Acts 19:22–41

It is not right to take 'in the spirit' here as meaning the Holy Spirit. It means no more than that the apostle purposed it 'in his own spirit'. He uses this phrase often, not only in this book but elsewhere. He longed once more to go to Jerusalem after passing through the two Roman provinces of Greece. He felt that his work at Ephesus was done for now.

Timothy and Erastus served as deacons (Acts 19:22). As for the seven men chosen in Acts 6:5, there is no hint that they were "deacons" in any sense other than the sense in which all the servants of Christ are. Once we remember that "deacon" and "servant" translate the same word, we see at once how mistaken it is to call these seven men "the first deacons." Say "the first servants" instead, and the error is obvious.

There have been godly treasurers, such as the one who served Queen Candace. We should not look down on him or on Erastus, because Scripture says, "in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God" (1 Cor. 7:24). If this is the same Erastus who is described in Acts 19:22 as serving Paul, and who stayed at Corinth (2 Tim. 4:20), we can thank God for such a saint.

We also see how he directed the service of others with apostolic authority, and did so at great cost to himself. At this very time he sent two of those who served him into Macedonia: not Erastus only, but Timothy, the fellow-worker nearest to his heart, his beloved child, while he himself stayed for a while in Asia.

Yet he put off going to Macedonia and Achaia, clearly because he feared what he might find at Corinth (2 Cor. 1:15-23). He did send Timothy and Erastus ahead of him (1 Cor. 4:17), most likely hoping that their ministry would help correct wrong practices there before he came himself.

Even an apostle used no force in directing the work of his fellow-workers. They were servants of the Lord. No one would have urged this more earnestly than Paul, and no one would have drawn back more than he did from setting up an authority that gives orders between the Lord and His servants.

While Paul was staying at Ephesus, he sent Timothy ahead into Macedonia (Acts 19:22). That probably explains why Timothy's name is missing from the opening of the first letter. By the time Paul wrote the second letter, both he and Timothy were in Macedonia, so Timothy's name appears there.

The reader will find the rather unusual expression "the way" in Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23. We have translated it word for word from the Greek. We have no doubt it was a nickname given to Christianity, just as the world has always invented one for true godliness.

Saul asked the high priest for permission to arrest the Christians in Damascus. He knew it was enough for the written order to call them men and women of "the way". At that time, being a Christian was not just believing on the Lord Jesus and enjoying peace with God, blessed as those things are. It was a way of life, and not only in some areas but in every part of life. What is more, the believers lived so distinctly, alone and together, that people could see their life as a particular "way". In fact it differed completely from the ways of the world and from the way of every other religion. So everyone knew it as "the way".

The enemy is now left free. The powerful effect of the word of God spurs him on, and he raises a great tumult against Paul and the gospel (v. 23). But it is useless to fight against God. His fury spends itself in shouts and cries. Yet when God allows it, opposition shows its true character. The devil works on people's passions, their selfish interests, their base motives. These rise up against the love, the grace and the salvation God sends to ruined men. Thank God, it was too late! His grace was freeing the slaves of a demonic superstition, the worship of false gods. That is what stirred up all this tumult. We have seen that God kept the enemy in check until the work was finished.

The argument aimed at the pocket carried more weight, we may be quite sure, than any real reverence for Diana.

Still, religious motives, such as they were, cast a halo here over something that was really selfish and sordid. No device of the enemy is more common or more lasting. In this world Satan ties degrading, destructive superstition to what people care about now: their interests and their honour. So it is no wonder. Most people flare up fastest at a testimony to the truth that threatens their religion and their property. It is the same today, in principle, as it was then at Ephesus.

A man who does not know God will fight harder for his wealth and his religion than for anything else. And no one could deny the rest. Far beyond Ephesus, and even beyond Asia, Paul had persuaded many people and turned them away from their many gods and many lords. There was no doubt about what he meant. Things made with hands are not gods. For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist (1 Cor. 8:6).

We start with Asia in 2 Corinthians 1, where Paul refers to the great riot recorded in Acts 19. His preaching at Ephesus was so clearly in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that it overthrew satanic practices. The devil became furious and stirred up his servants. In 2 Corinthians 11:23 Paul speaks of being "often near death," and this was one of those occasions. God came in and delivered him, but the whole affair brought home "the sentence of death" in his own experience. He realised that he was a dead man, and all trust in himself was gone.

Small copies of pagan temples, at Ephesus or elsewhere. The word is ναός (naos), often translated "temple." Acts 19:24.

The trade of Demetrius was to make small silver models of the goddess's shrine. People set them up in houses, kept them as reminders, and carried them on journeys. But the coming of Christianity was bound to hurt the sale of these models. So Demetrius stirred up the pagan workmen to raise a public cry for Diana and against the Christians.

The large number of converts now in Asia, of whom Epaenetus was the firstfruits (Rom. 16:5), was bound to reduce the demand for silver shrines of Diana. It was this manufacture which proved so profitable to Demetrius and his companions. So the drop in his trade gave him a complaint his fellow-craftsmen could easily understand.

The success of the Gospel had endangered the trade of the silversmiths. It was easy for them to try to revive it under cover of zeal for the reputation of their goddess Diana. Was her greatness to be despised and her magnificence destroyed? Here was excellent camouflage for their real concern about their own money-making prospects!

