Daily Devotional for Saturday, April 1

The Logic of the Mayor

“If ye enquire any thing concerning other matters,
it shall be determined in a lawful assembly,” Acts 19:39

After two hours of the crowd shouting “Great is Diana (Artemis) of the Ephesians” (verse 34), the Ephesian mayor, or townclerk, finally quieted the crowd. As the representative and liaison between the citizens and the Roman officials, he wanted peace quickly. He would be held responsible for any disruptive behavior that might occur, so he soothed them with words they wanted to hear: No one could deny that Ephesus was “a worshipper of the great goddess Diana” (verse35).
Ephesus was the center of Diana worship. Her temple housed sacred artifacts and a sacred stone said to have fallen from the sky. Temple robbery was a common crime, but any sacrilege or word against Artemis was equal to robbery. Paul’s companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, however, were not robbers and had not spoken against the goddess. The mayor reminded them these men were no threat to their temple or way of worship. Their two-hour chanting was proof enough that Diana worship was strong. If the people did not settle down and disperse, though, everyone was at risk of disciplinary sanctions from Rome. Law and order must be kept at all costs. Disputes were not to be settled in riots, but in courts. Ephesus was allowed to be a free city under Roman rule, but such behavior could change that.
This is the background to keep in mind as we read about Ephesus and the book of Ephesians. Worship of false gods was the very fiber of their society. The gospel of Jesus Christ brought a radical new idea to the Ephesians. While some were anxious to add yet another god to their city, many truly believed and became followers of the Way. Paul’s repeated messages of faith, the deep love of Christ, sound doctrine and God’s mighty power in Ephesians and 1 Timothy strengthened believers surrounded by false teaching.

THOUGHT: Paul prayed, may “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18), unlike the darkened understanding and blindness around them (Ephesians 4:18)

Kelli Reynolds