Is Christianity a Threat? Acts 19:21-41

This is a real problem for many. They feel threatened by Christianity and feel it causes problems. This passage addresses this issue. In many societies Christians are persecuted as if they were the vilest of foes.

Luke wrote the book of Acts to encourage Christians to remain convinced that their faith does come from God and all will work out well in the end if they persevere. To help in this he defines the content of the Christian message, he defends the credibility of the gospel and he encourages all Christians to publicly declare the message to others around them.

The difficulty is that although Christians should always be the most loyal members of society, they do this because they are God-fearing. Truth should never upset anybody but the truth is that people often do get upset when their ideas are challenged. The Christian faith is God’s solution for disrupted societies yet often it is these very societies that reject Jesus and his message.

Christianity is intellectually and spiritually intolerant

As the Christian ‘good news’ advanced in the first century its advocates quickly faced opposition.

a. Conflict with the Sanhedrin

In Acts 5 Peter and John were arrested on the orders of the High Priest and on trial before the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews in Jerusalem, because of their popular teaching about Jesus and the healing of a paralysed man. The Lord miraculously freed them during the night and then told them,

“Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.” Acts 5:20

At daybreak the next morning they ‘did as they had been told’ and they again taught the people in the temple courts. Meanwhile the Sanhedrin had gathered and they called for Peter and John from the prison cells. They found there were sentries still standing in the prison and the prison doors were still locked but there were no longer any prisoners. When they heard that the apostles were back preaching in the temple courts they immediately had them rearrested and brought to the Sanhedrin. There the high priest told them,

“We gave you strict orders not to teach nay more in this name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Acts 5:28

At this Peter and the other apostles responded with remarkable bravery, especially as this very same Sanhedrin had orchestrated to execution of Jesus,

“We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you killed by hanging him on a tree, God exalted him to his right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Wow! The Sanhedrin immediately wanted to put the apostles to death and they were only saved by the wise intervention of the wise old man, Gamaliel. Consequently the apostles were flogged and again ‘ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus’ and let them go.

“The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5:42

b. Conflict in Philippi

Paul’s first major stop in Europe was in Philippi. Paul was being hassled by a slave girl who had a ‘spirit by which she foretold the future’.

“She earned a great deal of money for her owners through fortune telling.” Acts 16:16

Paul eventually commanded this spirit to leave her but she lost her powers and her owners were furious when ‘they realised that their hope of making money was gone.’ They seized Paul and took him before the magistrates with the accusation,

“These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practise.” Acts 16:20-21

A crowd then gathered to attack Paul and Silas so the two were flogged and put in prison. They were again miraculously freed from this difficult situation but they stayed to explain the gospel to the jailer who was overwhelmed. The magistrates then asked them to leave the city

c. Conflict in Thessalonica

Their next stop was Thessalonica and there they first went to the synagogue and for three successive weeks Paul,

“ . . . reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’” Acts 17:2-3

Paul was unashamed and bold in telling people about Jesus.

“But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the market-place, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.” Acts 17:5

They could not find Paul and Silas so Jason, the owner of the house where they were staying and some other Christians were taken to the city officials,

“These men who have cause trouble all over the world have now come here. . . They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” Acts 17:6-7

Again Paul and Silas had to flee.

d. Conflict in Berea

The next stop was Berea and as usual they went to the synagogue to tell them about Jesus, their Messiah.

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character that the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11

Although many Jews in Berea were convinced and turned to Christ, trouble followed Paul,

“When the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too,, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.” Acts 17:13

So Paul had to flee for his life and instead he taught the Gentiles of Athens about Jesus. Wherever the gospel advances there is trouble but there is no need to be ashamed!

e. Conflict in Athens

Paul later spent three years teaching the gospel in Ephesus. Paul started in the synagogue but was only tolerated there for a short time, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate.

“Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.” Acts 19:8-9

So Paul took the Church into a secular building for the next two and a half years. The church was growing rapidly, so much so that Demetrius, a local silversmith decided to stir up trouble. He and his colleagues had had a good income making silver shrines of the local goddess Artemis but now their pockets were threatened. He told his colleagues together and said,

“And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.” Acts 19:26

So again there was a riot basically because their pockets were being affected but as so often happened, this was couched in religious terms. Demetrius continued,

“. . . 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

They felt that it was up to them to stop the church, and so admitting that their God was impotent. Many radical Muslims think similarly but the Christians weapon is never the sword but through teaching the truth and persuading people both by argument and by the lives we live.

“Take . . . the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane Peter decided to use a real sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, the High priest’s servant. This has a significance as whenever Christians try to use force such as anger to defend themselves they actually stop people listening to the gospel - their ears become closed.

How to defend Christianity

A Christian clergyman was travelling in a taxi in London and the driver was talking about the spread of pornography in society,

“What I once saw in one place, in Soho, is now common place across all the city – public sexual acts and incapacity because of alcohol or drugs.”

The clergyman asked why he thought this was happening but got no answer so he suggested,

“Might it be because we are distancing ourselves from the Christian faith?”

“Oh no mate! Christianity causes trouble!”

This is a common idea. Is Christianity really bad for society. Are Christians bad people? Should Christianity be banned? People tend to think that encouraging people to think about the claims of Jesus is the cause of trouble but in fact it is the acrid reaction of those who hate the message that is the problem. People hate having their views opposed and will go to great extremes to prevent this happening.

In the rest of the book of Acts, Luke describes how Paul defends the Christian faith confidently and robustly with the aim of encouraging other Christians to do the same in their societies.

Demetrius recognised that the gospel was impacting his pocket and those of his friends. His love of the religious practices of Ephesus was not based on the concept that their faith was true but that their tradition benefitted them and their lifestyle. This point keeps being emphasised,

“A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen.” Acts 19:24

“There is a danger not only that our trade will lose its good name but also that . . .” Acts 19:27

The gospel was challenging the way they thought. The numbers attending the temple were going down. The temple prostitutes were becoming restless. All they cherished, their man made philosophies were being challenged.

Artemis was the Greek goddess of hunting. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Although a virgin she was said to help women in childbirth and on the first night of their marriage. The temple built for her was on a rocky outcrop above Ephesus and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There were three classes of priestess. Their annual festival was one long orgy. It is therefore no surprise that the Christian message was a direct challenge to their promiscuity. Demetrius understood this well when he summarised the conflict.

“He says that man-made gods were no gods at all.” Acts 19:26

Surely anyone should be able to see the flaw in Demetrius’ argument. How can something man has made be worthy of worship? How can this idol have created this universe and tell us how we should live? The idea is absurd that a silver temple bought in a gift shop should be revered. Yet this faith was widespread. In the film ‘Gladiator’ Maximus is shown on his campaign carrying around a little silver shrine.

The temple of Artemis and its statues were all made with human hands. Even the meteorite that was a central feature came from within this creation!

This is the root question, ‘Which faith is true’. This should be a matter for discussion about the evidence, not violence or hatred. The same can be said today. Some Muslims feel that the way to promote their religion will only be achieved through violence. What should be discussed is whether it is true. There is now much evidence to show that it was a late invention, well after the time of Muhammed.

Does Christianity cause trouble and threaten how people live?

Surely the answer should be,

“I do hope so.”

Whenever people are devoted to what is neither true nor beneficial they should be encouraged to reject these intellectual and spiritual counterfeits. The true God is deeply offended when we give our worship to something that is not God – he regards it as treason. The first of the Ten Commandments is,

“ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart . . .” Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37

When people live in ways that are contrary to the creator’s wishes and designs, this causes immeasurable damage to individuals and humanity. People can so easily devote their lives to shallow ambitions. An ardent Manchester United fan filled her home with club memorabilia. At a memorial service for he a friend said,

“She gave her life for a club that didn’t even know that she existed!”

