The Riot at Ephesus
This passage of Acts 19:21-41 deals with a riot in Ephesus. There's not a lot of doctrine here. This is a historical narrative dealing with an incident that occurred in Ephesus. However, allow the Holy Spirit to teach us spiritual truth through this historical event. The history of Christianity has taught us is that the church thrives when it is persecuted.
The persecuted church confronts the world and grows and has an effect. So persecution and effectiveness work together. The church needs to be the conscience of the community, and not the comforter of the community. When the church becomes the friend of the system, and begins to play sociological or political games, then it goes against the Word of God.
Now in the city of Ephesus the Apostle Paul has been there for nearly three years. This is his third missionary journey. As he arrives at Ephesus, God has already laid the groundwork through Aquila and Priscilla. And Apollos, that great orator, also contributed. And now Paul arrives and great things begin to happen. In Acts 19:1-7, the church was really born as 12 disciples of John the Baptist were brought to Jesus Christ.
We saw the last time that Paul, in verse 8, went into the synagogue and began to teach there for three months. There were some who were hardened, but there were some who believed. As a result of this teaching, verse 10 says "all that dwell in Asia heard the Word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." So Ephesus became the center for evangelism that extended to the entire province of Asia Minor.
Now the result can be summed up in verse 20, "So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed." That is really the key. Wherever the Word of God dominates, results occur. There always will be push-back because Satan cannot tolerate the pure Word. So the Word always has two results, progress for the gospel and persecution from Satan.
In Ephesus persecution started. Satan in verse 9 has people speak evil about Christianity. Then there were these exorcists who tried to mimic what Paul was doing to confuse the issue. And from verse 21 on, Satan creates a riot that surges through the entire city of Ephesus to counteract the work of Paul and the Christians. Satan always opposes the progress of the Gospel.
In Jerusalem, Satan sent opposition through Judaism. In Antioch, the opposition was personal prejudice and envy. In Lystra, the opposition was paganism. Among the Judaizers, the opposition was ceremonial legalism. In Philippi, the opposition was sorcery. In Thessalonica, the opposition was political revolution. In Athens the opposition was Hedonism. In Corinth the opposition was philosophical skepticism.
And in Ephesus here, the opposition was pseudo-religious materialism. In Ephesus there were three attacks of Satan: hardness of heart, hypocrisy and hatred. And here in Ephesus in verse 21 their anger is based upon their desire for material gain. In other words, Christianity decreased their business income.
Verse 21, “When these things were accomplished, 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.” Paul sees that the church at Ephesus can stand on its own. He has been there for nearly three years teaching.
There are elders there of quality enough to lead the church. Churches have been established throughout Asia Minor. Why does he want to go to Macedonia and Achaia? He already established all those churches in Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea. Why go back there? Paul wanted to go there and then to Jerusalem.
The church of Jerusalem was very poor. And Paul wanted to take a love offering from his churches to the church at Jerusalem. He wanted to go to Macedonia and Achaia to collect their offering. In 2 Corinthians 9:1-2 he alludes to this offering, “Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready.”
In Romans 15:25-26 he says, “But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.” Why? Paul was teaching about the unity of the body. Secondly Paul was teaching the practical lessons of love. That love really means the self-sacrifice of giving your money for the sake of somebody else.
Paul is planting churches in key centers along the road from Antioch to Rome. He believed in growing evangelism by the process of reproduction where you would win people to Christ to establish a church. Then that church would grow and send out others to establish other churches and by multiplication you would conquer the whole area.
So from Jerusalem, then Rome and all the way west to reach Spain with the Gospel. Romans 1:13-15 says, “I often planned to come to you, that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”
Verse 22, “So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.” We all know who Timothy is. He had come back to Ephesus and now Paul sends him to Macedonia to let them know he's coming. But about Erastus we don't know anything, since that was a common name.
Well, it's clear why he stayed. He wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 16:8 says, “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Well the adversary comes to the forefront, beginning in verse 23, “And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.”
Now let us study the causes of the riot, the characteristics of the riot and the calming of the riots. Now we have to understand that the real cause of the riots was Satan's antagonism to the prevailing of the Word. But as we look at these verses, there were some superficial reasons that actually started it. And we have said that "the Way" was a reference to Christianity.
