Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

²⁸  When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

²⁹  The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

³⁰  And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.

…

³⁵  After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven?

³⁶  So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash.

³⁷  For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.

³⁸  So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another.

³⁹  But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly.

⁴⁰  For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.”

⁴¹  After saying this he dismissed the assembly.”

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There is a great contrast between this Scripture for today and yesterday’s Scripture. 

In yesterday’s Scripture, “God was performing extraordinary miracles”.  In today’s Scripture, God’s name is not even mentioned. 

In yesterday’s Scripture, the miracles were being done “by the hands of Paul” and Paul was honored.  In today’s Scripture, Paul was on the side lines, and there was not much mentioned about what he was doing.

In yesterday’s Scripture, “the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”  In today’s Scripture, there was much opposition to the word of the Lord, and the focus was on the words of a pagan town clerk. 

The lesson to be learned from today’s Scripture is that it is not unusual for mountain-top experiences to be followed by desert and disturbing experiences.  We need to remember those mountain-top experiences and draw strength from our memory of them, focus on God, and trust God.  To put it simply, we need to have faith.

Even though God seems to be quiet and behind the scenes, and all that we see is man and chaos, we need to remember that God is still sovereign, still active, and still in total control working all things for our good.

God can even use the pagan town clerks in our lives for His purpose.  God can get us through the deserts and disturbances of our lives without our leader being the key figure.  God wants us to trust Him, not solely rely on the “Pauls” of our lives.  “For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?  What then is Apollos?  And what is Paul?  Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”  1 Corinthians 3:4-7.  The Scripture for today (and the chapter of Acts 19) concludes with a description of the action of the pagan town clerk.  “After saying this he dismissed the assembly.”

“⁵  Thus says the LORD,
“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the LORD.
⁶  “For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.
⁷  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
And whose trust is the LORD.
⁸  “For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.”  Jeremiah 17:5-8.

 ⁸  And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

 ⁹  But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

 ¹⁰  This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”  Acts 19:1-10.

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Despite the opposition, or maybe because of the opposition, “all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks”.

Today’s Scripture helps us to remember that we should not think of our lives as a series of random encounters, some good and some bad.  We should remember:  “God is at work!”, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.

There is naturally a tendency to only be happy and satisfied when we have those good encounters when people are receptive to us like the disciples were receptive to Paul in verses 1 through 6.  But, we do have what we think are bad encounters.  Are they really bad encounters?

Almost immediately, after reading in verse 9 about that “bad” encounter where “some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people”, and Paul withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus, we read:  “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” 

Not only this Memorial Day, but every day, we should remember that we have a sovereign and active God Who is in control of everything and Who causes everything to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.    

²²  When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.

²³  And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”  Acts 18:18-23.

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1 Chronicles 29:12
“Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.”

 ¹⁵  but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves;  I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.”

 ¹⁶  And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

 ¹⁷  And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat.  But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.”  Acts 18:12-17.

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Sosthenes’ name appears only twice in Scripture.  It is here in verse 17, and it is in 1 Corinthians 1:1 :  “Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,”.

This limited view of Sosthenes seems to emphasize the importance of sharing sufferings.  We read nothing of any other great Christian exploits by Sosthenes other than this sharing of the suffering (other than maybe he was the leader of the Jewish synagogue but that fact does not speak as to his Christian character), and yet he is fondly singled out by Paul in the introduction to his letter to the Corinthians as “our brother”.

So, what does Scripture state about the importance of sharing sufferings?

2 Corinthians 1:7
“and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”

Colossians 1:24
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;  but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.  If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”  1 Peter 4:12-14. 

Thus, we see the following purposes of sharing sufferings.  There are other purposes such as “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” (whatever that means).  But, here is what I see and understand from the above verses.  First, in sharing sufferings, we become more deeply united with the Body of Christ.  Second, in sharing sufferings, “the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you”.  Third, in sharing sufferings, it comes upon us to test our faith and build our faith.

Who is adequate to sustain such sufferings?

But, there is hope!   

2 Corinthians 12:9
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

Hebrews 4:16
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

1 Peter 5:10
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

 ⁴  And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

 ⁵  But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

 ⁶  But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!  I am clean.  From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

 ⁷  Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue.

 ⁸  Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.

