Not a God made with human hands

Gods made with our hands…

Why is idol worship such a powerful temptation? Ultimately, the answer to this question is “sin.”

It is the sin nature of man that causes us to worship modern idols, all of which are, in reality, are forms of self-worship.

The temptation to worship ourselves in various ways is a powerful temptation indeed. In fact, it is so powerful that only those who belong to Christ and have the Holy Spirit within them can possibly hope to resist the temptation of idolatry.

Even then, resisting the worship of idols is a lifelong battle in the Christian life.

, “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God.”

, The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

When we hear the word idol, we often think of statues and objects reminiscent of those worshipped by pagans in ancient cultures. However, the idols of the 21st century often bear no resemblance to the artifacts used thousands of years ago.

Today, many have replaced the “golden calf” with a gold American Express card, or our insatiable drive for money or prestige or "success" in the eyes of the world. Some pursue the high regard of others as their ultimate goal. Some seek after comfort or a myriad of other passionate, yet empty, pursuits. These are our modern- day idols!

In the end, however, it doesn’t matter what empty pleasure we chase after or what idol or which false god we bow down to; the result is the same—separation from the one true and living God.

Understanding our lust for contemporary idols can help us to understand why they prove to be such a powerful temptation. An idol is anything we place ahead of God in our lives, anything that takes God’s place in our hearts! Such as possessions, careers, relationships, hobbies, sports, entertainment, goals, greed, addictions to alcohol/drugs/gambling/pornography, etc.

Some of the things we idolize are clearly sinful. But many of the things we idolize can be very good, such as relationships or careers. Yet Scripture tells us that, whatever we do, we are to “do it all for the glory of God” () and that we are to serve God only (; ). Unfortunately, God is often shoved out of the way as we zealously pursue our idols. Worse yet, the significant amount of time we often spend in these idolatrous pursuits leaves us with little or no time to spend with the Lord. We sometimes also turn to idols seeking solace from the hardships of life and the turmoil present in our world. Addictive behaviors such as drug or alcohol use, or even something like excessive television viewing, may be used as a means of temporarily “escaping” a difficult situation or the rigors of daily life.

The psalmist, however, tells us that those who place their trust in this behavior will, essentially, become spiritually useless (). We need to place our trust in the Lord “who will keep [us] from all harm” () and who has promised to supply all of our needs when we trust in Him. We also need to remember the words of Paul, who teaches us not to be anxious about anything, but rather to pray about everything so the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds (). There is another form of idolatry prevalent today. Its growth is fostered by cultures that continue to drift away from sound biblical teaching, just as the apostle Paul warned us, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine”

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This is the idolatry of the ears, those itching ears that long to be scratched by the hearing of self-esteem messages, prosperity messages, messages that make easy believers and not blood brought believers.

In these pluralistic, liberal times, that we live in many cultures have, to a large degree, redefined God. We have forsaken the God revealed to us in Scripture and have recast Him to comply with our own inclinations and desires—a “kinder and gentler” god. This kinder and gentler god is infinitely more tolerant than the One revealed in Scripture. He is less demanding and less judgmental and who will tolerate many lifestyles without placing guilt on anyone’s shoulders.

We find ourselves right now in the middle of a month set aside to honor a pervert lifestyle choice, my friends this is idolatry. The same sex lifestyle places their preferences over God’s principles, don’t get it twisted!

Around the world many congregants believe they are worshipping the one, true God. However, when we create our own gods built upon our preferences over God’s principles we are worshipping idols. Worshipping a god of one’s own making is particularly tempting for many whose habits and lifestyles and whose drives and desires are not in harmony with Scripture.

But as true believers we do no worship a God made with human hands. But a God who provides for our needs through His hands, a God who purposely exposes false gods and a God that patiently requires disputes to be handed justly. Let us pray…

(1) Our God is not made with human hands, but He provides us our needs through His hands.

Though Paul does not appear in this passage until vv. 30–31, Luke is giving his final illustration of the impact that Paul’s ministry had in Asia. Even when Paul is not on the scene, the impact of His teaching is clearly seen.

