#1597 Acts 19 Part 3 Demetrius (A Silversmith)

 

21 Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the 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 Asia for a while.

23 Now about that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25 these he gathered together with the workers of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is from this business. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that things made with hands are not gods. 27 And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be considered as worthless and that she, whom all of Asia and the world worship, is even about to be brought down from her majesty.”

28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed 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 assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31 Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. 32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the meeting was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 And some of the crowd 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 assembly. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single cry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 Now after calming the crowd, the city 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 Artemis and of the image which fell down from 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 anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful meeting. 40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no cause for which we can give as an account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this he dismissed the meeting. Acts 19: 21-41 LSB

Acts 19: 21-41

…24I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey. 25Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there. 26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.…

…27They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to minister to them with material blessings. 28So after I have completed this service and have safely delivered this bounty to them, I will set off to Spain by way of you. 29I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.… Romans 15: 24-29

Vs. 21-22 To go to Jerusalem - It says he purposed in the spirit and PA has a good note below, as we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and have been raised from spiritual death into new life. The Holy Spirit guides our own mind, gives us new desires, and leads us in the path of service and refinement. It is notable that there were times when the disciples desired to go somewhere, and for the purpose of missions, yet the Spirit of Jesus "would not permit them." Sometimes you can want to do something from good motives, but God has an eternal perspective that denies this for His better plan. Men can even have bad intent, desire to do evil towards you, but God can overrule this for good, like in the case of Joseph. 

6After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. 7And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them. 8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.… Acts 16: 6-8

Paul purposed in the spirit - Does Luke mean the Holy Spirit or Paul's spirit? Some translation see this as the Holy Spirit (NAS, NLT, ESV, CSB, NKJV, NRSV, YLT). Others see it as Paul's spirit (NET, NIV). Toussaint says "Since the verb means "purposed," not "was led," it may refer to Paul's human spirit." (BKC) Surely one "translation" does not exclude the other because Paul was clearly a Spirit filled (controlled) man and even as he purposed in his human spirit, that purposing would have been energized by the indwelling Spirit, for Paul would later write "it is God who is at work (energeo in present tense = "continually energizing") in you, both to will *(thelo = exercising one's will as from a motive of desire - thus to wish or want to do something, to resolve thus expressing purpose as here in Acts 19:21) and to work (energeo in present tense) for His good pleasure." (Php 2:13NLT+) In other words the Spirit was continually energizing Paul's thoughts directing his "will" toward a certain direction and at the same time giving him the supernatural "energy" to carry it to completion. (See also Acts 20:22-24+ where Paul uses his "spirit" working with the "Holy Spirit.") - Precept Austin

…19But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this— to preserve the lives of many people. 21Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.… Genesis 50: 19-21

Vs. 23-24 Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis - It says that he was bringing no little business to the craftsmen. So he was a designer of idols, but it says that it brought business to other craftsmen, and back then there were guilds, that would be like our unions today. MacArthur states that he was probably head of one of the guilds, taking orders in for these idols, and then sort of subcontracting the work to other craftsmen to meet the demand. Artemis was no small business for these people, and like always, follow the money, and here it shows us the cause of the disturbance. The following verses explain the reasoning quite clearly.

Artemis - Robertson adds this qualifier "It is a pity that the Revised Version renders Artemis here (ED: FERTILITY GODDESS IN EPHESUS). Diana as the Ephesian Artemis is quite distinct from the Greek Artemis, the sister of Apollo, the Diana of the Romans (ED: THIS ARTEMIS WAS "GODDESS OF THE HUNT" - see picture of her with bow). This temple, built in the 6th century B.C., was burnt by Herostratus Oct. 13 B.C. 356, the night when Alexander the Great was born. It was restored and was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Artemis was worshipped as the goddess of fertility, like the Lydian Cybele, a figure with many breasts. The great festival in May would offer Demetrius a golden opportunity for the sale of the shrines."

