|
“And the whole city was filled with confusion…and when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre” (Acts 19:29-31).
“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia…insomuch that we despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8).
It is always good to listen to the advice of others, and later Paul was probably very glad that the disciples and some of his friends persuaded him not to venture into the theatre at Ephesus to try and speak to the crowd. The crowd was fanatical and “all worked up emotionally,” and they were not in any mood to listen to Paul. Later, as we find out in our second verse, written later in 2nd Corinthians, Paul realized how dangerous the situation really was. He could easily have lost his life, if he had tried to go in among that wild mob.
If you read the whole story in Acts 19:23-41, you will find out why there was such a riot in Ephesus at that time. But Paul escaped, and was not harmed. Once again, Paul’s conduct is a good example for us. Sometimes we really want to do something for the Lord, but others can see that it would be dangerous for us to do it. It is a good thing for us to listen to their advice.
|