That is idolatry. Others may give their lives following a career in an organisation which devours them and their family. To give your life for a worldly ambition is also idolatry.

Just because there are few physical idols in Britain we are still idol worshippers. The Oxford dictionary defines an idol as,

“Any object or thing that is the object of obsessive devotion - a mental image.”

There are two particular idols we worship today:

1. The idolatry of human freedom

People want to be autonomous and to live and do as we please. This notion comes from the so-called ‘Age of Enlightenment’. The writer Os Guinness speaks of ‘A free people’s suicide’ when discussing the idolatry of freedom,

“Order without freedom may be a manacle, but freedom without order is a mirage.”

Freedom is never free. Living as you like causes wretched damage to families and individuals and usually results in a totalitarian government restricting people’s freedoms. The choice is either to encourage people to accept internal controls that come from conviction or external controls of an authoritarian government.

2. The idol of scientific materialism

People want to explain this universe and its creation from within itself. They think the laws of science can explain how the universe began and how nothing became something. They have failed to realise that laws can only be made by a mind, science cannot make the laws. The laws of nature should really be called the laws of God.

To such idolatry, whatever its form, Jesus reminds us all that there is a God, a real, living God. He entered this world in the form of Jesus, who is a wonderful, gracious and kind god who is always willing to accept rebels back into his family. Contrast him with a man made idol built around a meteorite!

Effects of Christianity

There are countless accounts of the beneficial effects that becoming a Christian has on peoples’ lives. There is less devotion to idols but this will come at a price.

William Wilberforce, the great Christian behind the abolition of the slave trade and much else wrote,

“Whatever the practical and moral arguments in favour of the abolition of the slave trade there is no doubting that a wide range of vested interests were certain to defend it, ship owners and traders in Liverpool and Bristol, above all the owners of plantations in the West Indies for whom slavery was fundamental to their wealth.”

He goes on to list a whole number of people in Parliament who stood up to oppose the abolition of the slave trade - all had vested interests like Demetrius.

Yes Christianity is intellectually and spiritually intolerant – it insists that it is God’s truth for God’s world.

Christianity is socially, politically and legally profoundly tolerant

Christians believe in freedom of speech. Totalitarian societies such as many modern countries today want to restrict the freedom of speech but allowing people to express their opinions is the best way to prevent the abuse of power. Christians do not advocate the use of violence or anger as these eventually work against the rule of the living God.

The main street in Ephesus was a long broad highway, ideal for processions. It had impressive colonnades either side and was paved in marble. At the end was a huge theatre, that could seat 20,000 people. The whole city was fanned into uproar against the Christians. People were shouting,

“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians’ Acts 19:28

Significantly Luke adds,

“The assembly was in confusion: some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not know why they were there.” Acts 19:32

Two leading Christians were dragged to this arena where the rioting mob congregated. Paul, in his characteristically robust way wanted to address the mob, doubtless to try and explain the truth, but both the Christians and the city authorities, who we are told were ‘friends of Paul’ would not allow this. Eventually the City Clerk was allowed to speak and he told the crowd that Christians do not constitute a danger to the state, with a plea that they should be treated with toleration in their pluralist society. If any Christians have acted illegally then properly constituted charges could be brought against them before a court.

How should Christians answer those who think Christianity cause trouble? One answer would be,

“Do you think there might be such a thing as good trouble?”

Have there been any improvements in wretched situations without people standing up and speaking against the evils that are going on. There is such a thing as ‘good trouble’. Thank God that we have a sense of pain. That pain stops much worse things happening to us. People with leprosy lose their hands and feet because they have lost their sense of pain.

Are God’s commands to all of us still valid? Jesus summarised these with the words,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

Could it be that our culture advocating a selfish freedom is what is causing the damaging world we are now living in? Doesn’t this world without God need challenging?

BVP

February 2023

This article is based on the talk given at St Helen’s Bishopsgate by the Rev William Taylor