 ⁹  And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent;

 ¹⁰  for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”

 ¹¹  And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”  Acts 18:1-11.

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We may go through life, sometimes forgetting about God as we face seemingly random encounters with people, trials and tribulations.  Even Paul may have felt that way at moments.  This Scripture for today has that appearance.  Paul “found”  Aquila who recently came to Corinth from Rome.  Paul needs to work.  Paul teaches.  “But … they resisted and blasphemed”.  Paul “left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue”.  “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized.”  There is good news, and there is also bad news.  There are believers, but there are also unbelievers.  There is devotion to the word of God, but we may also need to work at times to pay our bills.  There is boldness, but there is also fear. 

I think there is a tendency as we go through life to feel that we need to focus on ourselves and what we should do, rather than focus on God and His presence in us and His work through us.  Like the Jews, we ask:  “…What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”  John 6:28. 

Like Paul, we may be afraid at times and need God’s comfort and assurance:  “Do not be afraid any longer … for I am with you”.

Like the Jews, we need to be reminded:  “…”This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:29.

There was a time about 15 years ago when I was beginning to write Christian devotions but also had financial troubles.  It didn’t seem fair to me that I experienced financial troubles, because I felt that I was doing good work for the Lord and yet I felt that the Lord was not supporting me.  I thought it would be good to write a Christian book, so I could be read by more people and also get some money.  But, no one wanted to publish my “book”.  

The Lord gave me similar comfort and assurance.  “Do not be afraid any longer … for I am with you”. 

I began to understand that rather than publish a book, the Lord wanted me to continue writing “Letters to Harry” and continue to get my livelihood through the practice of law.  Like Paul and you, God comforted me, helped me, and worked within me, and I “settled …teaching the word of God among them”.

We may live very humble lives.  We may feel that we only have random encounters with people.  We may struggle with different troubles.  We may need to work for money more than we think we should need to work for money.  Some may resist our teaching and even blaspheme.  Some will believe.  But, we should be reminded of God’s comfort and assurance:  “Do not be afraid any longer … for I am with you”.

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13.

 ³³  So Paul went out of their midst.

 ³⁴  But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”  Acts 17:30-34. 

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Although we refute by Scripture and the Reformed Creeds those false teachers who teach that they know the exact date that this judgment will occur, Christians do agree that this judgment will occur by confessing  The Apostles’ Creed:  “… the third day he rose again from the dead;  he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;  from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  …”  One of the ways that we prepare for the judgment day is provided in today’s Scripture.  “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent”. 

The Heidelberg Catechism interprets this phrase of The Apostle’s Creed to give comfort to Christians.

Question 52.  What comfort is it to thee that “Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead”?

Answer.  That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person, who before offered himself for my sake, to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as judge from heaven:  who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate  me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joys and glory.

Here is part of what The Belgic Confession states about this judgment day.

Article 37:  Of the Last Judgment.

Finally we believe, according to the Word of God, when the time appointed by the Lord (which is unknown to all creatures) is come, and the number of the elect complete, that our Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven, corporally and visibly, as he ascended, with great glory and majesty to declare himself judge of the quick and the dead;  burning this old world with fire and flame, to cleanse it.  And then all men will personally appear before this great judge, both men and women and children, that have been from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, being summoned by the voice of the archangel, and by the sound of the trumpet of God.  For all the dead shall be raised out of the earth, and their souls joined and united with their proper bodies, in which they formerly lived.  As for those who shall then be living, they shall not die as the others, but be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and from corruptible, become incorruptible.  Then the books (that is to say the consciences) shall be opened, and the dead judged according to what they shall have done in this world, whether it be good or evil.  Nay, all men shall give an account of every idle word they have spoken, which the world only counts amusement and jest:  and then the secrets and hypocrisy of men shall be disclosed and laid open before all.  And therefore the consideration of this judgment, is justly terrible and dreadful to the wicked and ungodly, but most desirable and comfortable to the righteous and elect:  because then their full deliverance shall be perfected, and there they shall receive the fruits of their labor and trouble which they have borne.  Their innocence shall be known to all, and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God shall execute on the wicked, who most cruelly persecuted, oppressed and tormented them in this world;  and who shall be convicted by the testimony of their own consciences, and being immortal, shall be tormented in that everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.  But on the contrary, the faithful and elect shall be crowned with glory and honor; and the Son of God will confess their names before God his Father, and his elect angels; all tears shall be wiped from their eyes; and their cause which is now condemned by many judges and magistrates, as heretical and impious, will then be known to be the cause of the Son of God.  And for a gracious reward, the Lord will cause them to possess such a glory, as never entered into the heart of man to conceive.  Therefore we expect that great day with a most ardent desire to the end that we may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  AMEN.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” – Revelation. 22:20.  (Emphasis added.)

