Picture: The Silversmiths Riot at Ephesus 4TC 150.1
This chapter is based on Acts 19:21-41; 20:1.
For more than three years Ephesus was the center of Paul’s work. He raised up a flourishing church, and the gospel spread from this city throughout Asia among both Jews and Gentiles. 4TC 150.2
The apostle now “purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, ‘After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’” In harmony with this plan he “sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia” (NRSV), but feeling that Ephesus still needed his presence, he decided to stay there until after Pentecost. An event soon occurred, however, that made him leave sooner than planned. 4TC 150.3
Once a year, special ceremonies were held at Ephesus to honor the goddess Diana. These attracted great numbers of people. This gala season was a difficult time for those who had newly come to the faith. The believers who met in the school of Tyrannus were clearly out of harmony with the festive occasion, and people freely heaped ridicule and insult on them. 4TC 151.1
Paul’s efforts had given the heathen worship a serious setback, and there was a noticeable drop in attendance at the national festival and in the enthusiasm of the worshipers. The influence of Paul’s teachings extended far beyond the actual converts. Many who had not accepted the new doctrines had still gained enough light that they lost all confidence in their heathen gods. 4TC 151.2
There was also another cause of dissatisfaction. A profitable business had developed in selling small shrines and images, modeled after the temple and image of Diana. Those in this industry found their profits shrinking, and they all blamed the unwelcome change on Paul’s ministry. 4TC 151.3
Demetrius, a manufacturer of silver shrines, called together the workmen of his craft and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity from this trade. Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed.” The excitable people “were full of wrath and cried out, saying, ‘Great is Diana of the Ephesians!’” 4TC 151.4
A report of this speech quickly circulated, and “the whole city was filled with confusion.” People searched for Paul, but the apostle was not to be found. His fellow believers had quickly removed him from the place. God sent angels to guard the apostle. His time to die as a martyr had not yet come. 4TC 151.5
When they failed to find the object of their anger, the mob seized “Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions,” and they “rushed into the theater” with them. 4TC 151.6
Paul was not far away, and he soon learned about the danger his friends were in. Forgetting his own safety, he wanted to go to the theater immediately to speak to the rioters. But “the disciples would not allow him.” They didn’t expect any serious harm to come to Gaius and Aristarchus, but if the apostle made an appearance, it would stir up the worst passions of the mob, and it would be humanly impossible to save his life. 4TC 152.1
Paul was finally persuaded not to go by a message from the theater. His friends “sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater.” 4TC 152.2
The uproar there was continually growing stronger. “The assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.” The Jews, anxious to show that they did not sympathize with Paul and his work, brought forward one of their own people to speak to the mob. The speaker they chose was the craftsman Alexander, a coppersmith, who Paul later said had done him much harm. (See 2 Timothy 4:14.) Alexander applied all his energies to focusing the people’s anger exclusively on Paul and his companions. But the crowd, seeing that he was a Jew, pushed him aside, and “all with one voice cried out for about two hours, ‘Great is Diana of the Ephesians!’” 4TC 152.3
Finally there was a moment of silence. Then the clerk of the city, because he was an important government officer, got the crowd’s attention. He showed that there was no cause for the present uproar and appealed to their reason. “‘What man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? ... You ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. ... These men here ... are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ... We are in danger of being called in question with today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.’ And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.” 4TC 152.4
In his speech Demetrius revealed the real cause of the commotion and also much of the persecution that followed the apostles: “This trade of ours [is] in danger of falling into disrepute.” The spread of the gospel endangered the business of making idols. The income of pagan priests and craftsmen was at stake. 4TC 152.5
The decision of the clerk and of others in the city had upheld Paul before the people as innocent of any unlawful act. God had raised up a great city official to vindicate His apostle and keep the mob under control. Paul’s heart was filled with gratitude to God for preserving his life and that Christianity had not been discredited by the near riot at Ephesus. 4TC 153.1
“After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.” 4TC 153.2
Paul’s ministry in Ephesus involved constant labor, many hardships, and deep anguish. He had taught the people in public and from house to house, instructing and warning them. The Jews had opposed him at every turn. And while he was battling against opposition, he was carrying a heavy burden on his heart for all the churches. News of apostasy in some of the churches caused him deep sorrow. He spent many sleepless nights in earnest prayer as he learned of how people were trying to undo his work. 4TC 153.3
As he had opportunity, he wrote to the churches, giving correction, counsel, warnings, and encouragement. In these letters he sometimes gave glimpses of his sufferings in the service of Christ. Beatings and imprisonment, cold and hunger and thirst, dangers by land and by sea, in the city and in the wilderness, from his own countrymen, from the heathen, and from false believers—all this he endured for the gospel. He was “defamed,” “reviled,” made “the offscouring of all things,” “perplexed,” “persecuted,” “hard pressed on every side,” “in jeopardy every hour,” “always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake.” 4TC 153.4
The brave apostle almost lost heart. But he looked to Calvary and with new spirit went forward to spread the knowledge of Jesus the Crucified. He was walking the blood-stained path Christ had traveled before him. He wanted no release from the warfare until it would be time for him to lay his armor down at the feet of his Redeemer. 4TC 153.5
