Acts 19: 23-41

Invading the Kingdom of Diana - Continued

Geographic Profile: Ephesus

Major religious center—focus of the worship of Diana (Artemis)

Leading commercial city of Asia Minor

Population estimated at 300,000

A beautiful city, very sophisticated, wealthy, and pagan

Biographical Profile: Gaius

A Macedonian member of the third journey missionary team

Not to be confused with others in the New Testament by the same name but designated by geographical location as follows: Gaius of Derbe (Acts 20:4); Gaius of Corinth (1 Cor. 1:14); Gaius the convert of John (3 John 1, 5–8)

Biographical Profile: Artistarchus

Macedonian member of the missionary team

Convert from Judaism

Fellow prisoner of the apostle Paul

Mentioned in Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2; Col. 4:10; Philemon 24

In a Nutshell

Acts 19 is about Ephesus—its paganism, the ministry of Paul, the reaction, and the riot. The Ephesian ministry took place approximately from a.d. 53 to 56.

Riot at Ephesus (vv. 23–34)

When God and Satan clash, entire cities can be thrown into an uproar, and the outcome is often unpredictable.

Speech of Demetrius (vv. 23–27)

Mobs in the streets (vv. 28–31)

Riot in the temple (vv. 32–34)

Order at Ephesus (vv. 35–41)

The Scripture always condemns mob rule and anarchy. Government officials, even those who oppose Christianity, are to be obeyed by the Lord’s people.

Dismissal of the charges (vv. 35–37)

Dismissal of the behavior (vv. 38–40)

Dismissal of the assembly (v. 41)

Deeper Discoveries

Baptism of John (v. 3)

These twelve men, who had been baptized by John the Baptist, were rebaptized by Paul after they believed the Christian message. This furnishes an example for counseling those who today were baptized either as unbelieving infants, adolescents, or adults and who then came to faith in Christ. It also serves as an argument against infant baptism, for why baptize an infant if later, after he personally receives Christ, he must be baptized again? (Ryrie, 423).

Demons (vv. 13–16)

Demons and demonic activity should not be ignored, but neither should they be given such prominence in our thinking that we find them everywhere and excuse ourselves from responsibility for our own sin. We do indeed face a spiritual and supernatural foe (Eph. 6:12). But as children of God we have been delivered from Satan’s kingdom of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13). We must wage battle against evil supernaturalism with the armor of divine supernaturalism (Lightner, 145).

Artemis Worship

The scale on which the Temple was erected was magnificently extensive. It was 425 feet in length and 220 in breadth, and the columns were 60 feet high. The number of columns was 127, each of them the gift of a king; and 36 of them were enriched with ornament and color. The folding-doors were of cyprus-wood; the part which was not open to the sky was roofed over with cedar; and the staircase was formed of the wood of one single vine from the island of Cyprus. The value and fame of the Temple were enhanced by its being the treasury where a large portion of the wealth of Western Asia was stored up. It is probable that there was no religious building in the world in which was concentrated a greater amount of admiration, enthusiasm, and superstition (Conybeare, 465–466).

Issues for Discussion

Recall the experience of your own baptism. What did it mean to you? What did it mean to those who observed it? Did you consciously receive the Holy Spirit at that time?

How would you explain evil spirits to another person? Do you think evil spirits are active today? What evidence of this activity do you see? What actions do you then take?

What forms of sorcery are practiced today? How do you explain to a young person why sorcery does not work?

[1]Kenneth O. Gangel, Acts, vol. 5, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 317–334.