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Acts 19:23-41 A RIOT AT EPHESUS

Introduction:  

	In our previous text Paul purposed to leave the city of Ephesus, return to 
the churches of Macedonia and Achaia and collect offerings for the church at 
Jerusalem which had suffered a great drought.  He intended to return back to 
Ephesus and to the cities of Galatia and pick up offerings from those churches 
for the Jerusalem church.  He sent two of his fellow workers ahead of him to the 
Macedonian churches to inform those churches of his plans and to have their 
offering collected and ready for Paul to pick up so that there would be no delay 
while the funds were being raised.  
	In the meanwhile Paul tarried at Ephesus a while longer to further 
strengthen the work at Ephesus.  It seems that all was going well.  Paul was 
performing many miracles, healing all manner of diseases and casting out demon 
spirits.  many people were being saved and being added to the church.  However, 
as is so often the case, just when everything was going so well, the Devil 
stepped in and trouble broke out.   

I.  Demetrius, the trouble maker 

	V. 23, “And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.”   
While Paul was working hard to further strengthen the church at Ephesus, the 
Devil stepped in to try to weaken it.  Luke says that there arose no small stir.  
There was a big stir.  There was a big ruckus.  And the trouble all centered 
around the Christian way.
	A man by the name of Demetrius started the trouble.  V. 24, “For a certain 
[man] named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, 
brought no small gain unto the craftsmen.”  Demetrius was a silversmith.  He and 
his fellow craftsmen gained a lot of wealth by making and selling small silver 
shrines to the followers of Diana.  When someone could not attend the temple 
services to worship Diana, he would use the little silver shrine which he wore 
on a chain around his neck and he would hold his own worship service wherever he 
might be.  The little silver shrine bore and image of the temple and probably 
also an image of Diana.  To him the little shrine represented the real temple of 
Diana and the real idol which was erected in that temple.  Many people from far 
and near had purchased such images from Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen 
making them quite wealthy by the many sales.   
	V. 25, “Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and 
said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.”  Demetrius summoned 
together all of this fellow craftsmen of Ephesus and the surrounding area who 
specialized in making and selling the shrines.  He reminded them that the means 
of their wealthy was in making and selling the silver shrines.  
	Then he lashed out with words against the Apostle Paul.  V. 26, “Moreover 
ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this 
Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, 
which are made with hands.”  In this verse we see some important things.  For 
one thing, we see that while Demetrius was angry at all Christians in general, 
he was angry in particular at the Apostle Paul, whom he blamed for hindering the 
sale of the silver shrines.  
	We also see that Demetrius was not so much motivated out of any conviction 
that Diana was a real living god and deserved the worship of the people.  He was 
chiefly motivated out of selfish motives.  He was angry because Paul and the 
other Christians had caused his sale of the shrines to drop off.  
	He probably exaggerated to some measure in his next statement.  V. 27, “So 
that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the 
temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence 
should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.  Demetrius sought 
to lead his fellow craftsmen to believe that the worship of Diana was in danger 
to diminishing to but a few faithful followers, that the magnificent beauty of 
temple would soon fade away due to lack of upkeep and that their trade would 
suffer irreparable damage from lack of sales.    

II.  The anger of the silversmiths and of the mob in the city

	V. 28, “And when they heard [these sayings], they were full of wrath, and 
cried out, saying, Great [is] Diana of the Ephesians.”  The hot fiery angry 
words of Demetrius stirred up the wrath of the entire group of silversmiths.  
They began to chant, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!  Great is Diana of the 
Ephesians!  Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”  But it does not take a blind man 
to see that those silversmiths were just like Demetrius.  Neither he nor they 
were speaking out of religious conviction.  They were not saying, “Great is 
might and power of Diana as our God!”  They were not praising Diana for any 
blessings which she had bestowed on them.  They were thinking, “Great is the 
wealth that we have gained through the sale of the silver shrines.”  They were 
thinking, “We do not appreciate anybody saying anything that would cut down on 
our sales and on our wealth.”  It is not hard to see their motivation.  
	So the hot, angry, fiery worse of Demetrius were effective in stirring up 
the anger of the silversmith and then the hot, angry, fiery words of the 
silversmiths stirred up the anger of virtually the whole city of Ephesus.  V. 
29, “And the whole city was filled with confusion...”  But the people of the 
city were in a state of confusion and did not really know what they angry about.  
Demetrius knew what he was angry about.  He was angry because the sale of his 
silver shrines had dropped off and that there was the danger that they would 
continue to drop off.  His fellow silversmiths also knew what they were angry 
about.  They, too, were angry that the sale of their silver shrines had dropped 
off and that there was the danger that they would continue to drop off.  But the 
people of the city of Ephesus did not know what they were angry about.  They 
were in a state of confusion with some of the people saying one thing about Paul 
and the Christians and others saying some else altogether.  The masses of people 
were angry simply because Demetrius and the silversmiths were angry.  
	It does not take but one very angry person to stir up the anger of a lot 
of people and to start a riot involving many many people.  Their anger is 
stirred and they do not even know what they are angry about.  mob violence is a 
dangerous thing and Christians ought never to take part in that kind of 
activity.  Look at what this mob did in Ephesus.  V. 30, “...and having caught 
Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they 
rushed with one accord into the theatre.”  The mob at Ephesus, led by Demetrius 
and the silversmiths, caught two innocent men and whisked them off to the amphi-
theater where they would make sport of abusing and mistreating these two 
innocent men.  They intended to taunt them and beat them and perhaps even kill 
them and they did not even know why.  Demetrius and the silversmiths knew why, 
but the masses of people in the mob did not even know why they were tormenting 
these men.  
	The two Christians named here were Gaius and Aristarchus.  These are names 
that are found in other places in the New Testament, but these cannot be 
positively identified as being those mentioned in other places.  The most we can 
positively say about their identification is that they were of Macedonia and 
that they had traveled with Paul.  They were good Christian men and in no way 
deserved such abusive treatment as this mob was giving them.   

