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Acts to Revelation | Episode 11

Drive Thru History: Acts to Revelation

June 20, 2018

27:32

Drive Thru History: Acts to Revelation

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Acts to Revelation | Episode 11

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Dave Stotts: In our last few episodes we traveled with Paul
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and his team through present-day Greece, visiting ancient sites
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such as Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea,
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Athens, and Corinth.
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At the end of this second missionary journey,
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Paul returned to the church at Syrian Antioch.
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According to Acts chapter 17 he spent considerable time there,
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waiting for his next mission.
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What was next for this courageous leader
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in the growing Christian church?
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Dave: The year was about 52 AD when Paul left the church
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here in Syrian Antioch for his third missionary journey.
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He again traveled west through places we visited in prior
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episodes, Tarsus, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch.
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According to the 18th chapter of Acts, Paul visited churches
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and friends throughout the regions of Galatia and Phrygia,
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strengthening the disciples as he went.
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Ultimately, he arrived at the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
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in the incredible city of Ephesus.
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Ephesus was established as a Greek colony
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in the 10th century BC.
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The city came under control of the Romans in 133 BC
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and was made the capital of Asia province
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by Emperor Augustus in 27 BC.
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By the time Paul arrived, Ephesus had a population
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of about 200.000.
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It was considered one of the greatest cities in the Roman
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empire, eclipsed only by Rome and Alexandria.
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Dave: Located at the mouth of the Cayster River and the
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Mediterranean coast, Ephesus was a center of commerce and trade,
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with roads radiating out to towns near and far.
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Because of its strategic position as a premier port,
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Ephesus would rise to become one of the most wealthy
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and influential cities in the Roman empire.
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But the city's harbor which used to be at the end of this road is
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now completely filled with silt and the Mediterranean coast
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is about 6 miles away.
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Paul returned to Ephesus, walking up this very road,
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probably in late 52 AD and made Ephesus his temporary home
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under the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius.
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Now, during this roughly 30-year traveling ministry,
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Ephesus was one of the places Paul stayed the longest.
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According to historian Josephus, a substantial community of Jews
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resided in Ephesus and had probably been here since as
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early as the 3rd century BC.
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As was his typical practice, Paul went to the synagogue
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to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ.
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Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three
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months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
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But some of them became obstinate.
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They refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.
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So Paul left them.
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He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily
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in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
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This went on for two years so that all the Jews and the Greeks
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who lived in the province of Asia heard the Word of the Lord,
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Acts 19:8 through 10.
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According to Luke, Paul taught at the school of Tyrannus here
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in Ephesus for two years.
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The New Testament doesn't elaborate on this Tyrannus
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fellow but it was probably the name of the man
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who owned the school.
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As for the location of the school of Tyrannus,
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the most likely candidate is this building,
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right next to the famous Library of Celsus.
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Now, this structure was designated as a lecture hall or
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an auditorium by a 3rd century inscription that was discovered.
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And although many scholars believe that this was used as a
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court room during the time of Paul, many others believe that
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this was where Paul spent two years of his life teaching.
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Right next door, is the Library of Celsus.
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Although this was built a few decades after the events in the
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New Testament, it's still an incredible place to visit.
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The Library of Celsus was built in the late 2nd century AD
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by Julius Aquila in honor of his father, Celsus,
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who was a Roman senator and governor of Asia province.
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The library was built to house 12.000 scrolls and to serve
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as a ceremonial tomb for Celsus who was buried in a crypt
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below the library.
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In its heyday, the Library of Celsus was considered the third
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largest in the ancient world, behind Alexandria in Egypt and
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Pergamon which is just up the road from me, about 80 miles.
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Dave: Here's an artist's rendering of what the library
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looked like back in the 2nd century.
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As at Athens and Corinth, Paul continued to work
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as a tentmaker in Ephesus,
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earning money so that he could carry on his ministry.
