PAUL ENTERED THE synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. 19A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” 22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26And 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. 27There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
28When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. 30Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. 37You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today’s events. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” 41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
Original Meaning
ACTS 19 DESCRIBES Paul’s ministry in Ephesus in some detail, though there is no sampling of the message he preached there. Luke has already given us ample records of Paul’s messages to both Jewish (13:16–41, in Antioch of Pisidia) and Gentile (14:15–17; 17:22–31, in Lystra and Athens) audiences outside Palestine.
The Evangelization of Asia (19:8–10)
AS IN OTHER cities, Paul uses the synagogue as his bridgehead for evangelism. Ephesus was somewhat different from other cities he went to, for a few believers and “semi-believers” were already there. He established contact with them and even ministered to them at the start of his stay (19:1–7). Yet Paul was not content with a smattering of believers in Ephesus. He wanted everyone to hear the gospel, and in his remarkable stay of at least twenty-seven months, he succeeded in bringing the gospel to the entire population of the province of Asia (v. 10).
Luke uses some familiar words to describe Paul’s evangelism. In the synagogue he “spoke boldly” (v. 8; Gk. parresiazomai, which appears six times in Acts, each time to describe the ministry of Paul).1 In general, this word describes his ministry among Jews.2 Preaching the gospel to Jews who were so close to and yet so far from the gospel required much boldness because of their animosity to it. Paul’s boldness is also expressed in his “arguing persuasively” (dialegomai and peitho) about the kingdom of God.3
Though the message of the kingdom of God does not appear as much in Acts as in the Gospels, it is mentioned seven times in Acts—to describe the preaching of Jesus (1:3), of Philip (8:12), and of Paul (14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). Peter also echoed this message in his Pentecost speech, though he did not use the expression “kingdom of God.” The sequence we have seen elsewhere is repeated here in Acts 19, for the Jews rejected the gospel (v. 9b). But here there was a slight difference in that Paul spoke at the synagogue for as long as three months, and only “some” (not most) of the Jews “became obstinate.”
Paul then moved to “the lecture hall of Tyrannus” and held “discussions [dialegomai again] daily” (v. 9b). Tyrannus was either the lecturer who taught there or the owner of the hall, who rented it out to Paul. According to the Western Text, Paul had the use of the hall from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. Bruce writes, “Whatever the textual basis of this reading may be, it probably represents what actually happened.”4 During those hours public activity came to a standstill in cities in this region and people took an afternoon nap. Paul’s hearers must have been motivated to come for discussions at this time. The apostle himself probably gave mornings and evenings to tentmaking (see 20:34) and came to the lecture hall to teach the people in the intervening time.
The result of this two-year stint (v. 10) was that “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (v. 10b). This was in part achieved through people who came to the big city of Ephesus from other places in the province, heard the gospel, and took it back to their hometowns. It also took place through colleagues of Paul, who brought the gospel to the other towns in Asia. Epaphras, for example, took the gospel to Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis and founded the churches there (cf. Col. 1:7–8; 2:1; 4:12–13). Presumably the seven churches of Asia addressed in Revelation 2–3 were founded at this time.
After several divinely ordained delays, therefore, the mission to Asia Minor finally took off. Christianity persisted in this province for centuries after the Turkish conquest of the region. It “disappeared only with the wholesale exchange of Greek and Turkish populations which followed the Graeco-Turkish war of 1923.”5
Extraordinary Miracles (19:11–22)
AFTER LUKE’S SUMMARY of the ministry in Ephesus, he records a few incidents or pictures that help us understand the unique experiences Paul had there. Verses 11–12 summarize the apostle’s ministry in the miraculous. As discussed in other sections, the apologist who marshaled arguments for the gospel was also the healer.6 The expression “extraordinary miracles” indicates that something unusual happened in Ephesus.
