Acts 19 for kids!

Context –

Paul left Corinth and went to Syria and to Ephesus for the first time. Ephesus was 1 of the largest cities in the Roman world, which boasted 1 of the three largest libraries in the world, it was seen as an intellectual center of Asia. Think of Harvard or Yale but a whole city not just a particular college.

Chapter 18 ends Paul’s second missionary journey & ch. 19 begins his 3^rd missionary journey. Remember from the last chapter none of this moving forward would have been possible if God had not already guided Paul & protected him from Roman persecution/execution already.

As we follow Paul & his missionary journeys we often see controversy, conflict & even violence. It is only by God’s grace & protection that events unfold as they do so that the Apostle still survives. As Paul preaches the gospel it always generates conflict, especially against idolatry. And nowhere in the ancient world was this idolatry worst than in Ephesus. Ephesus with 1 of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World – the Temple dedicated to Diana (Artemis) her worship was 1 of the largest religions the world, at that time.

Acts 19English Standard Version (ESV)

Paul in Ephesus

19 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland^[a] country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. ² And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” ³ And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” ⁴ And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in^[b] the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

John the Baptist’s message was the Messiah is coming so you better repent (meaning get right with God) & Jesus messages was I am the Messiah (Christ) repent & believe in me. What I think Paul was getting at was that baptism (a physical symbol of repentance) was not just to repent but to repent & believe in Jesus the One whom John the Baptist’s ministry was pointing forward to.

⁸ And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way* before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.^{[c] 10} This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

*The Way – is what Christianity was called before “Christianity.” Tyrannus – was a hall of philosophy where it seems Paul was allowed to preach from & proclaim his religious ideas after abandoning the synagogue.

The Sons of Sceva

¹¹ And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. ¹⁵ But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” ¹⁶ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all^[d] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled (**meaning praised, honored). ¹⁸ Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. ¹⁹ And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Hard to tell what 50K pieces of that some silver would be worth today, some say even back then it could have been up to 50,000 days worth of work (wages) but its an extremely large amount. Again like the baptism, this burning of pagan books was a physical symbol of repentance, rejecting their old lives & turning back to God. 

A Riot at Ephesus

²¹ Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ²² And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

²³ About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way (Christianity). ²⁴ For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. ²⁵ These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. ²⁶ And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. ²⁷ And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

Demetrius represents the wealthy, which were getting rich making & selling idols to visitors to the Temple of Diana (Artemus).

²⁸ When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. ³⁰ But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. ³¹ And even some of the Asiarchs,^[e] who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. ³² Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³ Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. ³⁴ But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The uniqueness of Christ & the realization of how blasphemous it was to trade genuine worship due God to lifeless idols of fictional gods & how that would impact the local economy lead Demetrius into conflict with Paul.

Paul’s preaching undermined their business. As people came from all over the world to visit her temple (on the site of a famous meteorite fall) they would also take home images, idols, and souvenirs of their visit.

³⁵ And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone (famous meteor) that fell from the sky?^{[f] 36} Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. ³⁷ For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. ³⁸ If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ³⁹ But if you seek anything further,^[g] it shall be settled in the regular assembly. ⁴⁰ For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” ⁴¹ And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

In all these things Paul was brave and preach the truth of Christ to all who would hear, what could we take from his example of faithfulness for our lives?

Early Church History Newsletter: Should Christians Tithe
September 05, 2009

Should Christians Tithe?
Tithes, and Giving for Christians

It was a warm day, and the breeze coming off the Sea of Galilee was doing nothing to make it better.
The crowds, standing at first, began to sit down as the unusual but charismatic backwoods preacher, Jesus, called for them to let God and everyone else matter before themselves. Some murmured, some nodded, but all agreed that no one could challenge a soul like this Galilean.
He was preaching from a boat, forced onto it as the crowds pressed in, leaving him nowhere on the shore to stand. He was an excellent speaker. They were enthralled.
Then he paused and raised his hands.
 

"Listen, all of you here," he thundered so all the crowd could hear him. "We are going to pause here!"
The crowd silenced, awaiting his announcement. "Simon the zealot will now come to the boat to sing you a song. While he is doing so, the rest of my apostles will be coming to you with baskets. If you would like to see this powerful Word continue to be preached, I ask you to help support this ministry. Ask God what he would have you to give. Remember, I myself have said, 'Give, and it will be given unto you.'"
It's a little out of place when we put that plea for help in Jesus' mouth, isn't it?