Utley writes that shrines "refers to small silver images (1) of the Temple of Artemis or (2) the meteorite which looked like a multi-breasted woman. Archaeology has found many silver images of this goddess, but none of the shrine (temple) itself. It was one of the seven wonders of the world. Its base was 100 feet by 340 feet. It had 177 columns that were 55 feet tall and 6 feet thick. It was four times larger than the Partheon in Athens " - PA

Vs. 25-26 Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that things made with hands are not gods - So here is the problem, Paul is telling them the truth, and instead of buying an idol they are believing in Christ. Now some people could see it more stoically, that, "hey, he's right, how is it that a god is made, carved, and I have to carry the stupid thing, that can't walk and can't speak?" For them, they can see it's silly and think, wow, for that much silver I could get a lot of new fishing tackle. For those coming to Christ, they would see it as offensive to their Lord, to worship a toy, to spend money on nonsense, but that way of thinking isn't helping Demetrius's bottom line. It's like we read before where Paul cast the demon out of the young slave girl, and her masters, the ones making money off her, had them arrested. If a young woman today came to Christ on her way to an abortion, well, she changes her mind about the abortion, she doesn't offer up her child to the god of this age, to sexual immorality, to convenience, and babies are expensive so this will effect her bottom line, possibly the father's, and then if she goes and convinces other girls, well it affects Planned Parenthood's bottom line. People already burned their magic books in the previous post. Imagine a revival here in America, where strippers don't show up to work, where people stop worshiping entertainers, where drug addicts walk away from their addictions, prostitutes leave the streets. That's going to effect the bottom line of the club owner, the concert promoter, the movie producer, the drug dealer and the pimp. They don't take that stuff lightly. Just look at what is happening with DOGE, when people go in and hold government accountable for what they do with the money that comes from tax payers, in a government that is supposed to be by and for the people no less. They are losing their minds because they are losing their kick backs. Programs that are useless and poorly run, but were giving jobs as favors to friends, are now getting evaluated and shutdown. They scream that it is cruel and that everything they were doing was from compassion, but it is unveiling so much corruption and incompetence. I guess the world hasn't evolved very far from Paul's day. It is interesting that the image of the beast in Revelation is given "breath so that the image can speak", but I won't jump that far ahead. 

…4Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 5They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; 6they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell;… Psalm 115: 4-6

…4They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. 5Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.” 6There is none like You, O LORD. You are great, and Your name is mighty in power.… Jeremiah 10: 4-6

…14Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. 15 The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed. 16And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,… Revelation 13: 14-16

V. 27 She, whom all of Asia and the world worship - That's a pretty broad statement, but if you look at the worship of Mary by Roman Catholics today, and it's the same thing, just grossly blended into an apostate form of Christianity, that has gone all over the world. If you look closely, it is due to a compromise with these very same demons. Demetrius won't be able to sell his angst to the masses based upon the loss of business for himself, that will only work with the craftsmen and their families, so he adds in the majesty of the goddess. This won't be the last time that the whole of the world is spell bound by something far beneath God. 

MacArthur - Ephesus would suffer. The temple of Artemis was famous throughout the Roman world, and it had been built with gifts from many rulers. Anything that tarnished Artemis's reputation would lower Ephesus's status, hinder civic pride, and disastrously cripple the city's economy. Loyalty to Ephesus demanded that the craftsmen oppose the new religion that threatened to undermine the city's claim to fame and source of revenue. (Ibid)

But also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis - Artemis was called "The Great" and one inscription found in the ruins of Ephesus called her the "greatest god." Utter rubbish! When men turn from God, they will turn to almost anything! Demetrius is appealing to the potential loss of income because of the loss of influence of Artemis (regarded as worthless). - PA

…18We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him. 19We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one. 20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.… 1 John 5: 18-20

…3One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?” 5The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.…

…6And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven. 7Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. 8And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.… Revelation 13: 3-8

Vs. 28-29 Were filled with rage - Now it's brewing into a mob, and they drag in Paul's close companions.

…13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name.…1 Corinthians 1: 13-15

Vs. 30-31 The disciples would not let him - They were protecting Paul, using discernment. It was a mob, not a thoughtful discussion. Sometimes, even though we may not fear the mob, it is best to let things cool down. Sometimes adrenaline overrides common sense. We shouldn't presume upon God as Satan tried to tempt Jesus to do, to jump off a building. 

MacArthur - Although the apostle did not "consider [his] life of any account as dear to [himself]" (Acts 20:24), the other believers would not allow him to risk his life needlessly (cf. Acts 9:25, 30; 17:10, 14). (Ibid)

The disciples (mathetes) would not let him - Would not let is in imperfect picturing Paul as heading toward the theater and being held back again and again. Fortunately they restrained Paul. They did not want him confronting an angry, confused mob.

