Day 269: Acts 19:21–31

“So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised” (v. 27).

While Paul was in Ephesus, the Emperor Claudius was poisoned and the Roman Empire fell into the hands of a seventeen-year-old boy named Nero. Christians soon suspected he was the Antichrist. Rome would ultimately be an important part of Paul’s life. His wisdom told him to go there. God did not want him to miss it either, so He placed a virtually irresistible compulsion in Paul. And just in case the motivations of wisdom and burden were not enough, we are about to see a third: trouble—lots of trouble.

In the passages we’ve read so far, Paul was opposed only once before by the Gentiles. The first case of opposition occurred in Philippi (Acts 16:16–19) when Paul cast the demon from the fortune-telling girl. Now here in Acts 19 a silversmith named Demetrius stirred up opposition because the Christian revival was a threat to the income of those who sold idols. In both Philippi and Ephesus, it was profit that motivated Gentiles to oppose Paul.

Obviously a person does not have to be entirely genuine to be effective! Demetrius appealed to the people of Ephesus both financially with the claim that Paul was hurting trade, and spiritually with the idea that he was robbing Artemis of her majesty. Demetrius apparently reasoned that one of those two needles would surely hit a vein in everyone within earshot. He may have lacked integrity, but he didn’t lack intelligence. His approach worked better than he could have dreamed. The people began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

In Greek mythology Artemis was believed to be the daughter of Zeus. The temple the Ephesians had built in her honor was so mammoth, it was later considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Ephesians exceeded the size of her temple, however, with their ability to make a buck in her name. The silver craftsmen were making a fortune off silver charms and statuettes of her likeness. You can be fairly certain most of the merchants cared very little about robbing Artemis of her majesty. You can also be certain the outspoken apostle had assured them she had none.

This scene must have been something to behold. The crowd shouted “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” for hours. Paul wanted to go into the theater to speak to the crowd, but his friends persuaded him not to go. In the situation I find a number of fascinating clues into the person and personality of Paul.

1. Based on Paul’s willingness to address the crowd (v. 30), we may assume that he sometimes had more courage than sense! He was going to speak out in behalf of Christianity no matter what! The theater in Ephesus held twenty-five thousand people! When God gives us good sense, He expects us to use it. I believe the only time we are to walk into a dangerous or risky situation is when we have crystal clear leadership from God.

2. Also based on verse 30, I believe Paul’s disciples were not afraid to disagree with him. He was not a religious dictator who surrounded himself with yes-men. Times obviously existed when his colleagues said no. He was not only a preacher and teacher, he was a discussion leader (see v. 9). Leaders who are afraid of others disagreeing with them usually don’t leave much room for discussion.

3. I am fairly impressed by a third assumption we can make: Paul sometimes let the wisdom of others take precedence over his own desires. We read that Paul’s friends would not let him go. If I know anything at all about the apostle, he had to let them not let him! Short of being physically tied down, I can’t imagine how they could stop him from going unless he submitted to their wisdom. He could have rebuked them for not believing that speaking up was worth the risk of dying. Instead he obviously listened to them and relented. I am refreshed by leaders who do not think they always have to be right.

4. One more assumption I would like to make is based on verse 31. Paul obviously had many good friends. When we began our journey together, I’m not sure any of us pictured Paul as friendly. Although he possessed a passion for Christ and a perseverance in servitude, I never really thought of him as being genuinely gracious. I assumed he was respected far more than he was liked. But Paul obviously had good friends from every walk of life: Jews, Gentiles, rich, and poor. Aquila and Priscilla did not leave their home and travel with Paul because he was unpleasant! Obviously he possessed a genuinely likable personality. Many people surrendered to serve Christ as a direct result of Paul’s influence. Had he been an ogre, people would not have been so ready to follow his example.

Verse 31 describes another group of people who were extremely fond of Paul: officials of the province. They loved him enough to beg him not to venture into the theater. Let’s learn something about judging others. We tend to describe people in brief phrases: he’s always funny; she’s always so bossy; he’s such a controlling person; she never fails to be upbeat. God created human beings to be the most complex creatures alive. None of us can be wrapped up in a single phrase. Yes, Paul could be unyielding, but he could also be persuaded. He could be tough, and he could be very gracious. He was not so different from the rest of us, perhaps, on any given day!