In this world Satan works to weave degrading, destructive superstition into people's daily interests and honour. So it is no wonder that most people catch fire when the truth threatens their religion and their property. It is the same today, in principle, as it was then at Ephesus.

A certain man, Demetrius, earned large sums from making little silver shrines to Diana. He earned so much because this Diana was famous in the whole pagan world, and her temple was one of the seven wonders of the world (v. 27). Driven by the desire for gain, he gathers the craftsmen to oppose the truth that was destroying all their trade (vv. 25, 26). That truth showed that gods made with hands are no gods. How deep is the gloom into which man throws himself when he is without God, and by his very need of a God!

Man, ignorant of God, will fight for nothing harder than for his wealth and his religion.

Many who believed opened their hearts in confession of their deeds and of the Name of the Lord. This stronghold of Satan must have been shaken to its foundations when "a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all." Such was the triumph of the Gospel: "So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily." The outcry of Demetrius and his fellows only showed Satan's rage at being robbed of his goods.

The trade of Demetrius was to make small models in silver of the shrine of the goddess. These were set up in houses, kept as memorials, and carried about on journeys. But the coming of Christianity was bound to cut the sale of these models. So Demetrius stirred up the pagan craftsmen to raise a public cry for Diana and against the Christians.

A certain man, Demetrius, made large sums from the manufacture of little silver shrines to Diana. This Diana was celebrated in the whole pagan world, and her temple was one of the seven wonders of the world (v. 27). Moved by the desire for gain, he gathers the craftsmen to oppose the truth which was destroying all their trade (v. 25, 26) — the truth which showed that gods made with hands were no gods. See how deep the darkness man throws himself into — without God, and by his very need of a God!

Satan succeeds in working on the greed of Demetrius, a silversmith. He suggests to him that Paul's teaching was robbing him of customers for his silver idol shrines. Demetrius calls together other silversmiths and impresses on them the need to protect their financial interests. This is his first concern, though he adds that Paul's teaching was also endangering the magnificence of their great goddess Diana. He knew well that this latter accusation would likely have more weight with the people.

The success of the Gospel had endangered the trade of the silversmiths. So it was easy to try to revive their trade under cover of zeal for the reputation of their goddess Diana. Here was excellent camouflage for their real concern about their own money-making prospects!

In this world Satan works to weave degrading and destructive superstition into the present interests and honour of mankind. So it is no wonder that most men are quickly enraged by the testimony of the truth. It threatens to undermine both their religion and their worldly property. It is the same today, in principle, as then at Ephesus.

Man, not knowing God, will fight for nothing harder than for his wealth and his religion. And no one could deny it. Far beyond Ephesus, and beyond Asia too, Paul had persuaded many people and turned them away from their many gods and many lords.

In Ephesus, that stronghold of idolatry, the truth won its way. It did so in full sight of the temple of the so-called goddess Diana, whom all Asia and the Roman world worshipped. Worshippers were drawn away from her worship, and interest in her was clearly declining. Christians were found throughout the province of Asia, and assemblies had sprung up... The gospel was indeed triumphing, and Demetrius and his fellows could not but admit it.

People deserted the pagan temples, neglected the worship of the gods, and seldom bought animals for sacrifice. This naturally raised a popular cry against Christianity, such as we had at Ephesus... People whose living depended on the worship of the pagan gods brought many serious complaints against the Christians before the governors.

But this would raise a great outcry, and the unwanted officials might say, as Demetrius of old said to his fellows, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth."

There was no doubt that he really did mean that those are no gods which are made with hands. He meant that to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. We ought not to think, therefore, that the divine being is like gold, or silver, or stone, shaped by the art and imagination of man. And that one God now commands all people everywhere to repent. He has fixed a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness, by the Man whom He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all by raising Him from the dead.

This term in the New Testament does not refer to the part of the earth now called Asia. It does not include the whole of Asia Minor either. It applies only to the western part of Asia Minor... The province, with Ephesus as its capital, included Caria, Lydia, and Mysia.

In Ephesus, that stronghold of idolatry, the truth won its way in sight of the temple of the so-called goddess Diana. All Asia and the Roman world worshipped her. Worshippers were drawn away from her cult, and interest in her was in noticeable decline... The gospel was indeed triumphing, and Demetrius and his fellows could not help admitting it.

Their rage against Paul was not because he had said that they are no gods which are made with hands. Many of their own wise men had said the same. It was because he had persuaded and turned away a great crowd, not only of Ephesus, but of almost all Asia, so that their means of livelihood is threatened.

The success of the gospel had endangered the trade of the silversmiths. It was not hard to try to revive their trade under cover of zeal for their goddess Diana. Was her greatness to be despised and her magnificence destroyed? Here was excellent camouflage for their real concern about their own money-making prospects!

In this world Satan works to tie degrading and destructive superstition to people's present interests and honour. Given that, it is no wonder that most people are so easily inflamed. Nothing stirs them like a testimony to the truth that threatens to undermine their religion and their worldly property. It is the same today, in principle, as it was then at Ephesus.

What an absurd thing to deny what all Asia and the world worship!... So saying there are no gods made with hands can come to count as heresy. And the town clerk can shame a crowd out of taking it seriously.