Some background information on Ephesus will help us understand Paul’s ministry. This city had a reputation as a center for the learning and practice of magical arts. “Its reputation in this respect is indicated by the fact that the phrase ‘Ephesian writings’ (Ephesia grammata) was commonly used in antiquity for documents containing spells and formulae.”7 In other words, in addition to Paul’s evangelistic ministry (vv. 8–10), he also had a ministry that can be classed as a “power encounter,” where Christ’s power over the forces that bound the people was clearly demonstrated. Clinton Arnold, in his study Ephesians, Power and Magic, points out the significance of the fact that Paul’s most complete study of spiritual powers and of the battle Christians face against them comes in his letter to Ephesus.8
Many of the actions that took place in Ephesus are related to this need to demonstrate the power of God over these forces. Bruce suggests that the “handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him [and] were taken to the sick” (v. 12) may have been “those which Paul used in his tentmaking or leather-working—the sweat rags for tying round his head and aprons for tying round his waist.”9 We cannot be sure whether Paul deliberately adopted this strategy or whether, as with the healing that took place through a woman’s touching the edge of Christ’s cloak (Luke 8:44), others took these objects representing Paul to the sick.
In a culture where people were steeped in the use of such items, it is understandable that they would use them in connection with healing in the name of Jesus. Luke, however, is eager to stress that God was the one who “did extraordinary miracles through Paul,” not Paul himself or the aprons. As a result, the people’s “illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (v. 12). It is not surprising that the casting out of demons, which is more prominent in the Gospels than in Acts, gains prominence in a place under the grip of occult practices.
The next picture Luke gives us is of “seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest” (v. 14). They were among the “Jews who went around driving out evil spirits [and who] tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed” (v. 13). According to Bruce, “among practitioners of magic in ancient times Jews enjoyed high respect, for they were believed to have exceptionally effective spells at their command.” He writes that “the fact that the name of God was not pronounced by vulgar lips was generally known among pagans, and misrepresented by them according to regular magical principles.” By contrast, “the Jewish high priest was the one man who was authorized to pronounce the otherwise ineffable name. . . . Such a person would therefore enjoy prestige among magicians.” Bruce thinks, therefore, that “Jewish chief priest” may have been a self-designation, taken on by Sceva.10
The evil spirit in the person being exorcised by the sons of Sceva attacked these exorcists, leaving them naked and bleeding (v. 16). As Ed Murphy points out, this was a case of evil spirits battling each other—that is, the evil spirit in the possessed person battled the demonized exorcists.11 How can we harmonize this fact with Christ’s statement that Satan will not be divided against Satan? Demons can expel and attack other demons to enhance the control of demons over people. Such demon-to-demon attacks only increase Satan’s hold over people.
Luke goes on to paint the picture of a people seized with fear and holding the name of Jesus in high honor (v. 17). This came as a direct result of the demonstration of God’s power and, as we will see, was an important aspect of effective evangelism among those under the grip of occult power. Related to this was the open confession of evil deeds, culminating in a grand scroll-burning session (vv. 18–19). “Openly confessed” (v. 18) probably refers to these people’s revealing the content of their spells. “According to magical theory, the potency of a spell is bound up with its secrecy; if it be divulged, it becomes ineffective. So these converted magicians renounced their imagined power by rendering their spells inoperative.”12
The scrolls burned were valued at fifty thousand drachmas, which was equivalent to about fifty thousand days’ wages of an average worker—a great value. The scrolls burned must have been documents containing spells and formulae for which Ephesus was famous. “Magical papyri were rolled up in small cylinders or lockets used as amulets around the neck.”13
Luke’s customary summary statement about the growth of the church had a significant emphasis for a place like Ephesus: “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (v. 20). The word was, as always, primary. But the mention of growth in power is relevant among a people living under bondage to demonic powers.
Verses 21–22 summarize Paul’s plans for moving on from Ephesus. The apostle made his plans for leaving with joy, seeing that a strong church had been established there. He wanted to go to Jerusalem and from there to Rome. But he decided first to go to Macedonia and Achaia and complete the work on the contribution to the church in Jerusalem. His plan was to bring the gift there personally (see Rom. 15:25–28; 1 Cor. 16:1–11; 2 Cor. 8–9). He sent two helpers ahead of him to Macedonia and planned to join them shortly (v. 22).
