LEADING IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICT
ACTS 19:21–20:2
NASB
21 Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the [a]Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in [a]Asia for a while.
23 About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [a]Artemis, was bringing no little [b]business to the craftsmen; 25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity [a]depends upon this business. 26 You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of [a]Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that [b]gods made with hands are no gods at all. 27 Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess [a]Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of [b]Asia and the [c]world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is [a]Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed [a]with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 And when Paul wanted to go into the [a]assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31 Also some of the [a]Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to [b]venture into the theater. 32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the [a]assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know [b]for what reason they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd [a]concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the [b]assembly. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is [a]Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great [a]Artemis and of the image which fell down from [b]heaven? 36 So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and [a]proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the [a]lawful [b]assembly. 40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this he dismissed the [a]assembly.
20:1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece.
19:21 [a]Or spirit 19:22 [a]I.e. west coast province of Asia Minor 19:24 [a]Lat Diana [b]Or profit 19:25 [a]Lit is from 19:26 [a]V 22, note 1 [b]Lit those 19:27 [a]Lat Diana [b]V 22, note 1 [c]Lit the inhabited earth 19:28 [a]Lat Diana 19:29 [a]Or together 19:30 [a]Lit people 19:31 [a]I.e. political or religious officials of the province of Asia [b]Lit give himself 19:32 [a]Gr ekklesia [b]Or on whose account 19:33 [a]Or advised Alexander [b]Lit people 19:34 [a]Lat Diana 19:35 [a]Lat Diana [b]Lit Zeus; Lat Jupiter 19:38 [a]Or provincial governors 19:39 [a]Or regular [b]Gr ekklesia 19:41 [a]Gr ekklesia
NLT
21 Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit[*] to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!” 22 He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.[*] He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:
“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26 But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27 Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis —this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world —will be robbed of her great prestige!”
28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. 31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. 34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. 36 Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.
38 “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” 41[*]Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.
20:1 When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the believers[*] and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for Macedonia. 2 While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece,
[19:21] Or decided in his spirit. [19:24] Artemis is otherwise known as Diana. [19:41] Some translations include verse 41 as part of verse 40. [20:1] Greek disciples.
Great leaders never stop planning for the future. They dream on a grand scale, look further into the future than their peers, and imagine possibilities no one else thinks reasonable. They never let others sully their plans with too much realism, and they never scale back their goals because of difficult circumstances. After all, conditions change from day to day, but a great dream can sustain a leader for decades. Even so, visionaries learn to keep much of their long-range thinking to themselves because they grow weary of explaining what cannot be seen. Consequently, they share only what can be justified to those outside their inner circle but never enough to give naysayers fodder for dissent.
Paul had a dream. It was a vision so grand it would have overwhelmed most of his companions. After planting churches around the eastern half of the Roman Empire and ensuring their long-term sustainability, Paul imagined himself carrying the gospel to the vast stretches of frontier west of Rome, even as far as Spain (Rom. 15:24). It was an outrageous ambition. He had endured hunger, thirst, exposure, slander, rejection, beatings, imprisonment, and stonings in his effort to evangelize present-day Turkey and Greece, but the landmass he envisioned in the west more than tripled the area he had covered thus far. So he wisely kept this to himself, revealing only what he planned to do in the coming months.
While great leaders chart their courses far in advance, they also keep a close eye on the ground in front of them. Paul saw the work coming to a close in Ephesus; he would soon turn the ministry over to someone capable and trustworthy. Before setting out on his next journey, Paul sent assistants ahead of him. Luke doesn’t specify why Paul stayed, but I suspect the Holy Spirit guided his choice to remain a little longer in Asia. As it turned out, he would need to see the fledgling church through a crisis that had been building for months.
— 19:21-22 —
Although Paul’s long-range goals would have overburdened his companions, he could reveal his immediate plans. He intended to follow the course he had taken on his second journey so he could strengthen the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (the province of Macedonia) before turning south for Corinth (in Achaia). He also wanted to visit Jerusalem, very likely for the last time, before setting out for Rome.
To get a jump start on the ministry to Macedonia, Paul sent two trusted assistants, Timothy and Erastus. Timothy, of course, had joined Paul early in his second journey. Erastus was a very common nickname among freed slaves who no longer wished to be called by a number (e.g., Tertius, “third,” or Quartus, “fourth”). Erastus means “beloved.” He may have been the same Erastus who served as the city treasurer in Corinth (Rom. 16:23), but the likelihood is just as high that he wasn’t. Regardless, these two men became Paul’s choice to go ahead of him.
For whatever reason, Luke never mentions another key assistant to Paul: Titus. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians indicates he sent Titus —who had undoubtedly been with the apostle from the beginning —to minister to the troubled church. He most likely departed from Ephesus (2 Cor. 12:18), completed his mission, and then reconnected with Paul somewhere in Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6, 13).