Giving the New Testament Way

Giving is not inappropriate, of course. Paul took collections for poor brothers in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:1-9:12). Others took collections for Paul (Php. 4:10-19), though it seems clear that he didn't ask for money for himself (Acts 20:34; 1 Cor. 9:14-17).
How collections were made to support and Paul and other teachers we don't know. We do know that when Paul asked for a one-time gift from Corinth to the poor in Jerusalem, he suggested they set money aside each week (1 Cor. 16:2). We also know that the Corinthians were told they would not have to give if they themselves were in need. Instead:

A Double Tithe?

Leviticus 27:30-32 mentions a tithe that seems different from Deuteronomy 12 and 14. I have heard it said several times that the Jews were required to give a double or triple tithe. [The triple would include the every three year tithe in Deut. 14, but that is clearly the same as the Deut. 12 tithe the other two years].
That might be true. I do not know. There's nothing later that suggests a double tithe. The Leviticus and Deuteronomy tithes could easily have been the same. There's nothing in Leviticus that makes it impossible that those tithes, holy to the Lord, were to be eaten in Jerusalem by the offerers. Even sacrifices, except the whole burnt offerings, were eaten, though it was the priest who ate them. Only the inedible parts were burned.
Either way, what we do know is that the Israelites were not very consistent in following either of those two tithe descriptions carefully .

Now, at this time, your abundance is a supply for their need, so that their abundance may also be a supply for your need, so that there may be an equality. (2 Cor. 8:14)

Shortly thereafter Paul adds, "Let every man give as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7).
Think about this a moment: not grudgingly or of necessity; give this time so you can take the next time.
Doesn't sound much like tithing, does it?

Giving the Old Testament Way

For those of you that do not know, to tithe means to give one-tenth of something. In Abraham's case he gave one-tenth of his spoils of war to a Canaanite high priest named Melchizedek, a priest of El Elyon that Abraham identified as being the same as Yahweh, Abraham's God (Gen. 14:17-20). In the case of the Israelites, they were to give one-tenth of their year's increase of grain, lambs, cattle, etc. (Deut. 12:17).


You've probably never been told what I'm about to tell you. No matter how many times you've read the Bible, you've probably never noticed this. So, pay attention. Here goes:

The Israelites didn't give away their tithe. They ate it.

Look it up. It's in Deut. 12:17 and 14:23.

Just Bring the Animals!

The tithing page I mention later points out that no tithe commands mention money. Money was clearly in use throughout Genesis, but it is not mentioned in reference to the tithe. In fact, the tithe of Leviticus 27 could be redeemed with money if you added 20% to it (v. 31).
Also the Deuteronomy tithe could be sold if you lived too far from Jerusalem. You could then carry your money to Jerusalem and buy food (and wine and strong drink), as long as you shared your feast with the poor.

It is true that every third year the Israelites were required to give their tithe away. Even then, however, it supported not only the Levites--who didn't have their own land to farm--but also foreigners, widows, and orphans (Deut. 14:28,29).

Is Tithing a New Testament Principle?

First of all, have you ever seen a church collect the tithe once a year so that it could hold a giant, week-long feast for all its members which included "wine, strong drink, or whatever your soul wants"?
Probably not, huh?
There is simply no mention of tithing in the New Testament except in the Gospels where it's spoken of in reference to Jews. It is astounding to me that anyone would suggest that tithing is a New Testament principle.

Tithing in Early Christianity

Do you want to be completely overwhelmed with information about tithing? Try Should the Church Teach Tithing?
I also found an article in Christianity Today that I'm not going to link to. It was so dishonest that it made me mad. It said that Irenaeus said that Christians should surpass tithing with their giving. You can see in my quotes in the text that is exactly what he did not say!
Later, he refers to tithing as a minimum level of giving in the early Church.
For some bizarre reason, he also says that the Council of Trent added penalties for not tithing a century after the Council of Macon [mentioned in last section of this newsletter], when in fact the Council of Trent didn't meet for almost a millennium afterward.
Don't trust what you hear just because a "historian" says it. Some of them are not honest.

Tithing is not just absent from the New Testament. It's absent from church history for almost 700 years afterward!
Between the New Testament and A.D. 185, a span of about 100 years, tithing is simply not mentioned in any Christian writing. Then, finally, Irenaeus of Lyons addresses it in his great work Against Heresies:

Instead of the law enjoining the giving of tithes, he told us to share all our possessions with the poor. (IV:13:3)

He mentions it again five chapters later:

And for this reason they [the Jews] did consecrate the tithes of their goods to him, but those who have received liberty set aside all their possessions for the Lord’s purposes, bestowing joyfully and freely not the less valuable portions of their property, since they have the hope of better things.

