Strange Happenings in the City of Ephesus: Magic and a Riot

“And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them…About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen.  These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, ‘Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.  And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.  And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.’…For about two hours they all cried out with one voice, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.’”  -Acts 19:11-12, 23-27, 34b (ESV.  Read Acts 19:11-41).

We have already noted what a strategic city Ephesus was:  capital city of the Roman province of Asia, with about 300,000 inhabitants, location of the famed Temple of Artemis (known also by the name Diana) that had stood at least 400 years before Paul arrived.  A common belief was that the sacred image of Artemis (Diana) that stood in the midst of the temple “fell from the sky” (Acts 19:35).   

Today’s passage begins with the statement that “God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul” (v. 11).  Scholars have noted that in Bible history there were three special periods of miracles:  during the time of Moses, of Elijah and Elisha, and the time of Jesus and his apostles.  Miracles had three distinct purposes:  to show God’s compassion: to meet human needs; and to present the Lord’s credentials as all-powerful. In Ephesus, Paul was able to perform special miracles.  It was a strong center for the occult and for paganism, as we have noted.  It seems strange to us that even handkerchiefs touched by Paul were used to heal the sick and to bring evil spirits out of people who touched them.  There exorcism as a regular trade was widely practiced.  An important aspect of this miracle is often overlooked:  It was not Paul’s garments or even his hands that were performing the miracles.  Luke clearly writes, “And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul” (v. 11).  Also, when a people are beset by superstitious beliefs, their mindset is to be relieved of some malady by a means with which they are familiar.  Because Ephesus was a center for the occult, God’s power was coming though as greater than pagan practices.  When the seven sons of Sceva, the Jewish priest there, tried the same method, their efforts failed, for they did not know Jesus and could therefore not have His power to do exorcism.  In fact, the evil spirit they tried to exorcise attacked them and they had to flee.  God used even this incident to awaken the city, and magic-mongers brought their books of magic and incantations and burned them.  And many turned to the Lord.  I am reminded of stories of our missionary friend John Mark who worked diligently for many years in Liberia, West Africa.  He would write to us of going into remote villages with the gospel, and of those, who, upon turning to the Lord, gave up their witchcraft and would voluntarily have a public burning of the appurtenances of their magic, turning aside from the “black magic” to the power and cleansing of the Lord.  It is remarkable that such a change occurred in the lives of the believers that they were willing to abandon their means of livelihood and lay their all on the altar for the Lord.  Dr. William Barclay comments, “There are times in life when treatment must be surgical, when only the clean and final break will suffice” (Daily Study Bible. Acts.  Philadelphia: Westminster, 1955, p. 157).

But the love of money is deeply ingrained, as is illustrated by the silversmith Demetrius of Ephesus and the riot his public square speech incited.  These silversmiths were makers of small shrines to Artemis (Diana) which were widely sold—as tourist mementos, for residents to use in their homes as a shrine to Artemis, and as an offering to be presented in worship of the goddess.  To make enough to fill the demand became a lucrative business for the silversmiths. People came from many regions to worship at the temple of Artemis. But as Christianity spread, the silversmiths’  business was affected by fewer buying their wares.  They gathered and soon had a riot in the city, with crowds shouting,  “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”  Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonian Christians who were Paul’s companions, were dragged into the great theater, where scholarly estimates have the angry crowd numbering at least 25,000 people.  Paul wanted to go (what an opportunity for preaching!) but was prevented from going by others of the Christian band and some of the “Asiarchs,” local rulers.  Then the “town clerk,” or local Roman government representative, came on the scene and got the mob quieted.  Of course, his job stood in the balance if he could not restore order.  The Roman government did not tolerate riots and unrest, civil disorder.  Even though he played his part in self-interest, the official was able to dismiss the angry crowd.  Today,  two thousand years later, the only vestiges of the goddess Artemis (Diana) are the uncovered archaeological ruins.  The silversmiths’ guilds are gone.  But the gospel of Jesus Christ and churches where his people gather are still there, operating today.  Paul’s labor of love for three years in the city of Ephesus planted seeds of the gospel, the harvest of which has been bearing fruit for many generations.  To God be the glory!