In this passage the text shows us unprecedented opposition and it undoubtedly prepares us for the events to come later in Jerusalem (21:27–40). This is by far the longest narrative in the Ephesian section, showing its importance. The disturbance described here is about ‘the Way’, which is Christianity, but Paul is unquestionably the main source of contention and confrontation. Even though Demetrius does not make his case before the city officials, his role is similar to that of Paul’s accusers in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth.

Angry protests against Paul and his travel companions follow the claim that his preaching has had a profound economic and religious effect ‘on practically the whole province of Asia’.

21a After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. It was God who had ‘resolved in Paul’s Spirit to travel there.

There is a parallel statement in , And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Here is where Paul speaks about being ‘compelled by the Spirit’ to go to Jerusalem, indicating that he was driven by more than a human resolution but directed by God’s Holy Spirit. Here we see the same passion God placed on his heart at the beginning of Paul’s first missionary journey. When the Spirit of God directed him to Troas, where a vision revealed the need for him to go to Macedonia. Here also is an echo of the Gospel narratives in which Jesus is shown to be under a divine necessity to go to Jerusalem to suffer. , saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

Luke mentions nothing of the troubled situation in Corinth, which necessitated a further visit from Paul; he simply says that he wanted him to travel through Macedonia and Achaia.

, ‘I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’ Listen to me; if you do not have adversaries, then you are not advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul later changed his mind, planning to visit Corinth, then Macedonia, and then Corinth again. This pattern of revisiting churches founded on a previous missionary campaign was already well established, but a journey to Rome implied the beginning of a totally new sphere of ministry. The last decision is presented in a solemn fashion. 21b ‘After I have been there,’ he said, ‘I must also see Rome’, suggesting that there was a divine necessity about visiting Rome as well.

This current visit is the climax of the narrative of Acts, even though Paul arrives in an unexpected way! The purpose of a final visit to Jerusalem is not explained, though we know from Paul’s letters that it involved the presentation of financial gifts from the Gentile churches for the relief of poor Christians in Jerusalem Acts mentions this collection only in passing.

, ‘Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.’

Even though it was personally and theologically so important to Paul himself. Luke mentions it only in passing. Going back to the text. 22 ‘And having sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. Once again we are reminded that the Pauline mission was a team effort. Priscilla and Aquila played a special role in Corinth and Ephesus, and Gaius and Aristarchus are soon to be mentioned as travelling companions from Macedonia, who were arrested in Ephesus. Timothy and Erastus are described as two of his helpers who served him. These personal assistants had important pastoral and practical responsibilities.

Paul gathered such associates as he travelled, and used their gifts to enrich the church in other places. These colleagues acted with a measure of independence, standing in for Paul in some contexts, so that, ‘for all his heroic stature in Acts, Paul does not stand alone’. But when Paul choses people to stand in for him, he always choses people who have the same heart as him and the same passion for Jesus and the gospel. They are never teaching anything different from what Paul taught, they are not using the time Paul has allowed them to minister to seek their own agenda. They are always on the same page, submitting to Paul’s leadership, understanding, there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Our text countiunes…

23 About that time…—when Paul was already making plans for the next stage of his missionary work—there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. This phrase “the Way” speaks to the fact that true Christianity itself was the cause of this large disturbance. Though it also hones in on the fact that Paul as the one who was chiefly responsible for bringing this new teaching to Asia and was clearly the target of their anger. The Way re-emerges here as a term used to describe the distinctive beliefs and practices of Christians Its appearance twice in this context suggests that Christians in Ephesus were being clearly identified as ‘constituting a socially cohesive movement, a movement arising out of and grounded in their shared faith in Jesus’.

We as Christian right now are called to be part of a movement, in fact leading a movement in this culture; leading them to the culture of Christ. When we are answering the call to serve Christ we will also have to deal with opposition. Paul’s main opponent is now introduced as a silversmith named Demetrius. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. It was the making of religious items in Ephesus that enabled the silver trade to flourish. Demetrius had a number of skilled workers either in his employ or under contract to produce such things.