Jack Andrews - According to a report on Christianpost.com a pastor and twenty worshipers were killed when gunmen suspected to be Islamic militants opened fire in two separate incidents targeting worship services in northern Nigeria Sunday, April 29, 2012. Christians are still persecuted! There are plenty who will oppose the message of salvation and the messenger! (Ibid) - PA

And this beautiful place, excavated now and visible, would have been able to hold easily 30,000 people. And that’s a low estimate. So there is the frenzied mob filling the theater and they got these two guys standing in the middle of them. Now, watch verse 30. “When Paul would have entered in under the people, the disciples permitted him not.” I like his courage, don’t you? Paul’s first reaction was “I’m going over to that theater.” And that’s good. John Wesley, who was very experienced with angry mobs advised his early Methodist associates with this statement. “Always look a mob in the face.”

Now, that was Paul’s thought. So Paul figured, “Well, I’ll go down there, I’ll just stand there and I’ll take care of that mob.” Well, he had – he’d seen so many victories in the power of God, he is – he wasn’t afraid of anything. Nothing. But some Christians restrained him. You say, “Why did they do that?” Well, his life was in danger. You say, “Well, couldn’t God take care of that?” Yes, but I think there’s an interesting principle here. And I don’t know all the ramifications of this, but I thought of this. Sometimes reason is better than foolish faith. Right? I mean you know the old story, “Well, God’s going to protect me anyways, so I’ll lay down in the fast lane of the freeway.” See.

Now, there’s a certain sense in which you got to use your head. Let me put it this way. It is faith – it is faith to be in danger and believe God will deliver you. It is presumption to put yourself in danger and then expect God to deliver you. If the danger comes around you, believe God will take care of you. But there’s no sense in being stupid about it. And that’s presuming on God. That’s what Satan tried to get Jesus to do. He said, “Dive off the temple,” – right? – “and the Bible said, the angels will lift you up.” He says, wait a minute, that would be to tempt God. “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Why? That would be presumed on God.

It’s one thing to be in danger and believe God will get you out, it’s something else to presume on God and go jumping into danger. And so the other Christians use their heads and said, “No, Paul, there’s no sense in going over there. You’re going to get it. They’ll kill you.” So the disciples restrained him, verse 30. Well, verse 31, the same message came from another source. “Certain of the chief of Asia” – Asiarchs they were called – “who were his friends. Apparently, Paul had made some friends of the Asiarchs, and that would be because he was a Roman citizen – “sent unto him, besieging him that he would not venture into the theaters.” J Mac sermon on Acts 19

Vs. 32-34 The majority did not know for what reason they had come together - We have watched riots, looting, so many college protests in recent years, and this lines describes it well. The majority did not know. I have seen signs that read, "gays for Gaza", and that tells me, they don't know. I have seen signs that say, "my body, my choice", and that tells me, they don't know. A mob is like a tidal wave, mindless, and you don't want to get in front of it. We have seen people chanting, "from the river to the sea", and then they are asked, "what river, what sea," and they don't know, and so many of them don't realize that the people who invented this chant are calling out for the genocide of the Jews, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. 

Vs. 35-41 The image which fell down from heaven - Men will sight all sorts of things as evidence, apparently this was the place where a meteorite fell. Sometimes you're just one winning scratch off ticket away from a life long gambling problem.

And of the image which fell down from heaven - Presumably this refers to a meteorite but we cannot be more specific. Whatever it was this statement says that to the Ephesians this was a work of deity and had divine implications. Thus they justified their pagan worship of an idol. This indicates they had some sense of the fact that there is a God in Heaven even though their understanding was warped and perverted because they had chosen willfully to suppress the truth about God so that they might justify (in their foolish darkened hearts) their unrighteous behavior (Ro 1:18-21+).

John Polhill notes that "Meteorites were often associated with the worship of the Mother Goddess [Artemis]. The most famous of these was the sacred stone taken from Pessinus to Rome in 204 b.c. A meteorite also seems to have been associated with the cult of the Taurian Artemis. Although there is no evidence beyond this text for such a sacred stone being connected with the Ephesian cult, it is altogether likely that one existed, given this common association of the mother goddess with a "stone from heaven." (NAC)

Jack Andrews has a pithy remark - They were staking their eternal well-being on a rock that fell from the heavens! Christians stake their eternal well-being on the Rock that came from Heaven! - PA