The Riot Subdued (19:23–41)
LUKE HAS ONE more picture to give us from Paul’s lengthy ministry in Ephesus. He seems to have omitted the battle with what Paul calls “wild beasts” (1 Cor. 15:32) as well as the hardships that caused him to despair “even of life” (2 Cor. 1:8–10). Many scholars think Paul may have been imprisoned in Ephesus for a period of time.14 But the riot—especially its conclusion in the acquittal of the Christians—fits in with a theme that Luke considered important: opposition to the gospel (here cited as “great disturbance about the Way,” v. 23). Luke consistently stresses the real reasons behind such opposition, especially because opposition was usually for reasons other than the content of the gospel.
Here in Ephesus (as elsewhere, see 5:17; 13:45; 17:5) the root of the opposition was jealousy. As in Philippi (16:19), it had primarily an economic reason, though it was couched in religious and patriotic terms when presented in public. The temple of Artemis was a key to the economic stability of Ephesus, for foreigners traveled there to worship and deposited money in the temple. This had become more significant in the time of Paul since the city was beginning to lose its significance as a center for international trade.
Demetrius must have been the president of the guild of silversmiths. In those days “members of the same trade united to form professional guilds, or collegia, which set standards for their own trade and united to defend their economic interests.”15 The silversmiths made “silver shrines of Artemis” (v. 24), that is, “miniature silver niches, containing an image of the goddess, which her votaries [devotees] bought to dedicate in the temple.”16 Archaeologists have found “silver reproductions of her image and terra-cotta [clay] models of her temple.”17 In his speech to his colleagues, Demetrius is frank about the way Paul’s preaching had hit them economically (vv. 24–26). But it would hit the honor of the goddess (v. 27). That was the line they would take in their public agitation (v. 28).
The silversmiths succeeded in getting the whole city into an uproar and seized two of Paul’s colleagues (v. 29). The apostle wanted very much to take the place of his colleagues, but the wisdom of the believers and Paul’s influential friends prevailed, and he remained in hiding (vv. 30–31). The word translated “officials of the province” is Asiarchai (Asiarchs). While there is some uncertainty about the exact duties of these high government officials, their presence in Ephesus during the first four centuries has been clearly attested. Strabo, writing only one generation before the date of this story, refers to the Asiarchs of Tralles as a group.18 In other words, Paul had wealthy and powerful friends at Ephesus.
Luke’s terminology and description of the proceedings has remarkable parallels with the evidence that is emerging about the social structure of Asia, especially of Ephesus, in the mid-first century.19 The people gathered in the great theater of Ephesus, where meetings of the assembly were held (vv. 30–31). This was an unofficial or informal assembly, which Luke calls the ekklesia (vv. 32, 41) and distinguishes from “legal assembly” (te ennomo ekklesia), which had its regular official meetings (see v. 39). The Jews seem to have become nervous about trouble coming to them, so they wanted to distance themselves from Paul by thrusting a certain Alexander to the forefront. But he had no chance to speak for a mob mentality has taken over. The result is a two-hour-long shouting session (vv. 33–34).
At this stage the city clerk20 took over (v. 35). He appealed to the heritage of the city, which believed that the many-breasted image of the goddess Artemis had fallen down from heaven (v. 35) and was thus of divine workmanship. His point was that the security of having such facts should cause them not to panic and do something rash (v. 36). Besides, there were legal ways to handle such issues: “The courts are open and there are proconsuls”21 (v. 38). This statement “reflects the Roman practice in Asia of holding courts under the proconsul in nine or more principal cities which served as district capitals.”22
The concerns of the clerk about a bad report going to the Romans have been reflected by another writer, Dio of Prusa, who wrote about fifty years later.23 City assemblies were on their way out at that time, because Rome wanted to eliminate these democratic elements. According to Sherwin-White, “this was the last age of civic autonomy in the ancient world.” By the late second and early third centuries “civic politics in the old pattern of the city-state, with its assemblies and councils,” had come to an end.24 The clerk must have been fearing these trends when he cautioned his people about the Roman reaction to this commotion (v. 40).