The term silversmith is found in a number of inscriptions in Ephesus. ‘Shrines which were miniature replicas of the temple, or the part of the temple where the deity stood, were a common part of pagan cults.’ Although Ephesus was the home of many cults, the most prominent and powerful deity for the Ephesians was Artemis (Lat. Diana). It was said that the goddess received her name because she made people safe and sound. This mythical daughter of Zeus was associated with health and help of various kinds and was worshipped because of ‘her lordship over supernatural powers’. ‘She was a virgin who helped women in childbirth, a huntress armed with a bow, the goddess of death.’ Paul’s opponents in Thessalonica and Corinth were Jews, but in Philippi and Ephesus they were Gentiles and their idols. Luke progressively illustrates how the gospel was perceived as a threat to religious beliefs and practices throughout the Roman world, and also to the social and economic life of the people.

Seeking wider support for his challenge to Paul, Demetrius called together the skilled workers, who were effectively ‘the guild of the silversmiths’, along with the workers in related trades (‘workers of the same trade’. He first addressed the financial implications of the spread of Christianity for this guild, saying, , These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.” Anything threatening the cult of Artemis would therefore threaten their pockets and their livelihood.

(2) Our God is not made with human hands, but He purposely exposes false gods.

, ‘And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.’

By pure persuasion, Paul had moved people all over the province to change from idolatry to infatuation and adulation for Christ. Look at , ‘This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.’

You see the spreading of the gospel happens when others take ownership of the gospel message as well and its power is multiplied. Demetrius had rightly perceived that, at least in part, this was because of Paul’s teaching concerning the fact 26b ‘saying that gods made with hands are not gods.’ Jews and a variety of pagan critics in the ancient world were arguing similarly, but the Christian case against idolatry had been clearly heard and widely acted upon. This was presumably because of the framework of judgment and salvation in which it was presented. Demetrius’s grievance was then presented as a loss of honor in an ascending hierarchy of values. First he warned that the manufacturing of miniature shrines of Artemis might lose its good name. 27a And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute… Secondly, he highlighted the possibility that also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing. Finally, he predicted that the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty and would be cast down from her greatness’). The temple of Artemis was a great tourist attraction to ancient travellers as well as to the Ephesians themselves, and pilgrims must have contributed greatly to the prosperity of the city. Much was at stake for the silversmiths and for the tourist trade as well of Ephesus. ‘There was no other Greco-Roman capital in the Empire whose “body, soul and spirit” could so belong to a particular deity as did Ephesus to her patron goddess Artemis.’ Consequently, any threat to the cult of Artemis and her temple would naturally have provoked a strong response. Christianity had the potential to change the culture of the city, but would it succeed?

Such a combination of issues, such a crisis in cash flow climaxed in a call for loyalty to the goddess, and provoked a furious reaction ‘full of anger.’

The tradespeople gathered together by Demetrius were moved to cry, 28’ When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” There was a special bond between Artemis and the Ephesians. She was called the founder and guide of the city, and her name and image were found on coins and official documents. Moreover, she was regarded as protector of the city’s fortifications and general welfare. The chanting of the slogan ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians’ soon brought the whole city into an uproar. 29 ‘So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel.’ The seating capacity of this open-air arena was at least 25,000. Here civic festivals and plays were held in this imposing environment, the tri-monthly meeting of the civic assembly took place there, and it was a natural place for impromptu gatherings. But here in verse 30 something unusual happens.

30a But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd…Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, scripture time and time again as shown us that it was not Paul’s practice to avoid the dangers to which other Christians were exposed. However, on this occasion look at the text, 30b the disciples would not let him. Why pastor? The disciples would not let him go in because; they counted Paul’s life as too valuable to be risked in this way. Remarkably, however, we see this emphasized in verse 31.

