Good morning. Paul sent Timothy and one other into
Macedonia, while he stayed in Asia for a while. There arose a great disturbance
concerning the Way (remember that Jesus said I am the Way, the truth, and the
life – no one comes to the Father but through Me). A silversmith who made
shrines of Artemis got people upset because Paul was destroying their business
saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. That was the real reason
he was upset; but he also added that the temple of the great goddess Artemis
would be regarded as worthless. My Bible says that the Temple of Artemis was
one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; so people came from far and wide
to view it – they purchased silver shrines and images, and that was a lucrative
business for the craftsmen. They used the part about Artemis to get the city in
an uproar. Paul wanted to go talk to them, but the disciples would not let him.
After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, men of Ephesus, what man is
there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is Guardian of
the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven
(some believe it was a meteorite)? You have brought these men here who are
neither robbers of temples not blasphemers of our goddess. So if you have a
problem with these men, take them to court; but we are in danger of being
accused of a riot since there is no real reason for it. After saying this he
dismissed the assembly. Father thank You for Pentecost and that power which
indwells us. Help us to spread it wherever we go.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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