to the preaching of the Gospel. And when I say effective, of course, the gospel being preached is the power of God unto salvation. But what we see here is it. It's evident that there must have been a response when the people who are selling the idols are afraid that they're going to lose out on their way of making a living. And that is a great thing. That's a great thing for people not to be able to make a living by there are some industries and there are some factories and there are some producers that I wish that we could put those people out of a job with the preaching of the gospel. And somebody would say, well, isn't that pretty harsh? And I would say the path of sin and idolatry and immorality and ungodliness is a harsh path. What those people need to do is they need to leave those false gods behind, the false gods of immorality or of lust or whatever it may be. And they need to be obedient to Jesus the king. But what we want to do is we want to be able to preach the Gospel with such passion and such intensity and such clarity and such faithfulness that people in all of the area are obedient to the gospel. So that those who would be selling them the new Artemises or the new Dianas, whatever the false gods of the day and of the age are, that they would be concerned about being put out of business. We want preaching like that. Now we come to chapter 20. And in chapter 20, in verse one, after the uproar had ceased, Paul, having summoned and exhorted, the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia. So they're crossing over the Aegean Sea and they're going into Macedonia. This is where the cities of Philippi and down as you move southward, you would have Thessalonica and then Berea. And when they had gone through all those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. And there he spent three months. And when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. And he was accompanied by Sopiter of Beroea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians and Gaius of Derbe and Timothy and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone ahead and were waiting for us at and we sailed from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and came to them at Troas within five days. And there we stayed seven days. Alright, so Paul leaves from Ephesus and he goes through Macedonia and Greece. Now I think that the evidence suggests that Paul is writing second Corinthians from Greece as he writes down to the folks down in Berea. Excuse me. As he writes down to the folks in Corinth from Macedonia. And what he's doing is he's preparing them for his arrival. So he had anticipated, as he was headed over to Macedonia, that He was going to meet Titus at Troas, but he wasn't there. So he had to go on into Macedonia, where he met Titus. And he rejoiced at the Corinthians response and, and warned them about the false teachers that had arrived. And so he was going to go to Corinth after that. Now, while Paul is in Corinth, in Greece, likely in Corinth, he wrote the Book of Romans, primarily dealing with the Judaizing teachers that were there. Now, perhaps, as we move through our study of the Book of Acts, maybe we will make our way into some of those letters as we go. Now, Paul left to go through Macedonia and Greece, and when he headed back, so he stays in Corinth for three months or Greece. It doesn't specifically say Corinth, but that's the assumption we make, given what he had said was his intention back in Acts 19. And, and with what he's telling the Corinthians in First Corinthians 16. So trying to put all of that together, we think that he probably went to Corinth here, but he wants to leave. But he learns that there is a threat against his life. And so instead of just sailing directly back to Syria, to Antioch, we assume he is going to kind of take a longer route home by walking up through Macedonia. Now, a team of men are going to be with him. Now you might say, well, why are all of these men from these different congregations? There's folks from. There's a man from Berea, one from Derbe, a couple from Thessalonica, some from Asia. Why are they with him? Well, I think that it shows us that what he's doing is that these men are going to serve as witnesses and certificators of the gift that the churches in the places that they were from were sending to the Judea brethren. So in 2 Corinthians 8, 16, 17, Paul said to the Corinthians that if they saw fit, that they would send someone with him. Because he says, this is Second Corinthians 8, verse 16. He says, thanks be to God, who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted our plea, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord, tying us back there. And then he says in verse 19, and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work that is being ministered by us for the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness, taking precaution lest anyone discredit us or our ministry of this generous gift. For we respect what is good not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found earnest in many things, but now even more earnest because of his great confidence in you. So what he is doing here is he is saying the reason that these men are going to be with him. He suggests that Corinth might have someone that would go with him because he has them traveling with him. So that there is a clarity and there is confidence that, that the work that Paul is doing is actually arriving where it's supposed to. That is the churches that are around where he is getting funds to take back to the saints that are in need in Jerusalem. He is getting that from them, and he is taking it back to Jerusalem. But brethren are coming with him from those different congregations to uphold the integrity of the work that Paul is doing. Now, I think that that is a great example, and let me say, I think it's a great example for people who are working with congregations and maybe the ones who are responsible for the money. Isn't it a notable thing that Paul says, when we're dealing with these funds and these resources, we're going to bring extra witnesses that, that can certify that we are being open and honest with the way this money is being used. So often when we think about small local churches or these big mega churches, it doesn't matter when there's money being passed, there is so often concerns and questions and even real situations where the people who are involved are scraping off the top or they're dipping their hands down into those resources