The desire for gain drove him. He gathered the craftsmen to oppose the truth that was destroying all their trade — the truth which showed that gods made with hands were no gods. How deep the gloom into which man, without God, and by his very need of a God, throws himself!

Satan could not stand by and see one of his great strongholds attacked and weakened by the power of the Spirit of God. So he works on the greed of Demetrius, a silversmith. He suggests to him that Paul's teaching was robbing him of customers for his idolatrous silver shrines. Demetrius then calls together other silversmiths. He presses on them the need to protect their money. This is his first concern, though he adds that Paul's teaching was also endangering the magnificence of their great goddess Diana. He knew well that this second accusation was likely to carry more weight with the people.

Religious motives, poor as they were, even here cast a holy glow over something selfish and sordid. No device of the enemy is more common or more lasting. In this world Satan weaves degrading and destructive superstition into people's daily interests and honour. So it is no wonder that most people flare up fastest at a testimony to the truth that threatens to undermine their religion and their property. It is the same today, in principle, as it was then at Ephesus.

Demetrius made large sums from manufacturing little silver shrines to Diana. Driven by the desire for gain, he gathers the craftsmen to oppose the truth that was destroying all their trade (vv. 25, 26). That truth showed that gods made with hands are no gods. How deep is the gloom into which man throws himself when he is without God, and by his very need of a God!

Sebomai occurs ten times in the Greek New Testament. Six times it appears as worship: Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; Acts 16:14; 18:7, 13; 19:27. Three times it appears as devout, and once as religious. So we can see that the basic meaning of sebomai is "I worship." But note, the worship may be right or wrong, true or false. Matthew 15:9 reads: "in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." And Acts 19:27 speaks of the worship of the idol, Diana of the Ephesians. Both of these are wrong worship.

Ephesus… was the main seat and centre of heathen idolatry. It was the stronghold of Satan's power, and from it idolatry spread all over the known world (Acts 19). Strangers eagerly bought the small silver shrines of the goddess Diana and set them up as household gods in their distant homes. The wealth of Asia adorned and beautified her huge temple, and people counted it one of the seven wonders of the world.

How the truth had triumphed! In Ephesus, that stronghold of idolatry, the truth won its way. It did so in full sight of the temple of the so-called goddess Diana, whom all Asia and the Roman world worshipped. Her followers were leaving her cult, and interest in her was clearly declining. Christians now lived throughout the province of Asia, and assemblies had sprung up… The gospel was indeed triumphing, and Demetrius and his companions could not help admitting it.

The temple of Diana? How little we know of it today! Crumbled, and gone forever; all its glory and all its licentiousness gone. But the temple we belong to still exists today, and God is worshipped, and will be worshipped, eternally.

Diana is the Latin name of one of the main goddesses of the Greeks and Romans. The Greek name is Artemis. People said that an image of her had fallen from heaven, or had been made of wood or ebony that fell from the clouds. All Asia worshipped it. Her temple was at Ephesus, built of the finest marble... Ephesus was an educated city in every other way, but in religion it was in the dark. Its people were so worked up that they could shout for two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

Satan worked through people's greed. The success of the gospel had put the silversmiths' trade in danger, so it was easy for them to try to revive it under the cover of zeal for the reputation of their goddess Diana. Would people now despise her greatness and destroy her splendour? It was an excellent disguise for their real worry — their own income!

People who do not know God will fight for nothing more fiercely than for their wealth and their religion... There was no doubt about what Paul meant. Gods made with hands are not gods. For us there is one God, the Father, from Whom are all things and for Whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things and through Whom we exist (1 Cor. 8:6). So we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man... But grace knows how to make the wrath of man praise God, and also how to hold back the rest of that wrath.

Not only were their profits at stake. The importance of their goddess and of their city was in danger too. They do not say, "Great is Diana," but "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Knowing the true God makes us feel our own nothingness, and it judges the state of the heart. But a false religion forms an alliance with the passions of the heart. Worshippers are great in proportion to their religion and to what they worship. If the Diana of the Ephesians was great, then the Ephesians themselves were important in proportion to her importance. To look down on Diana was to take away from the greatness of her followers.

In people who claim to know God, fits of rage are usually outbursts of false zeal. Man's anger never works the righteousness of God; it always resists it. The men of Nazareth were full of the anger of rebuked self-righteousness when they rose up to kill the Lord, and failed (Luke 4:28-30). In Gentile and in Jew we see the same cause producing the same effects.

Their cry of "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" was a spark that set the whole city on fire, because Satan had been at work preparing the fuel. Then came the frightening riot that Paul refers to in his second letter to the Corinthians. He and his friends "were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself" (2 Cor. 1:8). The excited Ephesians were ready to pass the sentence of death on Paul... God did deliver him "from such a deadly peril," but the danger was clearly so great that Paul compares his rescue to a resurrection from the dead.

Satan works in this world to weave degrading and destructive superstition into people's present interests and honour. Since that is so, it is no wonder that the testimony of the truth quickly inflames most people. That testimony threatens to undermine both their religion and their property. In principle it is the same today as it was then at Ephesus.

In the dark arts Satan approaches men with all the cunning of the serpent. Beaten there on this occasion, he turned to action in which he showed himself as the roaring lion. He worked through the greed of men. The success of the gospel had endangered the trade of the silversmiths. It was not hard to try to revive it under cover of zeal for the reputation of their goddess Diana. Would people despise her greatness and destroy her splendour? Here was excellent camouflage for their real concern about their own money-making prospects!