Luke saw this event as another victory for the cause of the gospel. In his estimation, the existing legal system, if properly administered, could be relied upon to give the Christians a fair trial (cf. also the decision of the proconsul Gallio in Corinth in 18:12–17; see comments).
Bridging Contexts
WORKING WITH PEOPLE influenced by magic and the occult. This passage gives us helpful keys to working with people who have been influenced by the occult and by other forms of satanic magic. Like the other descriptions of evangelistic ministry in Acts, this one offers a good example of effective contextualization. Some aspects of evangelism, such as the basic content of the gospel, are necessary in every place where it occurs. Thus, when Luke describes the growth of the church, while he includes a note about growth in power (which was relevant to Ephesus), his primary focus is on how “the word of the Lord spread” (v. 20).
Each culture, however, has certain features that particularly keep people away from God, that hold them in bondage, or that make them receptive to the gospel. A contextualized ministry will deal effectively with these features. Peter in Jerusalem and Paul in Antioch of Pisidia focused on the Jewish hope for a Messiah and how Christ fulfills that. In Athens Paul attacked the intellectual base for idolatry. In Ephesus Paul’s ministry addressed the bondage to magic of the people living there. It is therefore helpful to see the incidents at Ephesus as examples of power encounter with the demonic.
There has been much discussion on this topic in recent times, and the term power encounter is often used in a broad sense to include everything that we usually associate with spiritual warfare. I have found it more helpful to follow Ed Murphy in restricting the use of this expression to crisis points in the ongoing spiritual warfare, where issues are brought to a head and the battle for allegiance takes a decisive turn.25 This is the type of thing that happened in Ephesus, with people not only forsaking their magical practices, but also “openly confess[ing] their evil deeds” (v. 18) and burning the scrolls through which they practiced magic (v. 19). It also occurred between two demonic forces: those possessing an individual who needed to be exorcised and those performing the exorcisms (the seven sons of Sceva). The latter were comprehensively defeated in that encounter (vv. 14–16).
Does the use of “handkerchiefs and aprons” in Ephesus (v. 12) give us the freedom to use such methods today? We should be careful about banning such things outright, as some do. But we should also note that we are not sure whether this method was actively advocated by Paul. At the same time, in a culture influenced heavily by magic (where the symbolic is important), God used symbols to reveal himself to the people. Could the use of these methods be an example of God’s accommodating himself to human frailty rather than a pattern for all to follow? Conrad Gempf thinks so: “The incarnation has always been about God limiting himself in dramatic, nearly absurd, ways in order to communicate to a fallen and absurd people.”26 If this is the case, we can glean the principle that, in the process of contextualization, we may need to accommodate ourselves to people’s frailty so long as it does not contradict biblical principles.
Luke’s description of fear being among the people as a result of the demonstration of power suggests that fear played an important role in bringing people to God in Ephesus (vv. 17–18). We have already looked at the place fear (resulting from the demonstration of God’s miraculous power) has in the gospel program.27 Here the focus is on fear in a background heavily influenced by the occult. Even today people go to magical or occult sources for guidance and help primarily because of fear of the unknown. They are held in the grip of satanic influence by fear, for they are afraid of displeasing these forces. That God is greater than these forces can be an important means to helping them shift their allegiance to God. As Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). Many reject the gospel because they fear to displease gods and other powers. Actually, they should be accepting the gospel out of fear of displeasing the supreme God. While this is not the heart of the gospel, it is an important element.
What do we make of the burning of the scrolls (v. 19)? This incident has been used throughout the centuries as a basis for burning books and destroying idols. Does it give us a precedent? The practice of burning books to repudiate their contents was common in Paul’s day.28 But this was more than that; it was also a case of destroying spells deemed to have magical power. A key to understanding what happened in Ephesus is remembering that people under bondage to occult forces needed to be delivered from their hold on them. This was a situation of power encounter; the same applies to people under the grip of the occult today.