without any awareness or authorization from the group. And what's happening here is Paul is saying, I have this work to do, but not only do I want to do what's good in the Lord's sight, and I want to do what's good in men's sight. I think that this is a wonderful way of thinking for those who are serving the Lord. We do not want anything to serve as a barrier of doubt when it comes to us with regards to the work that we are doing. And so Paul makes sure that there is some provision there, as we see in Acts 20, with all these men who are traveling with him. Alright, now we come to verse seven. This is Acts chapter 20 and verse seven. And on the first day of the week, remember, they have gathered together, they have made it to Troas, and they've stayed there seven days he says, on the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. Now, there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together, and there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep. And as Paul kept on talking, he sunk into that sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him. And after embracing him, he said, do not be troubled, for his life is in him. And when he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while, until daybreak, and then left. And he took away the boy alive and were not a little comforted. So the disciples come together on the first day of the week to break bread. They were gathering together to partake of the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week. Now, the term break bread could be used to summarize the Lord's Supper. That's what we see in Acts 2 and verse 42, and in First Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 16. Now in Acts 2 and verse 42, the text tells us that they were continuing steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and in fellowship in the breaking of bread and the prayers. Now the idea there of the breaking of the bread is not the breaking of the bread as far as an ordinary meal, but rather the breaking of the bread of the Lord's Supper. And also in First Corinthians, chapter 10, Paul would say, is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ. And so this imagery, this description of the Lord's Supper as a breaking of the bread, or even as a drinking of the cup. But I think breaking of the bread is what we see more often here. They come together to break bread, and that is used to summarize the Lord's Supper. We know that it's different than their day to day coming together. Let me just say that it's different than their day to day coming together for a couple of reasons. One, in Acts 2, we see that they were engaged in that breaking of the bread. And then from day to day, from. From house to house, they were breaking bread. We see they were all together in fellowship and breaking of the bread. But then they were going from house to house engaging in their common meals. But also we see here they are there for Seven days, and they were gathered together to break bread. This is all the disciples coming together for this purpose seven days into Paul's time, staying at at Troas. Now, these brethren, they appreciate Paul. They're going to listen to him preach till midnight. But what we see here is that we are dealing with a situation in which they have been waiting on the first day of the week to gather to break this bread. Now, the disciples were to come together in this memorial, First Corinthians, chapter 11. And we also know that they were to come together on the first day of the week for other purposes, like the congregational contribution. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16 and said, on the first day of every week, let each one of you lay by in store as he's been prospered. Now, Paul knew that they'd be coming together on the first day of the week, which seems to be a good explanation for why his departure was delayed, especially given that he left early the next morning. Look at verse seven. He arrives on the first day of the week, and then he stays seven days. And then he has intentions of leaving early the next morning after the first day of the week. Now, doesn't that say something about the significance of this first day? He wanted to be there together with them when they were coming together to break the bread. Now, Paul was going to leave them the next day, and so he uses this opportunity to speak. And he preached until midnight. And there was a young man named Eutychus. It's funny and maybe accurate in some way. The. The young man, Eutychus, that's the Greek word for lucky. And so in one way, he was unlucky. He fell asleep while sitting in the third story window, and he fell and he died. But he was lucky. Maybe we would say he is blessed. He was providentially cared for because Paul sensed life in him, which gave tremendous effort to the congregation. Now, Luke from Troas has joined the group here. I take it to be that he was already with them. Back up in verses 21:6, because you have the we passages there. It looks as if what happens is that Luke wants to be on the journey, and he joins with them. But note that the other men go ahead of him. And here Luke seems to be with him all the way along, even before they meet in Troas. So Luke is able to describe their journey with detail and tells us that Paul wanted to be back in Jerusalem by Pentecost, which was 50 days after the Passover. And I believe that he would have been in Ephesus on the Passover. Now, let me say all of this together. When we look at them coming together on the first day of the week to break bread, I want you to see this. Paul is in a hurry to make it back to Jerusalem. And instead of saying on the first or second or third day while he's in Troas, hey, let's get everybody together, he waits seven days and then leaves early the next morning. What's going on there? It is that he knows they are gathering together on the first day of the week, and he leaves the first thing the next morning. That's no coincidence. Rather, it's an indication of his desire to be with the brethren when they come together to break the bread. And he will be in such a hurry that he won't be able to stop and see the church at Ephesus. Rather, he will meet the Ephesian elders on the way to Jerusalem, which shows his urgency. Well, thank you for your kind attention and. And until next time, we bid you a pleasant good day. Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's word alone, our authority, every word, every step, in the name of Christ. Back to the Bible for the way of life.