A crowd picks up a popular cry easily, and that is what happened here. All could shout out "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" But why were they shouting this? What was it all about? Most of that huge crowd could not tell. They had dragged Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's companions, along in their headlong rush to the theatre. Yet they plainly did not know what to do with them. No one touched either man: not a hair of their heads was hurt.

A place built for plays and other public entertainments, and for meetings of the people. At the uproar at Ephesus they rushed into the theatre (Acts 19:29, 31). The word is theatron, and it is translated 'spectacle' in 1 Cor. 4:9; angels and men gazed at the apostles.

During the stirring scenes at Ephesus, when the truth was overthrowing the business of Demetrius, the crowd seized Gaius as a well-known companion of Paul. Acts 19:29 calls him a Macedonian. He seems to have been a Macedonian living at Corinth, as Lydia was a woman of Thyatira living at Philippi.

We cannot say for certain whether the Gaius of John's third letter is one of the others we read about who bear that name. The Gaius of Acts 19:29 was a man of Macedonia. The Gaius of Acts 20:4 was "of Derbe," a city in Asia Minor. The Gaius of 1 Corinthians 1:14 was a Corinthian.

Aristarchus was a fellow-prisoner with the Apostle at the time of writing. He had been a companion in Paul's travels (Acts 19:29); a fellow-sufferer in the shipwreck (Acts 27:2); a fellow-worker in service (Philemon 24); and at last he is a fellow-prisoner in the Apostle's chains.

Their cry of "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" was a spark that set the whole city alight. Satan had been at work making the material that would burn. Then came the alarming riot. Paul refers to it in his second letter to the Corinthians, when he and his friends "were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself" (2 Cor. 1:8). The excited Ephesians were ready to pass the sentence of death on Paul. But as he goes on to tell us, "we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead" (2 Cor. 1:9).

A popular cry starts easily and spreads, as it did in this case. Everyone could shout "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" But why were they shouting it? What was it all about? Most of that huge crowd could not have said.

The reason for their rage against Paul was not that he said gods made with hands are no gods. Many of their own wise men had said the same. It was that he had persuaded and turned away a great crowd, not only in Ephesus but in almost all Asia. Their means of living was now under threat.

Man, who does not know God, will fight for nothing more fiercely than for his wealth and his religion.

Paul, with the courage that always marked him, was about to go in there to the people, but the disciples held him back.

They had dragged Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's companions, along with them to the theatre, and they clearly did not know what to do with them. No one touched either of them: not a hair of their heads was hurt. Had Paul appeared it might have been very different.

The believers restrain Paul and keep him from going there, where his zeal would have carried him. God watches over His servant; there was nothing for him to do there.

They little knew that the Judge was at the door, or how thin the thread was that held the sword of justice. Suppose Paul had gone into the theatre, and the blind rage of disappointed greed had killed him. People's souls would then have been cut off from that blessed truth of God. He was revealing that truth through Paul, so that they might have fellowship with Himself.

Whatever his own courage or feeling, Paul did not look down on the friends who warned him, despite their position. Scripture shows that he gave way to the protest of his fellow believers. He knew, on the right occasion, how to use heaven's power on earth for the Lord's glory. He wrote with divine authority for the saints here below until Christ comes. Yet he could graciously bend to others, as well as stand alone where that was of God. Only the Holy Spirit can give discernment at the moment, when the eye is fixed on Christ alone.

The truest spiritual desire cannot take the place of the guidance of God... Not that spiritual zeal itself is evil — it is not; but if we lean on it, we will find it misleads us, and we will reap the results.

The word is Ἀσιαρχῶν, "chiefs of Asia." They were officers chosen annually by the cities in the Roman province of Asia. They had charge of the public games and religious festivals. Some of the Asiarchs were friends of Paul. They begged him not to put himself in danger in the theatre, since no one could always control a riotous mob.

These were elected officials, who, at their own expense, furnished festivals in honour of the gods.

Still, as we have seen, God was at work behind the scenes through wiser men of high standing among them. The Asiarchs, whose chief or chiefs lived at Ephesus, had the easiest means and the best position in the state. Their very office would make you expect them to resent any dishonour done to their religion more than anyone. But kindness, if not conscience, made them give Paul wise advice: he should not risk himself in the theatre. God used them to shelter His servant. Here zeal and courage would have done no good, and might have put him in danger.

They had dragged Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's companions, with them in their headlong rush to the theatre. Once there, it was obvious they did not know what to do with them. No one touched either of them: not a hair of their heads was hurt. Had Paul appeared it might have been very different.

Paul declared faithfully that gods made by hands are not gods at all. Yet these men were his friends. That shows he was not offensive in the way he opposed such idolatry.

It is worth noting what he could say about Paul and his companions: they are "neither temple-plunderers, nor speak injuriously of your goddess" (New Translation). That shows they had carefully avoided anything that might have given offence. Their work was the positive preaching of the Gospel, not the negative work of exposing the follies of idolatry.