— 19:23-27 —
The people of Ephesus worshiped Artemis (also known as Diana), the mother goddess, depicted here with multiple breasts to signify fertility. Her value to the city was more than religious. Much of the city’s economy depended upon the influx of worshipers’ money.
Paul’s ministry had undermined the occult economy of Ephesus, and this stirred up “no small disturbance” (19:23). The resulting commotion was large enough to potentially cause a response from outside the city (19:40), perhaps even as far away as Rome. The last thing anybody wanted was for Rome to get involved; they usually responded to disturbances with no small amount of force! The disorder concerned the Christian movement, which first-century believers referred to as “the Way” (19:23). Ephesians were turning away from the occult in large enough numbers to affect the local economy. Luke noted earlier that the burned texts alone exceeded the value of fifty thousand silver coins (19:19). In addition, people stopped buying trinkets from the talisman shops, stopped seeking the help of mediums, stopped asking the help of priests in the temple of Artemis, stopped bringing money to bribe the gods. Worse than that, they also told neighbors and tourists that Artemis had no power and did not, in fact, exist.
Demetrius, a local craftsman whose livelihood began to dry up when Paul came to town, began to organize the merchants in protest of the new religion (19:24). A quick examination of his rationale shows him to be absolutely correct in his indictment (19:25-27). The issue was money, first and foremost. He didn’t object to “the Way” on religious grounds. He didn’t dispute the existence of God or even defend the reality of Artemis. In fact, he probably wouldn’t have objected to any religion that wanted to relocate its headquarters to Ephesus, because the many schools of philosophy grew the economy. As a good businessman, he did a sales forecast and saw disaster looming, not just for the trades, but for the city itself. People who stop buying trinkets and charms also stop worshiping Artemis. The magnificent temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, drew many thousands of pilgrims from all over the empire. These pilgrims brought money to Ephesus —lots of it. So much cash, in fact, that the temple had become one of the largest banking institutions in the world.[187]
Demetrius did not start a religious riot; he sparked an economic panic.
— 19:28-31 —
“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” became the rallying cry for the riot (19:28). This sounded better than “Great is the income from the tourists!” The word rendered “confusion” (synchysis [4799]) means simply “tumult.” In other words, Demetrius provoked a furious uproar. There was no confusion about the issue or what the riot instigators wanted. They acted with unity of mind when they sought Paul in the school of Tyrannus, but found only two of his traveling companions, Gaius and Aristarchus (19:29). They dragged the two men to the theater, although the purpose is not clear. They may have intended to put them on trial.
When the instigators dragged Gaius and Aristarchus through the streets, they attracted a large following. Before long, the theater was filled with protesting Ephesians. Paul wanted to address the crowd; he had undoubtedly seen this coming for a long time. But two groups urged him to stay away (19:30-31). “The disciples” didn’t want to see their leader torn to pieces. He also received word from the “Asiarchs,” provincial authorities who watched after Rome’s interests in Asia Minor. Luke calls them “friends of his,” which is no small detail. If any complaint about the riot were to reach Rome, the Asiarchs knew the truth of the matter and who should bear responsibility for the unrest.
Barry Beitzel
The theater in Ephesus could comfortably seat twenty-five thousand people.
— 19:32-34 —
Although the original instigators of the riot understood their purpose, the majority of the crowd “did not know for what reason they had come together” (19:32). Luke highlights the irony of the mob using the theater for their demonstration. As one commentator notes, “Greek comedy frequently parodied people’s stupidity; Luke’s readers would laugh at the crowd not knowing the purpose of their rioting.”[188] The phrase rendered “for what reason” could be translated “on whose account.” Maybe they were gathered for Demetrius, or maybe it was for Alexander, since the Jews in Ephesus put him forward to offer their “defense,” most likely to distance the synagogue from Paul (19:33). The crowd, however, didn’t see a distinction between Jews and Christians; they knew both groups opposed idolatry. So Alexander accomplished nothing more than whipping the mob into a sustained frenzy. For about two hours, the mob shouted and chanted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (19:34). Of course, most of them didn’t understand why they were chanting the name of their deity; they simply moved with the crowd, fueled by mob excitement.
— 19:35-40 —
Eventually, the “town clerk” (grammateus [1122]) got them quieted down (19:35). The title sounds menial compared to the man’s true position in the political life of Ephesus. He was essentially the president of the city, a locally elected official responsible for management of the city, including its business affairs. There’s nothing to suggest he was either a Christian or even sympathetic to Paul. He just wanted to be able to report to Rome that he had things well in hand. He merely analyzed the matter with a cool, rational disposition and then urged the Ephesians to do the same. His speech makes four points in favor of quietly going home.
First, he countered the assertion that Artemis was “made with hands” (19:26), an expression identifying something as man-made instead of having supernatural origins. The town clerk claimed that the statue of Artemis actually had supernatural origins. The phrase translated “the image which fell down from heaven” comes from a single term that can be rendered literally “that which fell from Zeus” (diopetēs [1356]).