III.  Paul’s bravery

	V. 30, “And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples 
suffered him not.”  When Paul heard that the mob had seized Gaius and 
Aristarchus he immediately dropped what he was doing and headed off in the 
direction of the amphitheater.  Paul knew that it was not Gaius and Aristarchus 
that Demetrius and the silversmiths were angry at.  He knew that it was him that 
they were after.  He could not bear the thought of them being danger because of 
himself.  He must have thought that if he turned himself in to the mob they 
would let Gaius and Aristarchus go free.  
	But he was wrong and the other disciples knew it.  Luke says that the 
other disciples “suffered him not.”  That is, they did not allow him to go.  
They must have had to use force in addition to persuasion to keep him from 
going.  
	V. 31, “And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent 
unto him, desiring [him] that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.”  
It appears that Paul did not settle down and stop his efforts to go to the 
rescue of Gaius and Aristarchus until certain city officials, perhaps officials 
who worked in the amphitheater itself, who sent messengers to him and insisted 
that he not come into that mob.  If Paul had gone there, the mob would have had 
three Christians to abuse instead of two.  So finally Paul was persuaded and he 
ceased his efforts to go into the theater.  

III.  The mob still in confusion

	The mob knew nothing about Paul’s efforts to come to them.  They did not 
even know why they had Gaius and Aristarchus.  V. 32, “Some therefore cried one 
thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew 
not wherefore they were come together.” 
	V.33, “And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him 
forward...”   There is not indication in the passage that Alexander was a 
Christian or was in any way associated with Paul.  Luke says that the Jews put 
him forth.  The Jews must have learned by now that the thing that had angered 
Demetrius and the silversmiths was that Paul was persuading people not to 
worship the goddess Diana.  The Jews of the city had taken a similar stand 
against worshipping idol gods, whether it was Diana or some other idol god.  We 
cannot be certain as to why they put Alexander forth to the mob, but it appears 
that they were not accusing him of anything.  They were apparently hoping to 
clarify in the minds of Demetrius and the silversmiths that there was not 
connection between themselves and the Christians.  They wanted it clear that 
they had broken fellowship with Paul and that he was no longer welcome in their 
synagogue.  
	But whatever Alexander intended to say, he never got the chance.  (V. 33), 
“...And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto 
the people.”  Alexander apparently hoped to defend not only himself, but all of 
the Jewish people of the city by making it clear that they were not connected 
with Paul and the Christians.  But he never got the chance.  V. 34, “But when 
they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours 
cried out, Great [is] Diana of the Ephesians.”  Just as Alexander started to 
make his speech, somebody yelled out loud enough that many could hear and say 
something along this line:  “Don’t listen to this fellow.  He is a Jew.”  From 
that moment on for the next two hours the mob was crying out the chant, “Great 
is Diana of the Ephesians!  Great is Diana of the Ephesians!  Great is Diana of 
the Ephesians!”  
	