It is very interesting to see the moral effect of Paul's teaching and life on certain of the chief officers of Asia. Scripture sets them apart from the disciples, yet says plainly that they were his friends. What is more, scripture shows that Paul did not despise these friends, despite their position. Whatever his own courage or feeling, he gave way to the protest of his brothers in the faith. At the right moment he knew how to wield on earth the power of heaven for the Lord's glory. He wrote with divine authority for the saints here below until Christ comes. Yet he could bend graciously to others, and he could also stand alone when that was of God. Only the Holy Spirit can give the discernment at the moment, where the eye is single to Christ.

The brothers restrain Paul, and keep him from going there, where his zeal would have led him. God watches over His servant; there was nothing for him to do there.

Israel was a great assembly or congregation, as nobody can dispute. But that proves nothing about whether it was what God's assembly is now, according to the word. It is "Ecclesia," an assembly, in Acts 7, and the word, being simply an assembled multitude, says just no more than that. Acts 19 uses the identical word when it says that the town clerk "dismissed the assembly." Put "the church" there, and what nice sense you will have!

"Assembly" in this verse is exactly the same word the Spirit of God uses for "the assembly, the body of Christ" (Ephesians 1:22-23). It simply means a company of people elected out of the community to represent the city. The Spirit of God takes up that word and gives it a dignified meaning, a glorified meaning. It names ones called out of this world's system. They are to be for God intelligently, to represent God, and to function for God.

A popular cry is easily raised and taken up, as it was in this case. All could shout out "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" But why were they shouting this? What was it all about? The greater part of that vast crowd could not tell. They had carried Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's companions, with them in their headlong rush to the theatre. Yet plainly they did not know what to do with them. No one touched either of them: not a hair of their heads was hurt.

This outbreak shows us the power of the prince of this world. Worldly interests back him, and they love to shelter under the cover of religion. Men must have a religion; yet how thin a coat of it will do for the crowd, while the crowd in turn will do for the religion... In fact the cry that unites the mob is "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" Yet when they come together, it is hard to turn that cry into anything that makes sense.

It was fitting that we should have a living picture of a half-religious riot among the Gentiles themselves. And we have it in the largest theatre whose ruins survive to this day. The Gentiles were certainly a little more senseless than the Jews, though their convictions were nowhere near as deep... Whatever the selfish motives underneath, they voiced their anger for the great Artemis, the goddess the Ephesians boasted about. Yet, as we have seen, God worked providentially through wiser men of high station among them... God used them to shelter His servant, where zeal and courage would have been useless, and might have exposed him to danger.

Since that time, men's protest demonstrations have often produced the same senseless confusion.

It is the "People's Party" in politics and in religion. It is the "People's Church." And people tell us confidently, "The voice of the people is the voice of God." God does not tell us so. He tells us the opposite. And where is His voice heard in all the noise and confusion caused "by the voice of the people"? Today it is one thing, and tomorrow something else... All around is confusion, as at Ephesus.

In this book we have already had the Holy Spirit's account of religious excitement among the Jews... It was fitting that we should also see a living picture of a half-religious riot among the heathen themselves. It happened in the largest theatre whose remains still survive today. The Gentiles were certainly a little more senseless than the Jews, though their convictions were nowhere near as deep.

The Jews clearly began to fear that the persecution might turn against them, since most of the people did not know why they had come together. So they put forward a man named Alexander, probably to shift the blame from themselves onto the Christians. But the moment the heathen found out he was a Jew, their fury grew.

It is well to avoid the mistake of confusing the apostle's act here with what he did in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, or what Alexander did in the tumultuous assembly at Ephesus. This was "beckoning with the hand", quite different in character and aim from stretching it out, here too with a chain.

It was useless, then, for Alexander to beckon with his hand in the desire to make a defence to the people. It was enough that they saw he was a Jew, and therefore hostile to their idolatry. There was one voice from all, for about two hours, as they cried out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" What a true picture of a world governed by prejudice and feeling in what matters most — for this life, and for the life to come! God, the true God, is not in their thoughts, which are therefore open to any and every delusion.

Once again the poor Jews prove themselves without light. Walking in darkness in their own errors, they put forward one of their countrymen to defend the doctrine of the one God. But this only stirred up the fury of the people even more... Without God no one can oppose the devil or uphold the truth. The truth of the one God had no power without faith and truth in the heart, and neither did the name of Jesus, linked with Paul who announced Him.

The Apostle then refers to "Alexander the coppersmith." Whether he is the same man mentioned in Acts 19:33 we cannot now tell. Here he carries the unenviable reputation of an uncompromising opponent of the truth, and of the Apostle in particular.

From the account in Acts we can see how God used one person and then another to work the deliverance. He used certain of the chiefs of Asia; Alexander, who drew attention away from Paul; and the town clerk with his diplomatic talk. Most of the wild demonstrators had no idea exactly why they were demonstrating.

Kind feeling, if not conscience, made these men of high station give Paul the wise advice not to venture into the theatre. God used them to shelter His servant, where zeal and courage would have been useless, and might have exposed him to danger.

Diana is the Latin name of one of the main goddesses of the Greeks and Romans; the Greek name is Artemis. People said an image of her had fallen from heaven. All Asia worshipped it. Her temple was at Ephesus, built of choice marble... Ephesus was an enlightened city in other ways, but it was dark when it came to religion. The excited people could shout for two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

There was one voice from all, for about two hours, as they cried out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians." What a true picture of a world ruled by prejudice and feeling in the thing that matters most — not only for this life, but also for the life to come! God, the true God, is not in their thoughts, and so their thoughts lie open to any and every delusion.

