June 14

About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. — Acts 19:23 BSB

Wherever the gospel goes, it stirs up opposition. Especially when it threatens people's livelihoods, it triggers their worst behavior.

In Ephesus, it was the silversmiths' business that was at risk. Demetrius’ speech shows that Paul’s preaching was hitting the mark. Some preaching doesn’t challenge sin or alarm sinners, but Paul's did. He denounced idols, saying they weren’t real gods. This frightened the silversmiths because their main business was making shrines for the goddess Diana.

A good way to test a revival is to see if it confronts the sins of a community and leads people to turn away from them.

That day in Ephesus, the town clerk turned out to be the voice of reason. Though he was a loyal believer in Diana, he was wise enough to see that harming the missionaries would only bring trouble. The preachers hadn’t attacked their goddess—they had only preached their own faith.