Jesus said, "I am the Way" and Acts 4:12 says, "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” So the Christian message spread over Asia Minor. God was doing exciting things and Satan stirred up the people so they got upset. This riot will provide for you some insights into the typical mob psychology, as well as some insight into how Satan operates.
Verse 24, “For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen.” It is likely that Demetrius was an important person among silversmiths. People who were artisans of the same craft would ban together and are powerful in the community at which they existed. And all of these people would ban together for common profit.
The silversmiths made their living by selling these little shrines to the tourists. Demetrius was the guy who made silver shrines of Diana and brought big profits to the craftsmen. And all these people would be buying their typical household gods. Verse 25, “He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.”
What happened was that the gospel really affected their incomes. Because people were accepting the truth of Christ and turning from idols. Bad for business. Verse 26, “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.”
The Christian preachers were denying the existence of gods made with hands. So Demetrius confessed that the apostolic preaching was successful. Why does God take up 20 verses to tell us about a riot? Because it is exciting to see the success of Christianity from the mouths of pagans. Do you see how important that kind of apologetic is?
They all get together and riot, but they don't know what to do. On the other hand Paul was committed to Jesus Christ and turned that province upside down. But secondly it was the success that came by the influence of a purified church. All those victories came because of a positive ministry. They didn't go around criticizing Diana. All they did was preach a positive message.
And if you want to change the community for Jesus Christ, don't protest against a community. Just live a holy life and start leading people to Jesus Christ. And the end result is that the community won't be able to handle you. The power of a new life is not in demonstrating, but in using that time to win people to Christ. God helps us to create issues by being what we have inside.
Verse 27, “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, whom all Asia and the world worship.” Listen to Mark 8:36, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Luke 16:13 says, “You cannot serve God and money.”
Well the speech caused a riot. Let us look at the characteristics of the riot. Verse 28, “Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” The first characteristic of the riot is anger. They got upset about Christ and not about you. Because people don't like to be confronted with their sin. And they don't want to accept the fact that their entire way of life is wrong.
The second character is confusion. Verse 29, “So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.” The theater ruins still exists today in Ephesus. We don't know much about Gaius because there are several people of that name. But Aristarchus was a man of Macedonia,
So there is this mob filling the theater and they have two guys standing in the middle of them. Verse 30, “And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him.” Paul had experienced so many victories of God that he wasn't afraid at all. But it is presumptuous to put yourself in danger and then expect God to deliver you.
The same message came from another source. Verse 31, “Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater.” Each province had Roman government people who were assigned to keep the peace, to make sure they kept their allegiance to Rome and worshipped the emperor.
Verse 32-34, “Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. 34 But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” They didn't want to hear one word from a Jew.
Now we come to the calming of the riot. Verse 35, “And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, 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?” In other words, don't you realize that we worship the great goddess Diana who came down from heaven?
Verse 36, “Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly.” Nothing can affect our great goddess. And nothing could ever change that. Verse 37, “For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.”
The Holy Spirit put this story in here just to have an unbeliever give testimony in verse 37. Verse 38, “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.”
Verse 39, “But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly.” In other words, if it's a social issue, let us bring this case to the assembly when it convenes. Don’t have a riot. Why was he so concerned about the riot? Verse 40, “For we are in danger of being called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.”
Romans 13 says that Christians are to be subject to the powers that be that are ordained of God. Verse 41, “And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.” The town clerk did a great favor for the Ephesians. But he did no favor for the church because he agreed and confirmed the superstition of the people.
The moment the church is under the protection of the town clerk, they were in more danger than they were when the riot was going on. The first glimpse of the Ephesian church was under the leadership of Paul and Timothy. But the last glimpse of the Ephesian church is in Revelation 2:4, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
You know what happened? If you go to Ephesus today you will find a squalid Moslem village near where Ephesus was that doesn't have one single Christian in its population. The church will always thrives; a riot is no threat to the church, but patronage is actually dangerous. The church always should be the conscience of the community. Whenever we are patronized by the system, we die. So do not be afraid of persecution. Let us pray.