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THE KING’S BUSINESS
The Riot at Ephesus AUGUST 20, 1916. LESSON VIII. Acts. 19:29-41. (Read 23-41. Commit vs. 29, 30). G olden T e xt : “ For the love o f money is the root o f all evil.”—1 Tim. 6:10.
DA ILY BIBLE READINGS Mon., Aug. 14—Acts 19:23-31. (Th e Lesson). Tues., Aug. 15—Acts 19:32-41. (The Lesson). Wed., Aug. 16—Acts 5:1-11.
Thurs., Aug. 17—Matt. 26:6-16. Fri., A.ug. ,18—Joshua 7 :16-25. Sat., Äug. 19—2 Kings 5 :20-27. Sun., Aug. 20—Mark 8:31-38.
EXPOSIT ION AND PRACTICAL APPL ICAT IONS
is getting hot and the truth is really doing its work. In the case before us, as- in many another case, the stir came because the new religion affected business (vs. 25-27). True reforms and real revivals inevitably affect business. There a!re many who think that reforms and revivals are all right if they do not hurt business, but- if they do, o f course “ business is ' business,” and if the reform or revival hurts business, then it must go. “ The love o f money”—what a pro lific mother o f evils it is (cf. 1 Tim. 6:9, 10 R. V .). It is not, as our Authorized Version makes it say in the Golden. Text, “ the foot o f all evil,” but it is, as the Revised Version more correctly translates, “a root o f all kinds o f evil,” and those who “desire to be rich,” (not only those who are rich, but all who desire to be. A man may be very poor and yet desire to be rich) “ fall into a temptation and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in. destruction and perdi tion.” What kind o f evil is there that has not at some time arisen from the love o f money? Paul had said that “they be no gods, which are made with hands,” and he told the exact truth in saying so, and Deme trius did not undertake to prove that Paul was not right when he said it, but Deme trius was in the business o f manufacturing and selling gods, and if men believed Paul’s statement, o f course his business would be destroyed, and so he simply pointed out
v. 29. “And the whole ( omit, whole) city was filled with ( add, the) confusion, and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre (: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seised Gaius and Aristarchus, men o f Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel).” Paul had had a time o f wonderful blessing and marvelous results in Ephesus (vs. 10-12, 18-20), but Paul was not to have success without oppo sition. It was necessary that he have test ing as well as triumph before he leaves. It might seem, to us as if it would have been better for Paul to leave in the full blaze o f his success, but God looks at these things entirely differently from what we do. When the gospel is preached in its fulness it is sure to create a stir sooner or later and to awaken bitter opposition. Often times men do not realize all its bearings and all its demands at once, so they receive it quite calmly and even favorably, but sooner or later some Demetrius will wake up to the fact that the gospel*'touches his business and hurts his business, and then there is sure to be trouble. When the truth o f God is faithfully and fully preached in any community, whether at home or abroad, it is sure to stir the community up, and it is not necessarily a bad sign at all when things begin to boil in a city, village or church, it may simply indicate that the fire
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