The law as protector. Though the legal system was not influenced by Christianity in the first century, Luke shows that several times it protected Christians from unfair treatment. Shortly after this Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome about the positive contribution made by the state:
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. . . . Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. (Rom. 13:3–5)29
In Ephesus the fact that Paul was friendly with the Asiarchs (v. 31) may have helped him to get a fair trial. Luke’s emphasis of the place of the state and its response to Christianity shows us that we too should think of how the church relates to the state.
Contemporary Significance
THE PLACE OF truth in contextualized ministry. We hear many voices today downplaying the value of truth-centered evangelism. Such people, including many who class themselves as evangelicals, claim we live in an age when people no longer think in categories that value truth. In its place, they advocate a needs-based evangelism, which shows Jesus as the answer to felt needs. Sensitivity to needs was certainly a key to Paul’s evangelistic strategy (cf. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus and elsewhere). But basic to his gospel presentation was the primacy of its truth. This will always be so, for Christianity is a religion that claims to have God’s complete revelation to humanity. Those who downplay the truthfulness and content of the gospel have sadly betrayed its heart and have given in to syncretism.30
Ministering in occult-related situations. Millions of people both in the East and the West have been influenced by the occult world. Fear of evil spirits and of the unknown was the dominant emotion in Ephesus, as it is throughout the world today. The presence of an astrology page in many newspapers and magazines gives evidence of that. Moreover, many visit mediums, astrologers, and the like for guidance. Therefore the presentation of God as the all-powerful Supreme Being, higher than all the other forces that people are going to, is relevant.
The use of symbols, as we saw in use of handkerchiefs and aprons in Ephesus, may also have new significance in today’s world. Evangelicals have generally attributed a negative value to religious symbols. That probably springs from a history of opposition to what happened in Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, where symbols were often viewed as mediating salvation and became substitutes to faith. In the Bible, however, God gave a high place to symbols as means through which his message could be burned into the minds of people. We must, of course, be careful about focusing so much on the symbols that we miss the emphasis that God is the one who does the healing (cf. v. 11). That is, the symbols must not achieve a magical status. But today too we may use symbols to help people realize the victory that Christ has won for them over the forces of darkness.
Baptism by immersion may be a significant symbol to communicate God’s cleansing to a person who had repented from a life of great immorality. Physical objects pointing to a spiritual truth that can get easily obliterated may be used with caution in our ministries. I often have key verses, which I need to sustain me through a crisis, pasted on the wall of my room. People wear their wedding ring when they travel, and one among many reasons for this is to ward off the temptation to get too close to someone other than one’s spouse. Churches give the right hand of fellowship to new members to express their welcome to the family (Gal. 2:9). Leaders lay hands on and pray for people in special need.31 James recommends anointing the sick with oil when they are prayed over (James 5:14). These are all symbols to remind us of a deeper truth that can be forgotten or to proclaim a truth that people need to know.
It is also important that, just as there was open confession and the burning of paraphernalia related to the practice of magic, there should be an open repudiation of all occult connections by the converted person. This is because once we give Satan a foothold, he can continue to have an insidious hold on our lives. His influences must be decisively repudiated. Because occult paraphernalia were sources of security for an individual, these may not be as easy to renounce as it seems. A friend of mine in the university who accepted Christ soon realized that he had to throw away a charm that he had bought from a Buddhist monk for his protection. It had cost a lot of money and had at one time been a source of security. But when he decided that it had to be disposed of, he did not sell the charm or return it to the monk. Instead, he threw it into a field in a decisively symbolic act of repudiation.
The above discussion also suggests that what happened in Ephesus does not give us the license to ask all people publicly to burn religious books and break idols.32 In Ephesus the magicians did this of their own accord. Even though Paul held “that man-made gods are no gods at all” (v. 26), he did not require their destruction, or if he did, it was only with those who had accepted Christ. I have heard of Christians who have gone to non-Christian homes and, even before these people accepted Christ, asked them to destroy idols in their homes. The result has been severe unrest in the community and unnecessary animosity towards Christianity.
Paul’s strategy was to argue against idolatry so that people, realizing the futility of idols, would put them away themselves. If they were going to accept Christ, they had to reject idols and cease to depend on any other non-Christian religious practice. I usually do this with Buddhists and Hindus before they pray a prayer of commitment to Christ. I do not lead them into the step of commitment unless they are willing to forsake all other gods. This sometimes elicits opposition.