Clement of Alexandria mentions it in his Miscellanies something less than a decade later:

The tithes of the fruits and of the flocks taught both piety towards the Deity and not to covetously grasp everything. Instead, one should share gifts of kindness with one’s neighbors. For it was from these, I reckon, and from the firstfruits that the priests were maintained.

Notice how he comments on the past and speaks very unsurely about the purpose of the tithe. This is because Christians didn't tithe in his day. It was simply an artifact of history, something the Jews did. Clement was a prodigious writer. Depending on the version of The Ante-Nicene Fathers you have, his writings take up at least 400 pages of small print, yet he mentions tithing but this one time!
Remember, too, that Clement was the teacher of new Christians in Alexandria, one of the largest churches in the empire. Can you imagine a new persons class in a modern church that didn't include tithing?

Giving in Early Christianity

But don't let yourself off the hook! Did you notice what Irenaeus contrasted tithing with?
We're to share all our possessions with the poor [most likely a reference to the Christian poor; see what follows]. We set aside all our possessions for the Lord's purposes, and we joyfully and freely bestow even the more valuable portions of our property.
Neat, huh?
It really is neat if the church has become family. It's supposed to be God's household. We are supposed to be family, and families share. That's just what they do!
How much more so the family of God?

You shall share everything with your neighbor. You shall not call anything your own. For if you are partakers together of things which are incorruptible, how much more things which are corruptible?

That statement is found in a tract called The Way of Light and of Darkness, which is included in both The Didache (c. A.D. 100) and The Letter of Barnabas (A.D. 120 - 130). It's a command, and we have at least two witnesses that Christians obeyed that command for 200 years after Christ:

We who valued above all things the acquisition of wealth and possessions now bring what we have into a common stock and share with everyone in need. (Justin, First Apology 14, A.D. 155)

The family possessions, which generally destroy brotherhood among you [Romans], create fraternal bonds among us. One in heart and soul, we do not hesitate to share our earthly goods with one another. All things are common among us but our wives. (Tertullian, Apology 39, A.D. 200)

Oddly enough, despite what you just read, both of them describe this sharing as being purely voluntary:

They who are well-to-do and willing give what each thinks fit. What is collected is deposited with the president [apparently a term for whoever is leading a Christian meeting], who helps the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in need. [He also helps] those who are imprisoned and the strangers sojourning among us. In a word, he takes care of all who are in need. (ibid. 67)

Tertullian says something very similar, saying that the collection was taken on a monthly day (whereas Justin's church collected weekly).
The statement that they shared everything and the statement that they took a collection from the wealthy and willing don't seem to go together. They seem different. Yet this is exactly the apostolic way. Acts 2:44 and 4:32 say that the church in Jerusalem had everything in common, yet Ananias did not sell his possessions until some time afterward. Even then Peter said it was optional.
This is the pattern we have for New Testament giving.

The Tithe and the New Testament: A Review

Here's what we've seen:

• Tithing is not mentioned in the New Testament, and it is not a concept taught by the Church.
• Instead, Christians shared all their possessions with one another, the purpose being that there would be an equality. Those with much help those with little.
• This sharing was always optional, though it was commanded in a tract and was considered the proper Christian thing to do.

I must add that the Scriptures say that those who do not work ought not to eat. From experience I can tell you that it is absolutely essential to apply that in a church that shares the way we are talking about. You will have lazy bums and mooches, seemingly good people, who need to learn that working is not optional and that it cannot be avoided just because you don't enjoy it.

So How Did the Church Start Tithing?

Tithing has always provided a convenient percentage. 10% was not only the amount required for a tithe in the Law, but the kings of Israel imposed 10% as a tax on the Israelites to support the army and other government services.
The Catholic Encyclopedia says the earliest mention of tithing was in a letter by some bishops assembled at Tours in 567. The Council of Macon then included tithing in their canons [rules] in 585. It was not enforced, however, until much later. Charlemagne was the first to mandate it by secular law. One source I read gave 777 as the date for that, though others gave no date.
A history book I read a couple decades ago said that Pepin the Short, who preceded Charlemagne, mandate tithing to support the monks in France. I haven't found any sources to verify that.
Either way, they are obviously all agreed that tithing for the Church belongs to a date centuries after the apostles.