Acts 19:8-10

Summary retelling of Acts 19:8-10

Paul makes good on his promise.  He returns to Ephesus and is among them teaching and preaching for 3 months.  As we should expect, some in the synagogue became stubborn and started to speak evil of what Paul was teaching.  Paul left, letting the stubborn ones remain.  Paul went to an educational hall in Ephesus and taught his disciples there.  Paul remained there for two more years teaching both Jews and Greeks.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul is good on his word.  He goes home to report to the people who support him, and then he immediately heads back out to Ephesus.  He knows that there are people in Ephesus who want to hear about the Word of God, and he is driven to give it to them.  That is a man after God’s own heart.

How often do you think about the people in this world who want to know God but don’t have access?  Does that drive you in any way?

Second Thought:

Paul begins in the synagogue.  He learned his lesson in Corinth.  Even though he expected trouble, that’s where he began because it is where God wants him to begin.  And as we all expect, it wasn’t long until trouble came about.  Now Paul is getting more sauve in his ministry.  Rather than resisting the persecution of the spiritually blind, he simply leaves.  He takes his disciples with him and goes somewhere else.  Sometimes that is all we can do.  When the spiritually blind get in the way, you simply have to change locations and keep doing what God has told you to do.

Have you ever been in a place where trouble or persecution prevented you from being able to become more spiritual?  How did you resolve that issue?

Third Thought:

The Bible tells us that Paul went to the Hall of Tyrannus (Tyrannus is a Greek name that means ruler, hence the dinosaur nameTyrannosaurus Rex literally means “ruling lizard king”).  We don’t know if Tyrannus was the founder of the hall or if Tyrannus was a famous teacher who was in charge of the hall when Paul taught there – or both, if the hall was newly formed.  But we do know this.  Paul sought out a place where he could teach his disciples in peace.  And Paul stayed there for some length of time.  2 years was a long time for Paul to stay in any one place.  Paul stayed there with no synagogue, no church building, or no place to meet other than the ancient equivalent of a school.  The location for meeting was irrelevant.  What was important was that discipleship was happening.

Have you been in a place in your life where the building and the routine of “church” was more important than the spiritual growth within you?  Have you been in a place where you cared more about the spirituality?  What makes the difference?  Which is more important?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 19:11-14