31 And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.

There has been much debate about the authenticity and significance of this reference. It was thought that there was no evidence for the existence of Asiarchs before the end of the first century ad, yet recently discovered inscriptions challenge that view. ‘Asiarch’ was the title of an office with a fixed term. ‘The duties of an asiarch fell within the sphere of civic administration, not provincial affairs.’ They were chosen from among the wealthy and aristocratic inhabitants of the province. Paul having such friends in high places further validated his rising reputation in the region’, revealing yet another level of society impacted by his ministry. Even if none of the Asiarchs were yet Christians, they were so concerned for his welfare that they begged not to venture into the theatre in fear for his life.

Now returning to the text, Luke teaches us that…

32 Now some cried out one thing and some another. For the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

This mention of confusion suggests that ‘these proceedings could hardly be taken seriously’. Indeed, most of the people did not even know why they were there. The word assembly (ekklēsia) is used informally here and in v. 40, with reference to the gathering of those opposed to Paul and his message However, in v. 39 the city clerk speaks of the regular, properly constituted assembly of the city, which met at least once per month. Elsewhere in Acts, this word is used to describe ‘the assembly’ of the Israelites in the wilderness (7:38) and ‘the church’ in a particular place. In most of the NT, ekklesia speaks of the church. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward...

There is no real reason for identifying this Alexander with any other mentioned in the NT. Perhaps the Jews intended that their representative should make clear the difference between himself and the Christians. Jews were known to be opposed to idolatry and were unpopular in the Roman Empire. It is understandable that they would want to avoid being caught up in this mob reaction to Paul and his colleagues.

33b And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd, implying that the Jews were also under attack, but he was not heeded. 34a, But when they recognized that he was a Jew...

At this point, Jews and Christians found themselves facing the same irrational and angry opposition, both being attacked (cf. 18:17 note). 34b ... for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.”

(3) Our God is not made with human hands, but He patiently requires disputes to be handled justly.

The text tells us in 35 And then the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and the sacred stone that fell from the sky.

Well pastor who was the city clerk? The city clerk was ‘one of the highest local officials in Ephesus, who could exercise great influence in the affairs of the city.

He quieted the crowd by first suggesting the impossibility of undermining the worship of Artemis. ‘People of Ephesus’, he said, ‘doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the temple keeper of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from the sky?’ Pagan and Jewish writers to refer to those responsible for the administration of a temple and its sacrifices used the term temple keeper. When Ephesus applied this term to itself, it was ‘affirming its divine appointment as the keeper and protector of the religion and cult of the goddess Artemis, and as the recipient of the privileges and blessings which go with that office. But I want to go back for a moment to what the city clerk stated in verse 35.

This cult’s ability to inspire the affection and loyalty of the citizens was clearly important to this city official. There was affection as well as for her image, which fell from the sky.

The phrase “the sacred stone” was used to describe objects such as meteorites, which had ‘fallen from the sky’ and were honored in a number of cults because it was thought that they had come from the gods. Ephesus was especially blessed by the presence of a heaven-sent image that was identified with Artemis. This phrase found in other translations reads ‘fallen from heaven’ was deliberately used to answer Paul’s charge that ‘gods made by human hands are no gods at all’. The Ephesians wanted to claim that their worship of this god was not a god made by human hands! The city clerk asserted that these claims about the city and its heaven-sent image were ‘undeniable’ and ‘not to be contradicted. So from the clerk’s perspective there was every reason to ‘calm down and not do anything rash’. In effect, the clerk was saying that nothing should disturb the self-confidence of a city dedicated by divine visitation to the worship of Artemis.

With respect to Gaius, Aristarchus, and also Alexander, the city clerk then argued, ‘For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess.’ This word ‘sacrilegious involved the real crime involved in robbing a temple. And there was no evidence presented that these men were guilty of sacrilege or any blasphemies or overt disrespect to the goddess. However, the city clerk was clearly putting the best face possible on the matter to restrain the crowd, many of whom may have disagreed with his argument. Look at what he then proposed that, 38a‘If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against... anyone (‘a case against anyone’, implying a private suit against an individual), 38b ...the courts are open and there are proconsuls’. Charges could be brought only in the proper legal context, not in the disturbed and unjust environment of a public meeting.

