Unstoppable! 'Idolatry, Power, Money, and Satan' — Acts 19:23-27

In our lack of awareness of pagan idolatry, moderns tend to think of idolatry as worshipping an image as a manifestation of a god. In reality, the worship of idols involved far more than worshiping an image as a god. All sorts of economic and political ramifications accompanied idolatry. Cult prostitution - often with minors and involving both heterosexual and homosexual sex acts - brought in huge sums of money to the temples. The selling of images, of both the false gods and their temples, brought some people great financial gain. A dedication sacrifice to a false god, and later to the emperor himself, was part of many civic and public events. Much of the meat in the markets came from the pieces of meat left after certain other parts had been sacrificed. Ephesus was the center of many of these practices and had become the financial center of the Roman Empire, much like Rome was the political center. When people followed Jesus, they turned away from idolatry. Their repentance threatened economic and political life in the Roman province of Asia (in modern-day Turkey) and especially in Ephesus. People in power preferred money over Jesus and a life of faith. That preference made Christianity a threat and should remind us that we cannot serve God and money, especially when that money is tied to the worship of other gods and goddesses and the debauched lifestyle that accompanied worshiping them. We must hear Jesus' warning, today. We cannot serve God and the gods and powers behind money and idols!