Yet when the trade of those who lived upon the folly, weakness, and credulity of their fellows is found to suffer, through the righteous energy of the word in those that believed, then the whole city is filled with the madness of rampant covetousness and selfishness; for the reason of their rage against Paul was not because he had said that they are no gods which are made with hands—for many of their wise men had said the like—but that he had persuaded and turned away a great crowd, not only of Ephesus, but almost of all Asia, so that their means of livelihood is threatened. They little knew the Judge was at the door, upon how slight a thread the sword of justice hung, for if Paul had entered into the theater, and suffered death through the blind rage of disappointed greed, the souls of men would have been effectually cut off from that blessed truth of God which He was revealing by the hand of Paul, that they might have fellowship with Himself. But where the mind was unbiased by the prejudice of avarice, and the conscience of right and wrong could exercise its sway, there was a deep recognition of the grace and truth which shone forth from the Christian, and these ingenuous few come forward, and, by the grace of God, are used at this critical juncture to preserve Paul and his companions from violence, and thus also the completed revelation of the mind of God.
Between the time of Paul's departure from Ephesus and his return to Troas, the scripture completing the revelation regarding the setting aside of the Jew is brought out, namely, Romans and 2 Corinthians, and at Troas the Holy Spirit significantly records for the first time that the assembly came together to break bread on the first day of the week, thus intimating how completely the new had occupied before God on earth the place of the old—a new day, a new house, a new power, a new purpose. The case of Eutychus may well illustrate to us the state into which the assembly gathered from among the Gentiles fell through unwatchfulness; becoming overcome of sleep, he falls to the earth, and is taken up dead, but is revived by means of Paul. Thus the church, as the professing one on earth, falls from its first estate (Rev. 2:55Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (Revelation 2:5)), becoming a thing of earth, is as dead (Rev. 3:11And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (Revelation 3:1)), but at the last is brought away alive with joy (Acts 20:1212And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. (Acts 20:12)). Though Paul had been driven away forever from Ephesus by the violence of the covetous fools there, yet there were a few wise of heart, rejoiced over of the Father in the Beloved, who come to Paul at Miletus to receive his last counsels, to be committed to God, and to the word of His grace, and to have it committed to them for ministry to the assembly—Abigails of good understanding, linked by ties of nature and outward bonds with those who are fools in their covetousness, occupied with their buying and selling, building and planting, and not rich toward God; pulling down their barns, and building bigger, forgetting that He who gave the increase commanded that they should set their treasure in the heavens, since the night would come in which the Lord would shake terribly the earth, and they who had built for blessing in a shifting scene would find their wealth crumble into ruin: among whom are Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen, who count their worldly gain of greater value than the Christ of God—their daily wage of more importance than their soul's salvation. For the gospel was no new thing at this time, but its claims had been brought before every soul that inhabited Ephesus and Asia, both Jews and Greeks, in such power, that at this crisis it had become a question of submission or opposition to the word, of serving God or mammon, Christ or Belial. The Nabals in Ephesus first had taken a stand in distinct opposition to the truth, with railing, confusion, and shouting; and now the Abigails, warned of the wrath to come, separate themselves from every outward circumstance to meet the David of their hearts by the mouth of His servant Paul. And what a feast had the Holy Spirit committed to their hand, wherewith to feed the assembly of God, purchased with the blood of His own! Bread and wine: the body broken, and the shed blood. Christ died for the ungodly, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us; made a curse for us, made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him; our Passover sacrificed for us, that we might, in the power of a saved and separated life, keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Feeding on that slain lamb, roast with lire, whole and perfect, under the shelter of the blood, but feeding on it in the land, encamped at Gilgal, and on the morrow eating of the old corn of the land, unleavened cakes, and parched corn; in the place of possession, though not yet possessed of the place; on resurrection ground, but not yet raised, eating of the fruits of resurrection in the place of circumcision; circumcised with the circumcision of Christ not done by hand, putting off the body of the flesh; buried with Him in baptism, in which raised also with Him, through faith, of the working of God who raised Him from among the dead; and not this only, but also the ample fruit—the hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, the perfect fruits, quickened with Christ, raised up together, but also sitting down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, in Him blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies; in Him chosen, marked out for adoption through Him, taken into favor in Him, having redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, and also obtaining an inheritance; having believed in Him, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance to the redemption of the acquired possession.