A popular cry is easily started and taken up, as it was here. Everyone could shout out "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" But why were they shouting this? What was it all about? Most of that huge crowd could not tell.

They do not say, "Great is Diana," but "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Knowing the true God makes us feel our own nothingness, and it judges the state of the heart. A false religion, by contrast, joins hands with the passions of the heart. Worshippers are great in the measure of their religion, and of what they worship... To look down on Diana was to take away from the greatness of her followers.

The story of this outbreak shows us the power of the prince of this world, held up by worldly interests that love to hide under the cover of religion. Men must have a religion; yet how thin a coat of it is enough for the crowd, while the crowd in turn is enough for the religion.

Here again we find the Jews putting Alexander forward. However clever the plan, it did them no good. It only inflamed the crowd all the more. The idol-worshippers instinctively resented a defender like this. Could anyone honestly think that the Jews had more respect for their great goddess than the Christians had?

Without God no one can stand against the devil or hold up the truth. Neither the truth of the one God, nor the name of Jesus joined with the name of Paul who preached Him, had any power without faith and truth in the heart.

God worked through wiser men of high standing among them... Kind feeling, if not conscience, made them give Paul the wise advice not to risk himself in the theatre. God used them to shelter His servant, where zeal and courage would have done no good, and might have put him in danger.

Until the Lord comes, this conflict must go on. Miracles have ceased, but the care of His servants never grows weaker in the heart of Jesus. He works as truly as ever, and God's government orders everything for the good of His work. He may allow Satan's rage to break out, but He never forgets His own.

The town clerk, or recorder, now comes on the scene. In that age and country he was a far more important man than such an officer is in most places, as we learn from ancient inscriptions and other evidence. He worshipped idols like the rest. But their pointless frenzy shocked his common sense. His speech states in plain, sharp terms their own folly and wrong — not their wrong towards God, but towards other men, and above all in the eyes of their Roman governors.

He appealed to what everyone knew: Ephesus worshipped Diana and the image they claimed had fallen down from Jupiter. The image was clearly a man-made thing. It stood for the powers of nature that give birth and feed, and that is why it had many breasts. But men given to idols will accept any superstitious lie.

Diana is the Latin name of one of the chief goddesses of the Greeks and Romans. The Greek name is Artemis. People said an image of her had fallen from heaven, or that someone had made it from wood or ebony that fell from the clouds. All Asia worshipped it. Her temple stood at Ephesus, built of choice marble… Ephesus was in other ways an enlightened city, yet it was dark in religion: the excited people could shout for two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

"Since no one can deny these things, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here, and they are neither temple-robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess…" The little word "for", which our version and perhaps every other leaves out, hints without saying it outright: Why all this fuss?… All the old Protestant English versions give the completely false rendering "robbers of churches".

How foolish they looked! Neither Gaius nor Aristarchus had attacked their goddess. Neither they, nor any Christians, had committed the sacrilege of robbing the temple. So the right thing for them all was to be quiet and do nothing rash. If Demetrius had a grievance, the law courts and the Roman governors were there; he should take it to them, not to the excited crowd filling the theatre. So they should all break up quietly, or the city's leaders would have to answer for the uproar.

What a true picture of the world! It is ruled by prejudice and feeling in the very things that matter most — not only for this life, but for the life to come. God, the true God, is not in their thoughts, so their thoughts lie open to every delusion.

It was good for everyone that the town clerk was a man of great tact and skill. He flattered the crowd, calmed them, soothed them, and sent the assembly home. But faith sees more: God was using the persuasive speech of an idol-worshipping official to protect His servant and His many children there.

The apostle was writing to Gentiles. They had once been "worshippers of the great goddess, Diana," and of the image which they imagined had fallen "down from Jupiter." Poor idol-worshippers they were then. These Gentiles are the "you" of that solemn statement, and he himself with other Hebrews are the "we."

The town clerk, or recorder, now comes on the scene. He was a much more important person in that time and country than in most others, as we learn from ancient inscriptions and other sources. He was a pagan like the rest. But his common sense was shocked by their pointless excesses. His speech sets out in plain, sharp terms their own folly and wrong — not as to God, but as among men, and especially before their Roman governors.

This is how man is deceived. He assumes as beyond question what is merely a delusion of the enemy. Intelligence is no protection against the lie of Satan; nothing protects but the truth brought home by the Spirit of God. For this man, otherwise sensible, the great Artemis and the stone that fell from the sky were things that could not be denied. On that assumption he insists that calmness is the only fitting state of mind for his fellow worshippers.

He calls for calmness and for holding back from any rash action. He tells them that the men they had seized (Gaius and Aristarchus) were neither temple plunderers nor blasphemers of their goddess. He knew that these men were not agitators, but that Demetrius was causing the agitation. So he tells them this: if Demetrius and the other craftsmen want to bring a civil charge against anyone, the courts were fully available, and lawyers too... For, as he says, the Roman authorities would likely ask hard questions about such an uproar. And they could give them no satisfactory answer.

The town clerk was able to say of Paul and his companions that they are "neither temple-plunderers, nor speak injuriously of your goddess" (New Translation). This shows that they had carefully avoided all that might have given offence. They went in for the positive preaching of the gospel rather than the negative work of exposing the follies of idolatry.