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Prior to teaching at the school of Tyrannus in the afternoon,
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he would have worked at the commercial agora in the morning,
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interacting with customers on their way to
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and from other parts of the city.
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In Ephesus there was both a state agora and this large
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commercial agora, which measured 360 feet by 360 feet
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and was located near the city's huge theater complex.
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In this Hellenistic city of paganism and mysticism,
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Paul encountered many who practiced magic and attempted
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to control demons.
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According to Acts chapter 19, one of them was a Jew named
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Sceva who called himself a high priest.
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He had seven sons, some sort of apprentices,
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who also used magic and dabbled in the occult.
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Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried
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to evoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those
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who were demon-possessed.
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They would say, "In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches,
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I command you to come out."
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Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
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One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know
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and Paul I know about but who are you?"
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Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them
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and overpowered them all.
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He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked
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and bleeding.
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When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in
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Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the
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Lord Jesus was held in high honor, Acts 19:13 through 17.
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After that event I'm guessing confrontations with
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the demon-possessed may have become slightly less popular
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but in 1st century Ephesus the practice of magic
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and astrology was still considered
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a normal part of life.
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Magical scrolls, rings, amulets, bracelets, and necklaces thought
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to have magical powers were all commonplace here
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in ancient Ephesus.
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Prices for these magic documents and trinkets varied
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but history tells us there was a huge market for them here
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in the commercial agora.
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But as Christianity spread through ancient Ephesus,
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new believers began to realize that marketing
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the supernatural was wrong.
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On one occasion, Acts tells us that owners of these magic
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scrolls came together publicly, probably right here in the
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middle of the commercial agora.
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Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed
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what they had done.
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A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls
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together and burned them publicly.
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When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came
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to 50.000 drachmas.
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In this way, the Word of the Lord spread widely
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and grew in power, Acts 19:18 through 20.
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Now, 1 drachma was a day's wage for a normal worker
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and this group of new Christians was watching 50.000 drachma
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worth of merchandise go up in smoke.
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They literally put their money where their mouth was
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and counted everything that represented
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their old life as worthless.
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But as Christianity spread with amazing stories like this,
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tensions also grew, especially with long-time worshipers
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of a goddess named Artemis.
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Dave: The cult of Artemis had a powerful following here.
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During the Roman period, prominent generals and
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politicians would come to Ephesus to offer sacrifices
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to the statue of Artemis, also known as Diana.
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While many other gods were worshiped here at Ephesus,
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Artemis was by far the most prominent deity
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in the 1st century.
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Dave: The cult of Artemis in Ephesus goes back hundreds
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of years prior to the Greeks.
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Our first record of a temple to Artemis here is one
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that was destroyed by flood in the 7th century BC.
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Under orders from King Croesus of Lydia,
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it was rebuilt out of marble around 550 BC
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but that version was destroyed by fire in 356 BC.
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Local myth says that Artemis was away helping Olympias give birth
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to Alexander the Great when the fire broke out.
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Allegedly, that's why Artemis was unable to protect her shrine
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from destruction.
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The temple to Artemis was rebuilt yet again, but this time
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on an even grander scale, taking 120 years to finish.
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Historians such as Pliny and Antipade even called it one of
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the seven wonders of the ancient world.
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During the time of Paul this temple to Artemis was one of the
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largest and most impressive structures in the entire
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Mediterranean region, about four times larger
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than the Parthenon in Athens.
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Here is an awesome recreation of the structure
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at a park in Istanbul, Turkey.
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According to Pliny, the temple of Artemis was situated
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on a platform about 425 x 239 feet.
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The temple itself was 352 x 163 feet with 127 columns
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that were 60 feet tall and over 6 feet thick.
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Thirty-six of these columns were sculptured
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and overlaid with gold.
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The temple was built northeast of the city on marshy soil
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to protect the structure from earthquakes.
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At one time, the waves of the Mediterranean had actually come
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right up to one side of the temple.
