Opposition at Ephesus

(Acts 19:21-41.)

1. 1.How long did Paul labor at Ephesus?
2. 2.Tell the striking results of his ministry there.
3. 3.After these things, what did he purpose to do? Where did he intend to go before visiting Jerusalem? What place did he then propose to visit? Verse 21.
4. 4.Whom did he send on before he started? Where did he himself remain? Verse 22.
5. 5.What took place at that time? Verse 23.
6. 6.Who was the instigator of the trouble? What was the source of the silverworkers profit? Verse 24.
7. 7.Whom did this man assemble? How did he address them? Verse 25.
8. 8.What did he say as to the influence of Paul's preaching? Verse 26.
9. 9.What did he say was in danger? What as to the temple and worship of Diana? Verse 27.
10. 10.What effect had these words upon the craftsmen? How did they show their religious zeal? Verse 28.
11. 11.How extensively did the agitation spread? Whom did the people seize? and what did they do? Verse 29.
12. 12.What did Paul seek to do? Verse 30.
13. 13.What shows the esteem in which Paul was held by the better people? Verse 31.
14. 14.What was the condition of the assembled mob? Verse 32.
15. 15.Whom did the Jews put forward as their spokesman? Verse 33.
16. 16.How was he received? What sort of an uproar ensued? Verse 34.
17. 17.Who quieted the crowd? To what did he refer as an established fact? Verse 35.
18. 18.If, as they believed, the worship of Diana was from Heaven, what ought they to do? Verse 36.
19. 19.What testimony did he give concerning the peaceable character of Paul and his companions? Verse 37.
20. 20.What did he say was the proper means of settling any real grievance? Verses 38, 39.
21. 21.In what danger did they stand? Verse 40.
22. 22.What did the town clerk then do? Verse 41.

Additional Questions and Suggestions

1. 1.The town clerk was undoubtedly a heathen; yet see how he had grasped the principle that truth can defend itself. Compare the words of Joash, the father of Gideon. Judges 6:28-31.
2. 2.Note that this great tumult, which but for the prudent management of the town clerk, might have resulted in a wholesale persecution and massacre of the Christians, was wholly a business matter. The silversmiths' devotion to the goddess Diana was wholly a question of profit: from the worship of Diana they got their living. Their opposition to Paul was solely on account of the fact that the spread of Christianity interfered with their business. Even so in the days of Trajan, the persecution that was raised against the Christians, concerning which Pliny wrote to the emperor, was due to the fact that those who sold cattle for the heathen sacrifices, found their business diminishing.

This lesson PDF Whole quarter PDF · 13 lessons