IV.  The townclerk

	V. 35, “And when the townclerk had appeased the people...”  There is no 
telling how much longer the mob would have changed, “Great is Diana of the 
Ephesians” if the townclerk had not come on the scene.  He finally got the 
attention of the crowd and finally got the crowd quieted down  enough that he 
could speak and be heard.  
	The townclerk was a Roman official.  It was his task to record all of the 
important events which transpired in the city, including this one.  He was 
familiar with all of the Roman laws by which the city was governed.  His was a 
voice of authority in all legal matters.  He had the authority to request the 
assistance of the Roman army if need be.  
	He first sought to assure the people of the city of Ephesus that the 
Christians were not a threat to the worship of Diana in that city.  (V. 35), 
“...he said, [Ye] men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that 
the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the 
[image] which fell down from Jupiter?”  The people believed, and apparently he 
himself believed, that the image, or statue of Diana, which was in the temple of 
Diana had come down from heaven from the god Jupiter.  Furthermore he sought to 
convince them that the worshippers of Diana were so great in number the few 
Christians of the city could hardly make a dint in their great numbers by the 
few which they might turn away.  
	V. 36, “Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought 
to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.”  Since the zeal of the worshippers of 
Diana cannot be denied and, in his opinion, since the Christians could not 
interfere to any great extent, therefore, the people ought to settle down and be 
quiet and peaceable.  They ought to stop acting like an unruly mob.  
Particularly they ought not to do anything rash under the pressure of anger and 
emotion.  In their riotous state they were apt to do something which they could 
well have cause to regret.  
	V. 37, “For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of 
churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.”  Let me be technical for a 
moment.  The Greek word of the original language which here is translated 
“churches” ought to read “temples.”  That townclerk was certainly not familiar 
with New Testament churches nor were the people in the mob.  What he was 
pointing out to them was that the Christians had not robbed the temple of Diana 
nor any other temple.  They were not criminals in any way.  
	Neither had they spoken out in public disrespect against the goddess 
Diana.  Paul most certainly taught that there is only one God and had presented 
good reasons why men should not worship but one God.  But he had not done so in 
an insulting manner using unkind and insulting words to those who worship idols.  
With these words the townclerk showed himself to be familiar with the ministry 
manner of behavior of Paul and other Christians of the area.  He apparently did 
not agree with what Paul preached, but he respected the manner in which Paul 
behaved himself.  
	V. 38-39, “Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, 
have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them 
implead one another.  But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it 
shall be determined in a lawful assembly.”  The unruly mob was an unlawful 
assembly.  They could possibly hold a kangaroo court and condemn someone and put 
him to death, but if they were to do so they would be in trouble with the Roman 
authorities.  
	In fact, they were already in danger of getting in trouble with the Roman 
authorities because of what they had already done.  V. 40, “For we are in danger 
to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we 
may give an account of this concourse.”  He even included himself in this 
statement.  He said, we are all in danger of being called into question because 
of this riot.  He had not taken part in the riot, but as a city official he was 
held responsible for preventing --- or at least or stopping --- such actions.  
	V. 41, “And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.” 

V.  A few brief lessons

	This passage was so long that I will not have time to point out the many 
different lessons which it teaches to us.  But I would like to point out just a 
few brief, but very important lessons.  First of all, let us learn that we 
should not behave rashly.  If it was important for the people of Ephesus to stop 
their rash behavior, it is even more important that we who are Christians learn 
to stop all of the rash behavior in our own lives.  It is unfortunate for us 
that we did not just automatically stop all of our rash behavior when we got 
saved, but we didn’t.  We will have to learn --- one day at a time ---one item 
at a time to stop behaving in a rash, unchristian like manner.  May God help us 
to grow in grace so that each day we will learn to behave in a more godly manner 
before all.  
	Secondly, let us learn that trouble comes the way of the very best of 
Christians.  I know very little about the life of Gaius and Aristarchus.  But 
since they were fellow travelers with the Apostle Paul I think it is safe to say 
that they were very godly, faithful Christians.  Yet all of a sudden they found 
themselves in a heap of trouble.  They were in a dangerous situation not at all 
of their own making.  We can just as suddenly find ourselves in a heap of 
trouble which we in no way bring upon ourselves.  The Lord knows that we bring 
enough trouble on ourselves, but we do not bring all of it upon us.  It just 
happens.
	Thirdly, let us learn that God is still on the throne.  There is no way 
that anybody could persuade me that the townclerk just happened to make it to 
that gathering in time to prevent Gaius and Aristarchus from being killed.  I 
believe that it was the providence of God that put him on the scene just in the 
nick  of time.  Let us learn to rely on God in all of our troubles and to trust 
God no matter how it turns out.  Let us trust God even if He should choose not 
to rescue us from the jaws of death.  If we die, we will instantly be welcomed 
into glory on the other side.  
	And, oh yes, let us learn that there is but One God and one way of 
salvation.  That one way of salvation is by the grace of God through faith in 
the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  
	In the event I wanted to just slip one more lesson in I would say that we 
should learn that it pays to be faithful and true to God in all circumstances.