Alexander or Gamaliel?
I was reading the story in Acts about Paul's trip to Ephesus, a story I've read many times before. This morning, a thought popped in my head that I want to think over.
When Alexander the silversmith was discussing with his business partners the economic threat that the Way presented to them, he made this statement: "There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of our great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." (Acts 19:27). In a sense, he urged them that if the gospel was allowed to continue to permeate Ephesus and the region of Asia, then their goddess would be stripped of her fame and reduced to nothing. And as a result, they took action to make sure that didn't happen. They started a riot.
The thought that popped in my head was this: it is very likely that when God is at work in a city, a nation, or even (and especially in) our lives, that eventually the sacred shrines that we have set up will become threatened. What was unsaid in the story of Ephesus that is true about all of these shrines is that they really have no power aside from what we give them. When this happens, do we fight to maintain the stature of whatever competing thought, belief, thing that is threatened or do we realize it for what it is, deny its power that we gave it, and surrender it to Christ? Obviously the Ephesian idol makers fought to preserve their sacred shrine, and it caused chaos as a result.
However, in an earlier story in Jerusalem, a wise Pharisee recognized this dichotomy and urged his colleagues to be cautious. This guy, Gamaliel (who was the pre-conversion mentor to Saul who became the Apostle Paul), said this when the apostles were up for trial:
"But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." - Acts 5:34-39
Gamaliel realized that if their efforts are competing with God's agenda that they will be futile and in fact against what they believed they were accomplishing. Summing it up: do you really want to be fighting against God? Alexander found himself on this side, and ultimately we know where the worship of Artemis went (into a history book and into fable). When we allow our shrines, when God wants to take them down, to be removed and become a blip in our story rather than a driving force in our lives, it can be something that God uses for incredible good. If we hang on, it can rather bring the chaos that can ensue (and did in Ephesus's case) when we attempt to infuse power into something that has none except for the bondage we allow it to have on our own lives.
When Alexander the silversmith was discussing with his business partners the economic threat that the Way presented to them, he made this statement: "There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of our great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." (Acts 19:27). In a sense, he urged them that if the gospel was allowed to continue to permeate Ephesus and the region of Asia, then their goddess would be stripped of her fame and reduced to nothing. And as a result, they took action to make sure that didn't happen. They started a riot.
The thought that popped in my head was this: it is very likely that when God is at work in a city, a nation, or even (and especially in) our lives, that eventually the sacred shrines that we have set up will become threatened. What was unsaid in the story of Ephesus that is true about all of these shrines is that they really have no power aside from what we give them. When this happens, do we fight to maintain the stature of whatever competing thought, belief, thing that is threatened or do we realize it for what it is, deny its power that we gave it, and surrender it to Christ? Obviously the Ephesian idol makers fought to preserve their sacred shrine, and it caused chaos as a result.
However, in an earlier story in Jerusalem, a wise Pharisee recognized this dichotomy and urged his colleagues to be cautious. This guy, Gamaliel (who was the pre-conversion mentor to Saul who became the Apostle Paul), said this when the apostles were up for trial:
"But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." - Acts 5:34-39
Gamaliel realized that if their efforts are competing with God's agenda that they will be futile and in fact against what they believed they were accomplishing. Summing it up: do you really want to be fighting against God? Alexander found himself on this side, and ultimately we know where the worship of Artemis went (into a history book and into fable). When we allow our shrines, when God wants to take them down, to be removed and become a blip in our story rather than a driving force in our lives, it can be something that God uses for incredible good. If we hang on, it can rather bring the chaos that can ensue (and did in Ephesus's case) when we attempt to infuse power into something that has none except for the bondage we allow it to have on our own lives.
Comments