The city clerk then indicated to Demetrius and his supporters that there might be ‘something further’ which needed to be brought up, possibly meaning ‘something more than a private lawsuit’. Any such matter 39 ‘But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly’. This present meeting was not the place of the platform for this action. In effect, ‘the town clerk simply asks Demetrius to put off the question for a few days and come again and handled this the proper way. Basically he is saying, take your complaint to the judge for righteous and do not riot.

40 ‘For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.’ We could rightly be charged ourselves with rioting and in that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it’.

There is a play on words in the opening part of this verse. Demetrius claimed that his business and the worship of Artemis were in danger (v. 27, kindyneuei) because of Paul’s teaching.

But the city clerk claimed that the real danger (v. 40, kindyneuomen) was the possibility of being charged with rioting, based on the events of the day. Rioting in support of their religion was provocative and potentially self-destructive.

We know of two occasions in the first century ad when the Roman authorities questioned practices connected with the temple of Artemis. Against that background, it is easy to see why the city clerk would not want the cult of Artemis to come again to the notice of the proconsul. The clerk as ‘the principal liaison officer between the civic administration and the Roman government of the province’, would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it. These men have not done anything for which we can plead that there is just cause’ for punishment to be inflicted by the proconsul.

A city charged with riotous behavior ‘could lose the respect of Roman officials, guilds which caused trouble could be disbanded, city officials could be punished, and a city could even lose its freedom’.

41 And when he had said these things he dismissed the assembly. Demetrius and the silversmiths could hardly have been satisfied with the city clerk’s arguments and the outcome of the meeting. ‘From their perspective, by diminishing their market of miniature temples of Artemis and denouncing idol worship, Paul was a kind of temple robber and blasphemer of the great Asian goddess. Although the narrative comes to an end, it leaves the door open for the affronted artisans to take their case before the proconsuls in the “open courts”, as the town scribe suggests.

At one level, ‘the story suggests that the assembly of believers ought to be left alone and allowed to conduct its own affairs. That seemingly small request was an extraordinary privilege in the Roman world, one that had set the Jews apart from other groups’. However, at another level, the narrative leaves the impression that the opposition of Demetrius and his co-workers has not been satisfactorily dealt with and must arise again to trouble Christians and hinder their witness to Christ.

So pastor what do we see here? We see that the potential and the power of the gospel to transform the life and culture of a city and its surrounding region. Paul’s three-year ministry of teaching the word of the Lord in Ephesus touched people at every level of society and began to transform the religious practices and lifestyle of many.

Yet, where there is transformation, there will also be trial and tribulation asides from those who opposed the gospel.

, Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

The self-interest of religious, social, and economic groups may be so intense that the lives of Christians may be threatened. Spiritual opposition may manifest itself in a variety of ways, but the name of Jesus is powerful to overcome even demonic forces and to allow the gospel to prevail. In many cultures today, those who profess to be believers hold on to animistic or magical beliefs and practices. In some situations, this syncretism or folk religion is overlooked or disregarded by church leaders. However, as in ancient Ephesus, there can be no spiritual advance or growth of the church unless such ties are broken and supernatural forces of evil are renounced.

We must remember that the things of this world will never fully satisfy the human heart. They were never meant to. The sinful things deceive us and ultimately lead only to death. The good things of this world are gifts from God, to be enjoyed with a thankful heart, in submission to Him and for His glory. But when the gift replaces the Giver or the created replaces the Creator in our lives, we have fallen into idolatry. And no idol can infuse our lives with meaning or worth or give us eternal hope. As Solomon beautifully conveys in the book of Ecclesiastes, apart from a right relationship with God, life is futile. We were created in God’s image () and designed to worship and glorify Him as He alone is worthy of our worship.

God has placed “eternity in man’s heart” (), and a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to fulfill this longing for eternal life. All of our idolatrous pursuits will leave us empty, unsatisfied, and, ultimately, on the broad road that most people take, the one that leads to destruction.