Second, Rome recognized Ephesus with the official designation “guardian of the temple,” a great honor from the imperial capital. As long as Rome favored Ephesus with the upkeep and protection of the magnificent temple, people would still come to see it —and continue to spend their money. Anger Rome with a senseless riot, however, and the economy would be sure to suffer (19:40).
Third, if you’re confident in the truth of your beliefs, then you have no need of violence to defend them (19:36). The town clerk wisely understood that violent anger is the last refuge of the pathetic.
Fourth, Gaius and Aristarchus were not guilty of a crime (19:37); they just happened to be convenient for the crowd, who really wanted Paul anyway. Regardless, they had not robbed or desecrated or damaged or blasphemed. If they were guilty of a crime, trial by mob was not the way to go; the city had a proconsul supplied by Rome for just such an occasion (19:38-39).
— 19:41 —
Luke concludes his narrative of the episode with an appropriately succinct statement. You can almost feel the energy dissipate in the theater as the town clerk’s wise, calming words bring reason and order to the frenzied crowd. He had addressed each of their concerns, showing their fear to be unjustified and demonstrating that a violent response would be counterproductive. After “he dismissed the assembly,” you can almost sense the mood of the crowd shift from agitated outrage to sheepish contentment, like a child who suddenly discovers that asking politely works better than throwing tantrums.
— 20:1-2 —
The crisis and threat of violence and persecution had passed. The church would be safe from significant opposition. Other dangers lurked in the darkness surrounding Ephesus, and it would come in different forms, but the people no longer faced systematic or widespread persecution. As a result, it seems Paul felt confident enough in the sustainability of the church to resume his travel plans and leave them on their own. He summoned the believers in Ephesus, exhorted them (parakaleō [3870]) to remain faithful, and expressed his confidence in the Spirit to nurture them. Then he boarded a ship bound for Macedonia.
In Macedonia, Paul followed the itinerary of the second missionary journey, expecting to rendezvous with Timothy and Erastus somewhere along the route. He spent his time “exhorting” (parakaleō) the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea before heading south to Corinth. Although he had most likely traveled by sea earlier while escaping the mob in Berea, he may have chosen an overland route for this journey, taking the opportunity to visit communities along the way. Regardless, he intended to conclude his journey in Corinth, from which he would sail home, just as he had before.
This effectively ends Luke’s account of Paul’s third missionary journey. The apostle had completed the work he planned. He would spend three months in Corinth, perhaps waiting for spring before beginning his journey home. He planned to visit Jerusalem and perhaps his home church in Syrian Antioch, and then embark for Rome on his way to the western frontier of the empire.
APPLICATION: ACTS 19:21–20:2
Peace in the Place of Panic
After a long and fruitful stay in Ephesus during which “the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (19:20), a disturbance broke out that caused things to unravel for Paul’s ministry (19:23). Throughout this uproar and upheaval, Paul kept his head, able to stay calm in spite of the panic of difficult circumstances. His attitude and actions of peace and calm in the midst of panic and confusion are worth pondering as we consider how we ought to respond to disturbing events in our life that threaten to undo us.
If you’re facing an uncertain future or uncontrollable situation, remember that God knows the future and He’s always in control. Not for a second did Paul wonder whether the world somehow got away from God’s sovereign grip. Though he desired to enter the crowded theater to come to the aid of his companions and perhaps proclaim the gospel to such a large crowd, it became clear that this wasn’t the wisest course of action (19:30-31). Instead of panicking and pushing his own will, Paul stepped back and let the circumstances unfold.
I’m sure a few wondered what was wrong with Paul. Why wasn’t he losing his mind? Why didn’t he try manipulating the situation from behind the scenes? How could he be at peace in the place of panic? Instead of asking what was wrong with Paul for letting go of the situation, maybe we should be asking what was right with him that he could find such peace in its midst.
The fact is, Paul had his spiritual feet planted firmly on the rock of Christ. He knew what the Lord would have said in that situation, when the tempests of controversy were breaking loose on the city of Ephesus, where his close friends were at the brink of suffering severely for the cause of Christ at the hands of jealous idolaters. The Lord would have said, “You can’t stand on your own? Lean on Me. You can’t control the situation? Depend on Me. You can’t manipulate things? Wait on Me. Relax. I’ve got this under control.”
And He did, too. Rather than making a way for Paul to slip in and save the day, God orchestrated circumstances so that an unnamed town clerk single-handedly calmed the crowd and dismissed them (19:35-41). Clearly, God is bigger than a crowd of thousands, and He’s greater than a wealthy idolater. Learn to focus on people and circumstances through God’s eyes. No mob is out of His control. Even if you can’t handle the situation, He can.
This is why Paul could have peace in the place of panic.
And so can you.