Saying a lot in a few words (Acts 19:8-10)

Luke takes three verses to describe Paul’s two years of apostolic service in Ephesus. What did he do? He followed his usual strategy of bringing the gospel first to the Jewish synagogue, and he spent three months doing so. We are told what his message was about – the kingdom of God, and when some of the Jews became antagonistic he moved to another location. His time there had influenced some because when he ceased preaching there, he was followed by those Luke calls disciples. But Paul saw no reason to stay on in a location where his message was attacked vehemently.

 

Luke mentions an interesting title of the Christian message when he calls it ‘the Way’. Probably, this is connected to Jesus’ description of himself as the way (John 14:6). It is obvious that the Christians believed that there was only one way. Of course, the description poses the question, ‘Way to whom or where?’ The answers are obvious: the way to God and the way to glory, and both occur through faith in Jesus. 

 

The location that Paul moved to was a lecture hall owned by a man called Tyrannus. Since it is unlikely that he was given that name by his parents, it must have been a nickname given by his students indicating his method of instruction. Paul would have used the lecture hall when it was available, probably in the afternoons, for two years. Since he did so daily, even if he spoke only for an hour each time, it was a lot of time teaching. But obviously people came to hear him from all the province called Asia, and they would have taken the message back to their towns and villages.

In both the synagogue and the lecture hall, Paul reasoned with those present. This means that his addresses could be logically followed by his listeners. Some would have disagreed with him, but they would have understood what he said. His message registered with their minds and caused either acceptance or rejection. It is still the same. People are saved through understanding a message from the Bible and others reject a message from the Bible even when they understand what has been said. To some it is a savour of life to life, to others a savour of death to death, as Paul later wrote to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 2:15-16). Maybe he was thinking of those afternoons in the lecture hall of Tyrannus as well as the three months in the synagogue!