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The cult of Artemis dominated here in Ephesus until the
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influence of Christianity eclipsed it over the next
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200 years after Paul; Paul who brought the message
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of the gospel here so long ago that disrupted
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the local trade in small Artemis statues.
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The Goths, a tribe from present-day Germany,
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destroyed this temple in 262 AD and the ruins of it
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were re-used in other building projects.
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And now, all that remains are these foundations and column
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fragments of what was once considered a true wonder
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of the ancient world.
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Dave: The centerpiece for the temple that once stood here
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at Ephesus was a 30-foot tall altar and a huge statue
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to Artemis carved out of ebony.
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Smaller statues have been discovered around the city
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of Ephesus including this one: nearly intact, human-size
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Artemis statue carved out of marble,
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now housed here at the Ephesus Museum.
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Now, similar to this one, all Artemis statutes that have been
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discovered are decorated with a zodiac necklace,
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animal figurines, and these strange objects
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on its chest and stomach.
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Scholars disagree as to what these objects really are
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but nearly all agree that they symbolize fertility.
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Now, during the time of Paul, Artemis and her magnificent
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temple served as the focal point for the entire city of Ephesus.
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And, according to Acts chapter 19, any threats against her
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or it would be responded to with swift action.
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One example of this fierce protection of the cult
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of Artemis is found in Acts chapter 19:
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"A silversmith named Demetrius,
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who made silver shrines of Artemis,
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brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.
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He called them together, along with the workers
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in related trades, and said: 'You know, my friends,
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that we receive a good income from this business.
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And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced
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and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus
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and in practically the whole province of Asia.
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He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
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There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good
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name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis
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will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is
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worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world,
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will be robbed of her divine majesty.'
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When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting:
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'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!'
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Soon the whole city was in an uproar.
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The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus,
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Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia,
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and all of them rushed into the theater together.
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Paul wanted to appear before the crowd,
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but the disciples would not let him.
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Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul,
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sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
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The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing,
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some another.
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Most of the people did not even know why they were there.
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The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: 'Fellow Ephesians,
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doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the
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guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image,
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which fell from heaven?
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Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm
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down and not do anything rash,'" Acts 19:24 through 36.
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This account in Acts, often called the Riot
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of the Silversmiths, brings up all sorts of awesome
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historical facts to check out.
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The leader of the opposition was a silversmith named Demetrius
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who Paul may have encountered regularly at the agora.
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Archeologists here in Ephesus have discovered that the shops
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belonging to the silversmiths were positioned alongside
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this long pavement, stretching between
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the theater down to the harbor.
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Roman period inscriptions also document silversmiths, even a
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man who was the head of the silversmiths' guild and a man
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who was the warden of the temple of Artemis.
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These are all positions that might have been
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held by Demetrius.
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We also know that there was a man named Demetrius,
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son of Monophthalmus from inscriptions who was a warden
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of the temple of Artemis in the mid or late 1st century AD.
00:16:57.110 --> 00:17:01.200
Now, we don't know for sure
00:17:01.210 --> 00:17:03.000
if this was the Demetrius from Acts.
00:17:03.010 --> 00:17:05.160
His name, position, date, and prominence all match up.
00:17:05.170 --> 00:17:11.160
Second, according to Acts, these silversmiths apparently made
00:17:11.170 --> 00:17:15.040
silver shrines containing an image of Artemis,
00:17:15.050 --> 00:17:18.260
not silver statues of Artemis herself.
00:17:18.270 --> 00:17:22.000
Evidence of these types of cult trinkets has been discovered in
00:17:22.010 --> 00:17:25.190
Ephesus, including a bronze mold of a miniature Artemis temple
00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:30.150
with her statue inside.
00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:32.280
This mold would have been filled with molten silver
00:17:32.290 --> 00:17:35.240
to make the shrine.
00:17:35.250 --> 00:17:37.210
Other gold, silver, and terracotta versions of little
00:17:37.220 --> 00:17:41.090
Artemis statues have also been found.