The history of this outbreak shows us the power of the prince of this world, supported by the worldly interests that love to shelter under the cover of religion. Men must have a religion; yet how thin a coat of it will do for the crowd, while the crowd in turn will do for the religion. What an absurd thing, to deny what all Asia and the world worship! ...So it can become heresy to say that things made by human hands are not gods. And the town clerk can shame a crowd out of taking it seriously.

Fortunately for all parties, the town clerk was a man of great tact and admirable policy. He flattered, calmed, soothed, and dismissed the assembly. But to faith it was God using the persuasive eloquence of a pagan official to protect His servant and His many children there.

Fortunately for everyone involved, the town clerk was a man of great tact and admirable skill. He flattered the crowd, calmed them, soothed them, and sent the assembly home. But to faith it was God using the persuasive speech of a pagan official to protect His servant and His many children there.

All the old Protestant English Versions have the absurdly false rendering "robbers of churches". Bad habit runs that deep, and not only among ordinary people.

How foolish they looked! Neither Gaius nor Aristarchus had attacked their goddess. Neither they, nor any Christians, had committed sacrilege by robbing the temple. So the right course for them all was to keep quiet and do nothing rash.

Note how he could say of Paul and his companions that they are "neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess". This shows they had taken care to avoid anything that might cause offence. They gave themselves to the positive preaching of the Gospel, not to the negative work of exposing how foolish idol-worship is.

This is how man is deceived. He takes as beyond question what is only a delusion of the enemy. No amount of intelligence protects a man against the lie of Satan; nothing does but the truth brought home by the Spirit of God. For this man, sensible in other things, the great Artemis and the stone that fell from the sky were facts no one could deny.

This outbreak shows us the power of the prince of this world, propped up by worldly interests that love to shelter under the cover of religion. Men must have a religion; yet how thin a coat of it is enough for the crowd, while the crowd in turn is enough for the religion. What an absurd thing to deny what all Asia and the world worship! Really, men believe in men... So it can end up being heresy to say that things made with hands are no gods; and a town clerk can shame a crowd out of taking it seriously.

He knew that these men were not the troublemakers. Demetrius was the one stirring things up. So he tells them that if Demetrius and the other craftsmen want to bring a civil charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are lawyers too. As he says, the Roman authorities would likely question them closely about the reason for such an uproar, and they could give no satisfactory answer. It was the Lord's mercy that the matter ended in this way.

The town clerk of Ephesus tried, and with success, to calm the excited crowd in the theatre of the city. That city took pride in being the temple-keeper of Artemis the Great. "If Demetrius," he said, "and the craftsmen with him have a matter against any man, the law is open" (rather, the law courts are being held), "and there are deputies (or proconsuls): let them bring charges against one another."

So he tells them this. If Demetrius and the other craftsmen want to bring a civil charge against anyone, the courts were open and lawyers available. Other matters — political ones, for instance — would need a properly arranged assembly under proper government. For, as he says, the Roman authorities would likely question closely the reason for such an uproar, and they could give them no satisfactory answer.

He is more exact as well. He puts before Demetrius and the craftsmen with him that their procedure was irregular and dangerous for everyone. A charge must come at a proper time and place, and before the right judge. Only there could a case reach a lawful result.

This is how man is deceived. He takes as beyond question what is only a delusion of the enemy. No amount of intelligence protects him from the lie of Satan. Nothing does that but the truth brought home by the Spirit of God. For this man, otherwise sensible, the great Artemis and the stone that fell from the sky were things that could not be denied.

Notice what he could say of Paul and his companions. They are "neither temple-robbers, nor do they speak against your goddess," which shows that they had carefully avoided all that might have given offence. They went in for the positive preaching of the gospel , not the negative work of exposing the follies of idolatry.

Fortunately for all parties, the town clerk was a man of great tact and admirable policy. He flattered, calmed, soothed, and dismissed the assembly. But to faith it was God using the persuasive eloquence of a pagan official to protect His servant and His many children there.

He then dismisses the disorderly and irregular assembly, which had done nothing but show what man is under the power of Satan and moved by his own selfishness.

He is also more exact. He puts it to Demetrius and the craftsmen with him that their way of proceeding was irregular and dangerous for everyone. A charge must be brought at the proper time and place, and before the right judge. Only there could there be a lawful result. Any other question must be settled in the lawful assembly — and this gathering was not that.

It simply means an assembly, and the context decides what kind of assembly it is. For example, the same word is used three times of the riotous crowd at Ephesus, which Demetrius the silversmith and his fellow tradesmen brought together (Acts 19:32, 39, 41). In each of those places it is translated assembly.

The word by which the Church is named is itself an example — and hardly a more striking one could be found — of how a word is gradually raised in meaning. We have ekklesia in three distinct stages: the pagan, the Jewish, and the Christian. As to the first, ekklesia was the lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those who held the right of citizenship, called to handle public affairs. The last part of the word says that they were summoned. The first part says that they were summoned out of the whole population — a select portion of it, which left out the common crowd, foreigners, and those who had lost their civic rights. Both the calling and the calling out are worth remembering when the word is taken up into its higher Christian sense, for much of its fitness for that greater use lies in them.