Here is part of what The Westminister Larger Catechism states about this judgment day.

Question 56:  How is Christ to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world?

Answer: Christ is to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world, in that he, who was unjustly judged and condemned by wicked men, shall come again at the last day in great power, and in the full manifestation of his own glory, and of his Father’s, with all his holy angels, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, to judge the world in righteousness.

Question 88:  What shall immediately follow after the resurrection?

Answer:  Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men;  the day and hour whereof no man knows, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.  (Emphasis  added.)

Question 89:  What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?

Answer:  At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ’s left hand, and, upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favorable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels forever.

Question 90:  What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment?

Answer: At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on his right hand, and there openly acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven, where they shall be fully and forever freed from all sin and misery;  filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity.  And this is the perfect and full communion, which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory, at the resurrection and day of judgment.

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Revelation 3:3
” ‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent.  Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.”

In conclusion, Matthew 24:35-44 provides a fitting conclusion that there will be a judgment day, that we do not know the exact day when it will occur, but that we should be ready and prepare for that judgment day whenever it will occur.

“³⁵  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

 ³⁶  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

 ³⁷  “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.

 ³⁸  “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

 ³⁹  and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away;  so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

 ⁴⁰  “Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

 ⁴¹  “Two women will be grinding at the mill;  one will be taken and one will be left.

 ⁴²  “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

 ⁴³  “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

 ⁴⁴  “For this reason you also must be ready;  for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

 ²³  “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’  Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

 ²⁴  “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;

 ²⁵  nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;

 ²⁶  and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,

 ²⁷  that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

 ²⁸  for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

 ²⁹  “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.”  Acts 17:16 and 22-29.

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“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.  You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”  Exodus 20:4-6.  (One of the Ten Commandments). 

We may rationalize:  “But, my image glorifies God!” or “This picture displays a Biblical truth.”  No!  It is still forbidden!  No matter how innocent the painting, sculpture, or other art may seem to be, it is a forbidden idol if it is intended to be an image of God.

We can speculate as to reasons why such images are forbidden.  Here are two possible reasons;  there may be other reasons or more reasons.  First, people tend to worship such images.  Worship of images can be curtailed by the elimination of the images.  Second, such images are incomplete and distorted images of God.  God wants our understanding of Him and His nature formed by Scripture, not be random arts or thoughts of man.  In any event, regardless of the validity of these reasons or the total number of reasons. such images of God are forbidden. 

And, forbidden idols are not limited to the arts.  Verse 29 shows that we can make for ourselves idols formed by the thoughts of our mind.  We can form an image of God in our own mind based on our own desires of what we want God to be like. 

We should not think that only these Athenians and a few other primitive people are subject to this temptation. 

How many of us kept, even for a little while during our lives, a picture of a smiling long-haired handsome young man embracing children or a picture of a hopeful pleading man knocking on a door or a picture of a profile of a man with hands folded in solemn prayer, images of Jesus?  We see these images in emails;  do we forward them?  We even see these pictures in churches, do we complain about them or do we tolerate them? 

How many of us formed our own thoughts of who we want God to be like?  We may want a “God” who only loves, not punishes sin.  We may want a “God” who loves everyone.  Rather than let Scriptures determine our understanding and beliefs of God, we allow our desires and mind to form our own image of God. 

But, there is hope!

“¹²  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

 ¹³  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;  but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

 ¹⁴  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”  1 Corinthians 10:12-14.

In conclusion, delight in Scripture.  Meditate on Scripture.  Also regularly read the Reformed creeds, so that your understanding of Scripture will stay in line with sound doctrine.  Let Scriptures form your understanding and beliefs of God.  Sola Scriptura!