00:17:41.100 --> 00:17:44.150
00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:47.050
Dave: What? What's this?
00:17:47.060 --> 00:17:52.080
You've got to be kidding me,
00:17:52.090 --> 00:17:55.140
I totally found one of the ancient statues.
00:17:55.150 --> 00:17:58.260
No, seriously, it's got the things and the things.
00:17:58.270 --> 00:18:03.000
Oh, man, and an ancient engraving.
00:18:03.010 --> 00:18:04.270
I don't speak this language but "Mad-de in Chee-na."
00:18:04.280 --> 00:18:11.120
Oh, unreal. This is awesome.
00:18:11.130 --> 00:18:16.070
Dave: As followers of Artemis and as craftsmen,
00:18:16.080 --> 00:18:18.280
the silversmiths saw a legitimate threat
00:18:18.290 --> 00:18:21.130
to their cult and their business if people continued
00:18:21.140 --> 00:18:25.030
to accept Christianity and reject the worship of Artemis.
00:18:25.040 --> 00:18:31.130
Third, Paul declared that gods made by human hands were not
00:18:31.140 --> 00:18:35.270
really gods at all, which was a direct attack on the beliefs
00:18:35.280 --> 00:18:40.190
of these worshipers of Artemis.
00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:43.230
These Ephesians believed in the legend that a sacred stone image
00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:47.190
of Artemis had been thrown down from heaven by Zeus.
00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:52.180
And while the pagans of the Roman period did believe that
00:18:52.190 --> 00:18:56.030
certain stone carved images were holy representations of Artemis
00:18:56.040 --> 00:19:01.100
herself, Paul understood that these were merely objects,
00:19:01.110 --> 00:19:05.130
made by human hands.
00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:08.260
Fourth, the city of Ephesus considered itself the guardian
00:19:08.270 --> 00:19:12.120
of the temple of Artemis.
00:19:12.130 --> 00:19:14.020
In Acts chapter 19, Luke used the Greek word
00:19:14.030 --> 00:19:17.250
"neokoros" meaning temple guardian or caretaker.
00:19:17.260 --> 00:19:21.200
The coin of Ephesus from the reign of Nero called Ephesus
00:19:21.210 --> 00:19:25.110
the neokoros of Artemis, just as Acts records.
00:19:25.120 --> 00:19:30.090
Built right into Mount Peon, this was the largest theater in
00:19:30.100 --> 00:19:34.020
the Roman world, accommodating approximately 24.000 people.
00:19:34.030 --> 00:19:39.050
So when Paul's companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, were dragged in
00:19:39.060 --> 00:19:43.120
here, they may have faced thousands of angry Ephesians.
00:19:43.130 --> 00:19:48.040
Now, the diameter of this theater is a whopping 495 feet
00:19:48.050 --> 00:19:53.170
and, according to inscriptions found here at Ephesus, it not
00:19:53.180 --> 00:19:56.220
only hosted performances but was also a special meeting place
00:19:56.230 --> 00:20:00.160
for speeches and assemblies.
00:20:00.170 --> 00:20:03.010
It was the logical place for these rioters to hold a public
00:20:03.020 --> 00:20:06.200
hearing about their concerns about Paul and Christianity.
00:20:06.210 --> 00:20:13.260
Here's an artist's depiction of what the great theater
00:20:13.270 --> 00:20:16.270
of Ephesus looked like at the time of Paul.
00:20:16.280 --> 00:20:19.290
Notice how the harbor came right up to the city on the one side.
00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.140
00:20:24.150 --> 00:20:32.260
Dave: During his more than two years of ministry here
00:20:32.270 --> 00:20:35.050
in Ephesus, which is only briefly covered in Acts,
00:20:35.060 --> 00:20:38.250
Paul and his fellow Christian companions probably encountered
00:20:38.260 --> 00:20:42.120
other attacks as well.
