Sketches From The Life of Paul
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 13: Paul at Ephesus.
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Many a sincere follower of Christ has had a
similar experience. A clearer understanding of
God's will, places man in a new relation to him.
New duties are revealed. Much which before
appeared innocent, or even praiseworthy, is now
seen to be sinful. The apostle Paul states that
though he had, as he supposed, rendered obedience
to the law of God, yet when the commandment
was urged upon his conscience by the Holy
Spirit, "sin revived, and I died." He saw [p. 133] himself a sinner, and conscience concurred with the
sentence of the law.
There are many at the present day who have
unwittingly violated one of the precepts of God's
law. When the understanding is enlightened,
and the claims of the fourth commandment are
urged upon the conscience, they see themselves
sinners in the sight of God. "Sin is the
transgression of the law," and "he that shall offend
in one point is guilty of all."
The honest seeker after truth will not plead
ignorance of the law as an excuse for transgression.
Light was within his reach. God's word
is plain, and Christ has bidden him search the
Scriptures. He reveres God's law as holy, just,
and good, and he repents of his transgression.
By faith he pleads the atoning blood of Christ,
and grasps the promise of pardon. His former
baptism does not satisfy him now. He has seen
himself a sinner, condemned by the law of God.
He has experienced anew a death to sin, and he
desires again to be buried with Christ by baptism,
that he may rise to walk in newness of life.
Such a course is in harmony with the example
of Paul in baptizing the Jewish converts. That
incident was recorded by the Holy Spirit as an
instructive lesson for the church.
As was his custom, Paul had begun his work
at Ephesus by teaching in the synagogue of the
Jews. He continued to labor there for three
months, "disputing and persuading the things
concerning the kingdom of God." He at first
met with a favorable reception; but as in other
fields of labor, he was soon violently opposed by
the unbelieving Jews. As they persisted in their
rejection of the gospel, the apostle ceased
preaching in the synagogue. [p. 134]
The Spirit of God had wrought with and
through Paul in his labors for his countrymen.
Sufficient evidence had been presented to convince
all who honestly desired to know the truth. But
many permitted themselves to be controlled by
prejudice and unbelief, and refused to yield to
the most conclusive evidence. Fearing that the
faith of the believers would be endangered by
continued association with these opposers of the
truth, Paul separated the disciples as a distinct
body, and himself continued his public instructions
in the school of one Tyrannus, a teacher of
some note.
Paul saw that "a great door and effectual" was
open before him, though there were "many
adversaries." Ephesus was not only the most
magnificent, but the most corrupt, of the cities
of Asia. Superstition and sensual pleasure held
sway over her teeming population. Under the
shadow of her idol temples, criminals of every
grade found shelter, and the most degrading
vices flourished.
The city was famed for the worship of the
goddess Diana and the practice of magic. Here
was the great temple of Diana, which was
regarded by the ancients as one of the wonders of
the world. Its vast extent and surpassing
magnificence made it the pride, not only of the city,
but of the nation. Kings and princes had
enriched it by their donations. The Ephesians vied
with one another in adding to its splendor, and
it was made the treasure-house for a large share
of the wealth of Western Asia.
The idol enshrined in this sumptuous edifice
was a rude, uncouth image, declared by tradition
to have fallen from the sky. Upon it were [p. 135] inscribed mystic characters and symbols, which
were believed to possess great power. When
pronounced, they were said to accomplish wonders.
When written, they were treasured as a
potent charm to guard their possessor from robbers,
from disease, and even from death. Numerous
and costly books were written by the
Ephesians to explain the meaning and use of
these symbols.
As Paul was brought in direct contact with
the idolatrous inhabitants of Ephesus, the power
of God was strikingly displayed through him.
The apostles were not always able to work
miracles at will. The Lord granted his servants
this special power as the progress of his cause or
the honor of his name required. Like Moses and
Aaron at the court of Pharaoh, the apostle had
now to maintain the truth against the lying
wonders of the magicians; hence the miracles
he wrought were of a different character from
those which he had heretofore performed. As
the hem of Christ's garment had communicated
healing power to her who sought relief by the
touch of faith, so on this occasion, garments
were made the means of cure to all that believed;
"diseases departed from them, and evil spirits
went out of them." Yet these miracles gave no
encouragement to blind superstition. When
Jesus felt the touch of the suffering woman, he
exclaimed, "Virtue is gone out of me." So the
scripture declares that the Lord wrought
miracles by the hand of Paul, and that the name of
the Lord Jesus was magnified, and not the name
of Paul.
The manifestations of supernatural power
which accompanied the apostle's work, were [p. 136] calculated to make a deep impression upon a people
given to sorcery, and priding themselves upon
their intercourse with invisible beings. The
miracles of Paul were far more potent than had
ever before been witnessed in Ephesus, and were
of such a character that they could not be
imitated by the skill of the juggler or the
enchantments of the sorcerer. Thus the Lord exalted
his servant, even in the estimation of the
idolaters themselves, immeasurably above the most
favored and powerful of the magicians.
But He to whom all the spirits of evil were
subject, and who had given his servants authority
over them, was about to bring still greater shame
and defeat upon those who despised and profaned
his holy name. Sorcery had been prohibited
in the Mosaic law, on pain of death, yet
from time to time it had been secretly practiced
by apostate Jews. At the time of Paul's visit to
Ephesus, there were in the city certain Jewish
exorcists, who, seeing the wonders wrought by
him, claimed to possess equal power. Believing
that the name of Jesus acted as a charm, they
determined to cast out evil spirits by the same
means which the apostle had employed.
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