Verses 21-22 form a transitional statement. Having experienced victory over the forces of darkness in Ephesus, recorded in verses 13-19, Paul led by the Spirit decided to go to Jerusalem. In his journey there, he passed by Macedonia and Achaia. His desire was to go to Rome after Jerusalem. Having sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers to Macedonia, he him...self stayed in Asia, meaning Ephesus, for a while. Meanwhile verse 23 tells us that a serious riot was brewing there. The transitional statement was Luke’s way of saying that Paul did not leave Ephesus because of the impending riot.
The impact of Paul’s message cause the devotees of Artemis in Ephesus to form a mob against Paul and the church. The narration of the riot in verses 23-41 fall neatly into three parts. (1) Verses 23-27 describe the cause of the riot. (2) Verses 28-34 describe the riot itself. (3) Verse 35 – 41 describe the response of the officials to the riot.
Demetrius, a silversmith, whose business was in making silver shrines for Artemis, was the instigator against Paul. He gathered people in the similar trade that had to do with the worship of Artemis. They all knew that when the devotees of Artemis turned to Christianity they would abandon the worship of Artemis. And this would affect his earnings. Hence to them, Paul and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had made, were threats to his trade and earnings. Here, Demetrius forwarded two reasons to instigate opposition against Paul and his followers. He appealed to economic reason in verse 25 and then to religious reason in verse 27.
Being instigated by Demetrius, they were filled with rage. They started chanting out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” As a result, the whole city was thrown into confusion. The people rushed into the theater together, hauling with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two traveling companions of Paul from Macedonia. Paul was prevented from intervening by some prominent friends who were government officials. In the meantime different ones were shouting different things causing great chaos and confusion. Most did not know the reason for the assembly. They were merely being succumbed to mob mentality. Wanting to dissociate themselves from the Christians, the Jews push Alexander forward to the crowd. But he had no opportunity to speak for the crowd in unison, chanted for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” It was the town clerk who came to intervene and clam the crowd.
The town clerk reasoned with the mob. His main concern was that their unruly behavior might give the Roman authority adverse impression about them. This could cost the authority to impose restriction in their privilege to govern themselves. He pacified the crowd by telling them that there was no real threat to Artemis. The clerk appealed to the widely belief that the city of Ephesus was the guardian of Artemis and the report that the image of Artemis fell from heaven. He also pointed out that they were wrong to seize Gaius and Aristarchus who had done nothing to harm them or Artemis. In verses 38-39, the clerk ably showed them the legal avenues that Demetrius and the people could take. Sensing that he had got their attention, he clinched it in verse 40. Since they really have no legal ground for their unruly behavior, they were running a risk of being found guilty instead of Paul and the Christians. With that he dismissed the mob.
Throughout all that was happening, God was in sovereign control. In the midst of all the confusion, shouting and the chaos, God moved a local law-abiding city clerk to calm the mob. His sound reasoning won the day and the people were brought to their senses. God can use the most unlikely instrument to advance His cause. So if you are on His team, take heart, He is in control!
The impact of Paul’s message cause the devotees of Artemis in Ephesus to form a mob against Paul and the church. The narration of the riot in verses 23-41 fall neatly into three parts. (1) Verses 23-27 describe the cause of the riot. (2) Verses 28-34 describe the riot itself. (3) Verse 35 – 41 describe the response of the officials to the riot.
Demetrius, a silversmith, whose business was in making silver shrines for Artemis, was the instigator against Paul. He gathered people in the similar trade that had to do with the worship of Artemis. They all knew that when the devotees of Artemis turned to Christianity they would abandon the worship of Artemis. And this would affect his earnings. Hence to them, Paul and the disciples of Jesus, whom he had made, were threats to his trade and earnings. Here, Demetrius forwarded two reasons to instigate opposition against Paul and his followers. He appealed to economic reason in verse 25 and then to religious reason in verse 27.
Being instigated by Demetrius, they were filled with rage. They started chanting out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” As a result, the whole city was thrown into confusion. The people rushed into the theater together, hauling with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two traveling companions of Paul from Macedonia. Paul was prevented from intervening by some prominent friends who were government officials. In the meantime different ones were shouting different things causing great chaos and confusion. Most did not know the reason for the assembly. They were merely being succumbed to mob mentality. Wanting to dissociate themselves from the Christians, the Jews push Alexander forward to the crowd. But he had no opportunity to speak for the crowd in unison, chanted for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” It was the town clerk who came to intervene and clam the crowd.
The town clerk reasoned with the mob. His main concern was that their unruly behavior might give the Roman authority adverse impression about them. This could cost the authority to impose restriction in their privilege to govern themselves. He pacified the crowd by telling them that there was no real threat to Artemis. The clerk appealed to the widely belief that the city of Ephesus was the guardian of Artemis and the report that the image of Artemis fell from heaven. He also pointed out that they were wrong to seize Gaius and Aristarchus who had done nothing to harm them or Artemis. In verses 38-39, the clerk ably showed them the legal avenues that Demetrius and the people could take. Sensing that he had got their attention, he clinched it in verse 40. Since they really have no legal ground for their unruly behavior, they were running a risk of being found guilty instead of Paul and the Christians. With that he dismissed the mob.
Throughout all that was happening, God was in sovereign control. In the midst of all the confusion, shouting and the chaos, God moved a local law-abiding city clerk to calm the mob. His sound reasoning won the day and the people were brought to their senses. God can use the most unlikely instrument to advance His cause. So if you are on His team, take heart, He is in control!
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