00:20:42.130 --> 00:20:44.090
As incredible as it sounds, Paul was likely condemned
00:20:44.100 --> 00:20:47.000
to battle wild beasts here in the Ephesus arena.
00:20:47.010 --> 00:20:51.230
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul stated that he
00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:55.020
fought wild beasts at Ephesus and that he and the apostles
00:20:55.030 --> 00:20:59.200
had been exhibited as men condemned to death
00:20:59.210 --> 00:21:02.280
as a spectacle to the world.
00:21:02.290 --> 00:21:05.150
The Greek words Paul used specifically referred
00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:08.180
to beast-fighting in the arena, not to any general fight
00:21:08.190 --> 00:21:12.110
with animals.
00:21:12.120 --> 00:21:13.210
In the Roman empire, a bestiarius was a person who went
00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:17.120
into arena combat against a powerful wild animal,
00:21:17.130 --> 00:21:21.190
either as a form of execution or a combat competition,
00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:25.210
similar to gladiators.
00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:27.150
The animals were typically lions or bears which were hungry,
00:21:27.160 --> 00:21:31.190
angry, and ready to kill any human near them.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:35.190
During times of persecution, many Christians in the Roman
00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:39.000
empire were sentenced to death by beast as a spectacle
00:21:39.010 --> 00:21:42.290
in the arenas, probably beginning during the reign
00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:46.070
of Emperor Claudius.
00:21:46.080 --> 00:21:48.150
A 1st century oil lamp from this area of Asia province depicts
00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:53.000
a man condemned ad bestias or "to beasts"
00:21:53.010 --> 00:21:57.230
being attacked by two lions.
00:21:57.240 --> 00:22:00.200
When a person was condemned to the beasts as an enemy of the
00:22:00.210 --> 00:22:04.110
state, they were forced into the arena unarmed and often chained
00:22:04.120 --> 00:22:09.060
with virtually no hope of survival.
00:22:09.070 --> 00:22:12.200
Based on New Testament accounts, it seems that Paul was forced
00:22:12.210 --> 00:22:16.160
into the arena as a bestiarius but he survived
00:22:16.170 --> 00:22:20.020
and he carried on his mission.
00:22:20.030 --> 00:22:22.080
In his letter to the Corinthians which he wrote from here in
00:22:22.090 --> 00:22:26.000
Ephesus, Paul was explaining the crucial importance of the
00:22:26.010 --> 00:22:30.070
Resurrection of Jesus Christ when he wrote this:
00:22:30.080 --> 00:22:33.260
"I face death every day--yes, just as surely
00:22:33.270 --> 00:22:37.190
as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:41.240
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human
00:22:41.250 --> 00:22:45.160
hopes, what have I gained?
00:22:45.170 --> 00:22:47.180
If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink,
00:22:47.190 --> 00:22:51.220
for tomorrow we die,'" 1 Corinthians 15:31-32.
00:22:51.230 --> 00:22:57.130
Several years later, around 61 or 62 AD, while imprisoned
00:22:57.140 --> 00:23:02.210
in Rome, Paul could not visit Ephesus.
00:23:02.220 --> 00:23:06.020
Instead, he wrote a letter to the Ephesians which later
00:23:06.030 --> 00:23:09.130
became a book of the New Testament.
00:23:09.140 --> 00:23:12.170
A papyrus fragment from Ephesians from about 250 AD is
00:23:12.180 --> 00:23:18.020
currently the earliest known surviving copy of this letter.
00:23:18.030 --> 00:23:23.270
The purpose of Paul's letter to the Ephesians was to ground
00:23:23.280 --> 00:23:27.270
the Christians here in solid doctrine,
00:23:27.280 --> 00:23:30.220
encourage them to fulfill God's purpose for their lives,
00:23:30.230 --> 00:23:34.060
and to build up the church in Ephesus.
