The Burning of These Old Ephesian
Books by J. R. Miller Paul's Message for
Today, 1904 Many of those who believed now
came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number of them
who had been practicing magic brought their books and burned
them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several
million dollars. Acts 19, 18 and 19. One proof of the power of Christianity
was in the way these new believers at Ephesus renounced their evil
ways and gave up their profitable sins. They saw the emptiness
and folly of the things in which they had been trusting, and openly
confessed the sinful deeds they had been doing. Many of them,
who had been engaged in the practice of magic arts, brought their
books together and made a bonfire of them in the public square.
Always, those who follow Christ should be ready to part with
whatever is sinful in their life and work, that Christ may be
honored above all. Sins kept in the heart poison
the life, hide God's face, and shut out blessing. No matter
what it may cost, our sins must be sacrificed or they will destroy
us. The burning of these old Ephesian
books suggests that we should have bonfires of our evil books. There are many books which ought
to be burnt. They carry in them Satan's poison. To read them is to debauch our
own souls. To put them into the hands of
others is to ruin them. In India, a man took down a book
from the shelf, and a viper came out of the book and stung him
to death. Just so, there are many books
in which deadly vipers lie hidden. We should be most careful in
choosing the books we read. A good book is a great blessing,
but a bad book is a curse.