The Ephesian Riot
Acts 19:21-41 KJV 21 After these things were ended, Paul 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. 22 So
he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus
and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. 23 And the same
time there arose no small stir about that way. 24 For a certain man named
Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought
no small gain unto the craftsmen; 25 Whom he called together with the
workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we
have our wealth. 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: 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. 28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of
wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 29 And the
whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and
Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed
with one accord into the theatre. 30 And when Paul would have entered
in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 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. 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. 33 And they drew
Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And
Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence
unto the people. 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
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Ephesians. 35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, 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? 36 Seeing then that these things
cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of
churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 38 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. 39 But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall
be determined in a lawful assembly. 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. 41 And when he had thus spoken, he
dismissed the assembly.
Introduction
Paul was making plans to go through Macedonia and Achaia and from there on to Jerusalem. He also planned after being in Jerusalem for a time, to go on to Rome. In preparation for that, he sent Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia, but he remained in Ephesus for a while longer. While he remained there, a major event began.
The Riot
Verse twenty-three reads, And the same time there arose no small stir
about that way.
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This Roman theater played an important role in the riot at Ephesus against Paul and the early Christians, according to Luke’s account in Acts 19. Photo: Jordan Pickett.
According to Acts, the riot would have occurred at the end of the missionary visit of Paul at Ephesus (around 55 or 56 C.E.). How accurate is Luke’s description of Ephesus at this time? In “Archaeology Gives New Reality to Paul’s Ephesus Riot” in the July/August 2016 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, James R. Edwards, the Bruner-Welch Professor Emeritus of Theology at Whitworth University, describes how archaeological evidence fills in the historical context for Luke’s account of the riot at Ephesus.
In the Roman period, Ephesus was an important commercial center.
Excavations conducted by the Austrian Archaeological Institute since 1895
have shown that the ancient city—which rivaled Antioch as the third-largest city of the Roman world—boasted a harbor, various civic structures, bath complexes, a theater, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Four times the size of the Athenian Parthenon, the famous Temple of Artemis had 127 gleaming marble columns that stood 60 feet tall and were 174
THE CHIEF
topped with Ionic capitals. It was the Temple of Artemis, the silversmith Demetrius argued in Acts 19, that was being threatened by “the Way” (the early Christian movement) and Paul’s missionary effort. In saying that
“gods made with hands are not gods” (Acts 19:27), Demetrius alleged, Paul was harming the silversmith industry that made little shrines used as dedicatory offerings to Artemis and tarnishing the reputation of the Artemis cult at Ephesus. However, a 16-line Greek inscription discovered during excavations showed that a century after the mission of Paul at Ephesus, in the late second or early third century, the silversmith trade and the cult of Artemis were still thriving.
The so-called Beautiful Artemis statue was one of four statues of Artemis excavated at Ephesus in 1956. Measuring 5.7 feet tall, the statue dates to the 175
Hadrianic–early Antonine periods (c. 117–150 C.E.). On either side of Artemis are female deer, and the zodiac signs appear on her upper chest. Rows of oval pendants—possibly representing bulls’ scrota—hang from her chest. These attributes, according to BAR author James R. Edwards, may represent
“Artemis’s ultimate trophies in taming and subjugating the quintessential symbols of virility.” According to the silversmith Demetrius in Acts 19, the mission of Paul at Ephesus threatened the reputation of Artemis’s cult. Photo: Jordan Pickett.
When the anger that Demetrius incited reached a fever pitch, the rioters were said to have rushed into the city’s theater, dragging in Paul’s travel companions Gaius and Aristarchus. Excavations have uncovered the theater, which is set into a steep hillside at Ephesus. Massive in scale, the semicircular Roman theater held 25,000 seats and was one of the largest in the ancient world.1
We must not make the mistake of thinking that this riot was a standalone event. It followed fast on the heels of the uproar of the demon-possessed man, the expensive bonfire of books, and the salvation of many as a result.
“That way” refers to the efforts of Paul and his companions and results of the work of the Holy Spirit. I would suppose that the old adage of “money talks” would certainly apply in this situation. Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen were seeing a substantial loss of income because of the results of the Gospel. Of course, this did not set well with them since they had become quite wealthy through their efforts in working with silver idols of Diana.
While they saw that Paul and his team had been successful in preaching the Gospel in Asia to the point that the silversmiths were convinced that a continuation of “The Way” would take over the lives of all people and take away their livelihood. They were also convinced that the temple of the goddess Diana would be neglected, and the magnificence of the edifice would be destroyed. They were certain that all Asia and the world worshipped the goddess, Diana. All those that were listening to Demetrius began to chant loudly, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”
Because of the uproar that Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen, the entire city of Ephesus was in total confusion. In this confusion, the mob seized 176
Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia who were part of Paul’s entourage, and with one mind rushed into the great theater.
Paul started to go into the theater but was restrained by the disciples. Then
“certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends,” also sent word to him that he should not enter the theater because it would his life in danger, as well as the disciples.
Verse thirty-two reads, Some therefore cried one thing, and some another:
for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore
they were come together.
Take about confusion! Some were saying one thing and others yet another to the point that very few knew the reason they were even there.
The Jews put forward a man by the name of Alexander to speak to the mob.
Why he was put forth to make a defense is unknown. He was not of Paul’s company. When it became known that he was a Jew, whatever he would have said was drowned out by the voices of the people in the theater, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” This went on for a space of two hours.
The town clerk was able to get the attention of the crowd. He began to praise the goddess and to appease the mob. He stated that the things concerning the goddess was well known and could not be overthrown. So, he says, why is this ruckus being carried on? It is necessary for them to be quiet. He stated that the men, the disciples who were apprehended by the mob, were neither robbers of temples nor were they blaspheming the goddess. He further states that if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen had a charge, it must be brought to the deputies for investigation. He continued to state that if there were any other matters, it should be determined in a lawful assembly.
Let us consider the use of the word “assembly.” The Greek word for it is ekklesia. Most of the time in the New Testament it is used to describe a local church. It should be noted that this word simply means “assembly.” This was a civil “assembly.” Any gathering together of people could be called
“assembly.” That is why that Jesus defined the church as “His assembly,”
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His ekklesia. He did that to define the difference between His and any other assembly.
The town clerk continued to say that the city officials were in danger of being called in question for the day’s events. They would have no explanation for the mob violence. There was no legal reason for the day’s happenings that could be given to the officials in Rome if they were to question the city officials. When he had finished speaking, he dismissed the assembly. That put an end to that.
Conclusion
When the uproar was over, Paul again stated that he desired to go into Macedonia and then to Jerusalem. We will take a look at that endeavor in the next part.
1https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-places/biblical-riot-at-ephesus/
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