Paul’s stedfastness in the gospel message caused a stir throughout Asia. He boldly declared that the people’s idols were no gods at all. Such preaching angered the local craftsmen so they met together to discuss how to stop Paul and end his message’s impact of their livelihood. The mass confusion intensified the fear as it spread throughout the city. As some of Paul’s companions were ushered into the theatre, the crowd cried out conflicting things to the point that many had no idea why they had even gathered together. The people’s confusion escalated. Because of conflicting reports, they were unable to discern the reality of the situation. Confusion thrives when conflicting statements or feelings are present and people fail to discern the truth.
The scripture offers many examples of those who suffered the consequences of choosing to follow ungodly counsel. As children of God, it is imperative that we do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Following the wrong counsel results in severe consequences. For example, Rehoboam in 1 Kings chapter 12 sought counsel from both the older men who had served his father and the younger men who were his peers. However, he chose to follow the counsel of his peers while refusing the counsel and wisdom of the older men. The unwise counsel resulted in splitting the kingdom with the vast majority following Jeroboam as their new king. Jereboam unfortunately led many of the Israelites into pagan worship (1 Kings 12:25-30).