The town clerk calms the people. He lets them understand that the authorities would most likely step in because of the riot, and that the men (Gaius and Aristarchus) had done nothing against the law. He then dismisses the disorderly and irregular assembly. It had done nothing but show what man is under the power of Satan and moved by his own selfishness.

The story of this riot shows us the power of the prince of this world, propped up by the worldly interests that love to hide under the cover of religion. Men must have a religion. Yet how thin a coat of it is enough for the crowd — and the crowd, in turn, is enough for the religion.

It was fortunate for everyone that the town clerk was a man of great tact and skill. He flattered the crowd, calmed it, soothed it, and dismissed the assembly. But to faith it was God using the persuasive speech of a pagan official to protect His servant and His many children there.

It is worth noting that he could say of Paul and his companions that they are "neither temple-plunderers, nor speak injuriously of your goddess" (Acts 19:37, older translation). That shows they had been careful to avoid anything that might have caused offence. They gave themselves to the positive preaching of the Gospel, not to the negative work of exposing the follies of idolatry.

He is more precise. He points out to Demetrius and the craftsmen with him that their action was irregular and dangerous for everyone. They must bring a charge at the proper time and place, and before the right judge. Only there could there be a lawful result. Any other question belongs in the lawful assembly, and this was not one. More than that — "we are in danger". Not only they, but "we", might face a charge of rioting over this day's business. There was no reason they could point to that would account for this gathering. The Romans, as everyone knows, were deeply suspicious of such disorderly gatherings. They often punished them with bloodshed beyond measure. Since his speech closed with such a pointed hint, he had no trouble in dismissing the assembly.

The assembly dispersed. It had done nothing but shout. It had achieved nothing except to cover itself with ridicule. Its folly was exposed. Its senseless act was rebuked. The town clerk was wise. Demetrius and his fellows had fooled the people. Many a thoughtful person probably saw it the next day, when he reviewed the whole matter calmly.

The history of this outbreak shows us the power of the prince of this world. Worldly interests hold him up, and they love to shelter under the cover of religion. Men must have a religion. Yet how thin a coat of it is enough for the crowd, while the crowd in turn is enough for the religion… In fact the cry that unites the mob is "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" But when they come together, it is hard to turn this into anything they can put into words. … until the town clerk brings it to an end. He wonders at what was never in question. He pleads for men who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers. And behind it stands the hint of Rome's harsh way of putting down a riot.

Fortunately for all concerned, the town clerk was a man of great tact and admirable judgment. He flattered, calmed, soothed, and dismissed the assembly. But to faith it was God using the persuasive eloquence of a heathen official to protect His servant and His many children there.

The word does cover the riotous meeting at Ephesus that the town clerk dismissed (Acts 19:41). But it also means "called out ones". Archbishop Trench says: "The name we give the Church is itself an example of how a word is gradually ennobled — you could hardly find a more striking one… In a free Greek city, ekklesia was the lawful assembly of all those who held the right of citizenship, for the conduct of public affairs. The second half of the word says they were summoned. The first says they were summoned out of the whole population, a select portion of it — not the general public, not strangers, and not those who had lost their civic rights. Both the calling and the calling out are worth remembering when we take the word up into a higher Christian sense."

Any other question had to be settled in the lawful assembly, which this gathering was not. More than that, "we are in danger" — not just they, but "we". They could be accused of riot for what happened that day, and they had no reason to give that would account for this gathering. The Romans, as everyone knows, were deeply suspicious of such disorderly gatherings, and often punished them with unlimited bloodshed. His speech closed with such a pointed hint that he then had no difficulty in dismissing the assembly.

Israel is called "Ecclesia," an assembly, in Acts 7, and the word, being simply an assembled multitude, says just no more than that. The same word appears in Acts 19, where the town clerk "dismissed the assembly." Put "the church" there, and see what nice sense you get!

The "assembly in the wilderness" was of Israel; while the assembly of Acts 19:41 was an Ephesian mob. The Church of God is, moreover, called the "House of God," "Bride of Christ," "The Lamb's wife," and so on, applying to it, and to nothing else.

This is how man is deceived. He treats as beyond question what is only a delusion of the enemy. No intelligence protects against Satan's lie; nothing does but the truth brought home by the Spirit of God. For this man, otherwise sensible, the great Artemis and the stone that fell from the sky were things that could not be denied.

The history of this outbreak shows us the power of the prince of this world supported by the worldly interests that love to shelter under the cover of religion. Men must have a religion; yet how thin a coat of it will do for the crowd, while the crowd in turn will do for the religion.

For two whole hours the people shouted, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Fortunately for everyone, the town clerk was a man of great tact and admirable policy. He flattered, calmed, soothed, and dismissed the assembly. But to faith it was God using the persuasive eloquence of a pagan official to protect His servant and His many children there.

God used these men of high position to shelter His servant, where zeal and courage would have been useless, and might have exposed him to danger.

The assembly broke up. It had done nothing but shout. It had achieved nothing except to cover itself with ridicule. Its folly was exposed. Its senseless act was rebuked. The town clerk was wise.

The enemy, left free and stirred up by the powerful effect of the word of God, raises a great tumult against Paul and the gospel. But it is useless to fight against God. His fury spends itself in shouts and cries… Thank God, it was too late! We have seen that until the work was finished, the enemy was held in check.