With people who have dabbled in the occult, there must always be some dramatic form of cleansing from the past. The burning of photographs of satanic groups, the destruction of charms, prayers for God’s cleansing of homes where occult practices have taken place, prayers for deliverance from all remaining vestiges of occult power for people who have backgrounds of occult involvement—these will all be necessary when ministering with today’s occult-ridden people. Recently I was asked to come and pray at a home that had some occult paraphernalia, into which a Christian friend of mine had just moved. We had a service where we asked for God’s protection upon the house and those who lived in it; then a colleague and I took the paraphernalia away with us and threw it into a garbage dump.
A sequence similar to what happened in Ephesus took place recently in Resistencia, Argentina, where over a three-year period the evangelical community grew about 500 percent. They had a series of evangelistic rallies at the end of these three years. And as part of these meetings a book-burning ceremony was held every evening. The leader, Ed Silvoso, explains what happened.
A 100-gallon drum was set up to the left of the platform to dispose of satanic paraphernalia. As people came forward, they dumped all kinds of occult-related items into it. Before praying for the people, gasoline was poured on the contents of the drum, a match was struck and every evil thing inside went up in flames.33
While the burning was taking place, some people experienced spontaneous deliverances. Christians in the West who think that this does not apply to them may be surprised to find out how many of those whom they are working with have a background in occult-related practices.
Acting wisely in connection with the state. The reaction of the state to Christianity was an important issue to Luke. We too should regard this with utmost seriousness. But how does this flesh itself out in daily life? Many of us know of situations where people make use of a special connection they have to influence unfairly the process of justice. Surely Luke is not advocating this. Rather, he seems to be implying that there are non-Christian judges who are reasonable and who abide by the law. In times of difficulty we can appeal to such for protection under the law. Such protection may be necessary for Christian activity to go on. Christians have done this throughout history to good effect. With certain repressive states, of course, such attempts may end in disaster. But that does not exempt Christians living in those states from thinking how best they can relate to the law of their land.
In recent years as opposition to evangelism has mounted in Sri Lanka, we have been grateful for a constitution that ensures the people’s right to practice and propagate the religion of their choice. In times of crisis we have appealed to that. The fact that some Christians know influential people in the government has also helped in enabling us to get the protection that is rightfully ours. But there are rumblings afoot now to change this constitution, which will result in the curtailment of freedom of religious practice and propagation. Some Christian leaders are therefore trying to prevent such changes, using every opportunity they have to influence our leaders. Some are writing articles and publishing them in secular forums, just as the early apologists did in defense of the Christian practice of evangelism. Some are meeting their friends in the government to lobby support for the cause. Some are alerting the world Christian community in the hope that others will speak up on behalf of Christians in Sri Lanka.
A few years ago the president of a Muslim country ordered the banning of a new Bible just a few days before its release. The protests and pleas of the Christians in that country were of no avail. This president visited the West around this time. On this trip a U.S. Senator told him that he was the first president in the history of the world to ban a Bible. The Pope also talked to him about this ban. As a result, he removed the ban as soon as he returned home!
Should we, then, go after friendships with influential people? Should we give time and energy to “hobnob with the big wigs”? This depends on one’s personal call. The influential people in a society also need Christ, and we should attempt to make friends with them so that we can witness to them. We must assume that Paul presented the gospel to the Asiarchs, just as he did to everyone he met. Some may be called to move in those circles in order to influence them to give the work of the gospel the protection it requires. Such should be supported by the Christian group that they are accountable to. This group can help them avoid breaking Christian principles as they move around with those who live on this high social plane.34
Like Joseph, Nehemiah, Esther, and Mordecai, we should use any esteem we have won with national leaders to represent the cause of God’s kingdom and to highlight the need for the protection of his people. While the church in Acts was possibly too young to produce politicians, the biblical attitude to society has a place for devout Christians to enter into the sphere of national life so as to influence it through kingdom principles.