00:23:34.070 --> 00:23:37.240
The first half of Paul's letter is focusing
00:23:37.250 --> 00:23:41.130
on who Christians are in Jesus Christ.
00:23:41.140 --> 00:23:45.050
For example, Ephesians 2:8 through 10 says this: "For it is
00:23:45.060 --> 00:23:50.000
by grace you have been saved, through faith--this not of
00:23:50.010 --> 00:23:53.220
yourselves, it is a gift from God--not by works,
00:23:53.230 --> 00:23:57.130
so that no one can boast.
00:23:57.140 --> 00:23:59.080
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
00:23:59.090 --> 00:24:02.260
to do good works, which God has prepared in advance
00:24:02.270 --> 00:24:06.290
for us to do."
00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:08.190
Now, the second half of Paul's letter to the Ephesians focuses
00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:12.060
on claiming that identity as a Christian so that we can stand
00:24:12.070 --> 00:24:15.060
strong in the midst of life's struggles.
00:24:15.070 --> 00:24:18.220
The final chapter encourages followers of Jesus to put on the
00:24:18.230 --> 00:24:22.190
full armor of God each day: "Finally, be strong in the Lord
00:24:22.200 --> 00:24:27.180
and in his mighty power.
00:24:27.190 --> 00:24:29.240
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand
00:24:29.250 --> 00:24:33.100
against the devil's schemes," Ephesians 6:10-11.
00:24:33.110 --> 00:24:38.200
I highly encourage you to read all
00:24:38.210 --> 00:24:40.210
of Ephesians chapter 6 yourself.
00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:43.220
It's powerful stuff.
00:24:43.230 --> 00:24:45.100
Dave: After more than two years in Ephesus,
00:24:50.050 --> 00:24:52.090
Paul finally left and he completed his missionary journey
00:24:52.100 --> 00:24:56.060
through Macedonia and Greece.
00:24:56.070 --> 00:24:58.190
According to the 20th chapter of Acts, Paul also reconnected
00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:02.150
with a number of his companions, including Gaius from Derbe
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:06.060
and Timothy from Lystra.
00:25:06.070 --> 00:25:08.260
Based on the first person narrative we see in Acts,
00:25:08.270 --> 00:25:11.270
we also know that Luke was once again traveling with the team.
00:25:11.280 --> 00:25:17.150
After more than three months, revisiting places
00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:20.220
that we explored in previous episodes,
00:25:20.230 --> 00:25:23.030
such as Philippi, Thessalonica,
00:25:23.040 --> 00:25:25.230
Berea, and Corinth,
00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:27.230
they worked their way back across the Mediterranean Sea.
00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:31.260
Near the end of the journey, Paul sensed an urgent
00:25:31.270 --> 00:25:34.180
calling from God to return to Jerusalem.
00:25:34.190 --> 00:25:38.120
It wasn't a comfortable sense but he knew he needed to go.
00:25:38.130 --> 00:25:42.220
"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,
00:25:42.230 --> 00:25:46.280
not knowing what will happen to me there.
00:25:46.290 --> 00:25:49.150
I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me
00:25:49.160 --> 00:25:53.030
that prison and hardships are facing me.
00:25:53.040 --> 00:25:56.110
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim
00:25:56.120 --> 00:26:01.200
is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus
00:26:01.210 --> 00:26:06.100
has given me--the task of testifying to the good news
00:26:06.110 --> 00:26:11.000
of God's grace," Acts 20:22 through 24.
00:26:11.010 --> 00:26:16.030
00:26:16.230 --> 00:26:26.230
00:26:29.090 --> 00:26:39.080
00:26:39.090 --> 00:26:49.080
00:26:49.090 --> 00:26:59.080
00:26:59.090 --> 00:27:09.100
00:27:09.110 --> 00:27:19.100
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CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 www.abercap.com
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Acts to Revelation | Episode 11

Acts to Revelation | Episode 11

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Acts to Revelation | Episode 11

Acts to Revelation | Episode 11

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