Bible Study for Today

How profound an impact can the gospel have on a society?

Reading Acts 19:1–20, it is clear that the gospel made a tremendous impact on Ephesus. Paul’s two years of ministry here along with “unusual miracles,” the very public deliverance of a man from an evil spirit, and burning of magic books had left their mark. “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (v. 20).
So much so that Demetrius, a silversmith, took action against them. He was a maker of “silver shrines of Diana” (v. 24), the goddess Diana (also known as Artemis). These shrines were used as household idols and in the worship at the temple of Diana. Worship of her, centered at the great temple of Diana at Ephesus (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), was widespread throughout the Roman Empire. It is likely that the riot described in this passage took place during the annual spring festival held in her honor at Ephesus. The statement “brought no small profit” suggests Demetrius may have been the head of the silversmiths’ guild—which would explain his taking the lead in opposing the Christian preachers.
Demetrius cleverly played upon his hearers’ fears of financial ruin, religious zeal, and concern for their city’s prestige. The Christian preachers, he argued, threatened the continued prosperity of Ephesus. His audience’s violent reaction shows they took the threat seriously (v. 28). That was the impact of the gospel on their daily lives. The frenzied mob gathered in the theater clearly threatened the lives of Gaius and Aristarchus because of their role in the delivery of the Christian message.

Reading for Today:

2 Chronicles 28:1–29:36

Proverbs 21:6-8

Psalm 84:8-12

Acts 19:21-41

Notes:
2 Chronicles 28:9 Oded. An otherwise unknown prophet, with the same name as an earlier Oded (15:1, 8). The prophet said that Israel had won the victory because God was judging Judah. But he protested the viciousness of the killing and the effort to enslave them (v. 10) and warned them of God’s wrath for such action (v. 11). Amazingly the apostate and hostile Israelites complied with the prophet’s warning (vv. 12–15).
2 Chronicles 29:3 first year…first month. Hezekiah addressed the spiritual problems first, which reflected his life priorities. Hezekiah correctly diagnosed Judah’s ills—she had abandoned the true worship of God. So the king stepped in to reverse the policy of his father (28:22–25) and to repair the temple and return proper temple worship as God had prescribed in His Word (vv. 3–7). He knew such a revival of devotion to God would turn God’s wrath away from Judah (v. 10).
Psalm 84:9 behold our shield. A metaphor for the king, who also would have participated in a festival at the temple (Ps. 47:9; Hos. 4:18). the face of Your anointed. The king is regularly described as God’s “anointed” (Pss. 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 28:8; 89:38, 51). The psalmist thus prays that God would look upon the king with favor, blessing his reign with prosperity.
Acts 19:21 I must also see Rome. Paul had not visited the Imperial capital; but because of the strategic importance of the church there, he could stay away no longer. In addition, Paul intended to use Rome as a jumping-off point for ministry in the strategic region of Spain (Rom.15:22–24).This simple declaration marked a turning point in Acts—from this point on, Rome became Paul’s goal. He would ultimately arrive there as a Roman prisoner (28:16).
Acts 19:31 officials of Asia. Known by the title “Asiarchs,” these members of the aristocracy were dedicated to promoting Roman interests. Though only one Asiarch ruled at a time, they bore the title for life. That such powerful, influential men were Paul’s friends shows that they did not regard him or his message as criminal. Hence, there was no legitimate cause for the riot.
Acts 19:33 Alexander. Probably not the false teacher later active at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:20) or the individual who opposed Paul at Rome (2 Tim. 4:14), since the name was common. He was either a Christian Jew or a spokesman for Ephesus’s Jewish community. Either way, the Jews’ motive for putting him forward was the same—to disassociate themselves from the Christians and avoid a massacre of the Jews. make his defense. Either of the Christians, or the Jews, depending on which group he represented.