And needful would it be, that they who fed the flock should watch, for grievous wolves should come, drunk with the blood of the saints, who, when morning light should come in and with the daystar, the morn of deliverance and rapture of the church arrive, would be smitten in the seat of all their strength with death, and grief, and famine; for woe, woe, shall be on the great city which was clothed with fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with ornaments of gold, and precious stones, and pearls, for in her is found the blood of prophets, and saints, and of all the slain upon the earth. But unto the bride, the assembly, what a glorious inheritance is hers, separated unto Himself, her Head, her Savior, her purifier, her nourisher—who loved her, delivered Himself up for her that she might be of His flesh and of His bones, to worship Him alone with body, soul, and spirit, not a fornicator, nor unclean person, nor person of unbridled lust, but the bride of the Lamb who commands all the homage of heaven, earth and hell. Thus while the sovereign grace of God provides and secures the portion for the bride, and seals with the Eternal Spirit, the Holy Spirit of promise, the bride for the bridegroom, the time has come for a last expostulation with that weak, obstinate and erring servant, now become willful, rebellious and murderous, His professed earthly witness, the Jew. The dreaded conflict cannot be put off any longer, the last witness must be delivered, and if rejected, complete casting off the consequence; for the spirit of legality and Worldly system has gathered strength and head until it has found a resting place, in the midst of the assembly, and the Spirit witnesses in every place that Saul has come in very deed determined to destroy the work of God; but this is past his power now, the vessel may be broken, the instrument made useless, but the precious water of the word is poured out; the wise master builder has finished the foundation, delivered up the plans, and the work now goes apace. But though judgment slumbers not, and the time is come that it should begin at the house of God, yet longsuffering lingers still; accordingly the journey of Paul the holy servant of the Lord, that diligent member of His body ever foremost to do His bidding, to venture all liberty or life for His Name, is, as it were by fits and starts; at one time speeding quickly, anon staying many days, while the all seeing Omniscient One sent forth into all the earth, whose eyes go to and fro through all the earth, gives understanding that bonds and tribulations await him at Jerusalem, then not to go up thither, afterward that the Jews should bind him there and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. At length he comes to the place where Saul had pitched, for James and the elders bring him immediately to face the question of the law, taking Saul's badge upon them, owning themselves as Jews not only zealous of the law, but of circumcision which was given before and the customs which followed after, at the same time requiring no such thing of the nations that believed, but demanding that Paul the Christian should own obedience to the law: bringing distinctions wherein all is Christ, mingling seed where there was but one seed, bringing diverse animals under the yoke of Christ, one of which carried the trappings of his former master: and it would seem not in order that prejudice might be disarmed and destroyed, but in deference to and fear of it, and that in a place and matter where it had no right but was an intruder and an enemy, and this after Paul had recounted one by one the things which God had wrought by his ministry among the nations, and they glorified God; yet they at once brought in the subject of Law keeping, requiring a course of action entirely opposed to Paul's line of things and the truth committed to his ministry; for both to Jews and Greeks he had testified that all who were of the faith of Jesus Christ were placed beyond the reach, power, and sphere of law—have died to law to live to God.
The law being given only till the Seed should come, but, He having come, the law is passed for those in Him; wherefore the Jewish system—upholder of the law—Hagar and her son, must be cast out, for in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision nor uncircumcision, but new creation; righteousness being reckoned on the principle of faith; for the consequence of sin being upon all irrespective of law, be now the free gift in grace is irrespective of law, so that having been made dead to the law by the body of the Christ, the believer is knit to another raised from among the dead. James, through attachment to the old things, becomes a stone of stumbling, looking with Jewish eyes upon the gospel, rather than the heavenly place and portion of the seeming to connect it with the kingdom to be set up, church; Paul meekly bows to the requirements of James and all the elders actuated by motives altogether different. With them it was fear of the many thousands that believed, with him it was in love to the Lord Jesus and for the glory of His name; glad to avail himself of the cover afforded by these legal observances if by so doing the Lord should use him to witness once more for Him to the honest ones among the loved people of His race. Seven days he waits upon the Lord with closed mouth and unlifted hand; at last the command was given and in a way he could not have anticipated.
In the wisdom of the Lord the very act of obedience to the law, by one not under it, is the occasion of highhanded infraction of it by those who seemed to be its upholders; for the Jews from Asia set all the crowd in a tumult, cause the whole city to be moved by which there is a concourse of the people who lay hold of Paul, draw him out of the temple and seek to kill him, making five distinct charges against him, all of which are untrue. Thus the opposers of the truth, boasting in their law keeping and righteous deeds and in appearance not in heart, are proved to be breakers of the law, liars and murderers, the very appearance of righteousness and truth being taken from them and given to the church as represented in Paul. But now the Gentile comes upon the scene in the due exercise of the governmental power, delivering Paul from the violence of the crowd and giving him a just liberty and opportunity, which frenzied prejudice would have denied, to make his defense to the people. And who could claim a better right than he to speak, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin brought up in Jerusalem at Gamaliel's feet according to the exactness of the law of the fathers? Zealous for God who had persecuted what he now preached unto death, to which the high priest could bear witness: and what had taken him out of this path, which all were then pursuing, and in which he had so far outstripped them all? The revelation of a righteous Man in heaven, despised and persecuted upon earth, now shining in the light of heavenly glory, annulling every other glory; bowing, blinding, the proud instructed Pharisee, changing the persecutor to a witness, circumcision to baptism, a worker out of legal righteousness to a sinner washing away his sins, calling on the name of Jesus; and this same man who was God in heaven had said to him,” Go, for I will send thee, to the nations afar off.” This was his warrant for his deeds, and his answer to the charges brought against him, and that they might know, that, they having failed, God was no longer hedging men within law, or place, or temple. Lawful as was the way in which the zealous law keeping Jew had been brought out from under law, being chosen before of the God of his fathers appointed by Jesus the Nazarene whom he persecuted, instructed by means of Ananias, pious according to the law, and sent away from the temple out of Jerusalem, by the Lord saying, “Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off,” yet the curse of the Lord being on them, they drive him out from cleaving to the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.. The last drop which fills the cup of willful rejection of grace is thus added, and nothing remains but for it to overflow, and from this time the vessel which contains the heavenly treasure of the gospel is given over into the hands of the Gentiles. Is it lawful for you “to scourge a man that is a Roman uncondemned?” That justice denied by the people of God is demanded of and accorded by the powers of Heathendom, the nations that know not God.