Reading for June 14th

 Read Acts 19.21-41. In verse 21: The themes of resolve in the Spirit and  necessity for the journey ("I must also see Rome') disclose divine direction (Lk 9.51-62; 13.31-35). In verse 22: On Timothy, see 16.1. Erastus is mentioned in Rom 16.23and 2 Tim 4.20. In verse 24: Artemis was the famed hunter goddess, called Diana in Latin. In verse 26: Paul's prophetic speech against idols made with hands (17.24) endangered whole guilds of workers. In  verse 28: Artemis of the Ephesians was a title that reflected special patronage for the city. In verse 29: A theater in Ephesus seating 25, 000 has been excavated. In verses 31-33: The officials of the province of Asia and the Jewish spokesman Alexander can not protect Paul from the mob. In verses 35: The town clerk restores order with a recitation of the public piety of the Artemis cult. The statue that fell from heaven may have been a meteorite that was though to be an image of the goddess. Even its coinage marked Ephesus as the temple keeper. In verse 37: Temple robbers were especially hatred in antiquity because the temples marked cultural integrity of the cites and often served as banks. Comments or Questions..