The Mission

The Apostle Eager to Defend Truth

Paul was not far away, and he soon learned about the danger his friends were in. Forgetting his own safety, he wanted to go to the theater immediately to speak to the rioters. But “the disciples would not allow him.” They didn’t expect any serious harm to come to Gaius and Aristarchus, but if the apostle made an appearance, it would stir up the worst passions of the mob, and it would be humanly impossible to save his life. 4TC 154.1

Paul was finally persuaded not to go by a message from the theater. His friends “sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater.” 4TC 154.2

The uproar there was continually growing stronger. “The assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.” The Jews, anxious to show that they did not sympathize with Paul and his work, brought forward one of their own people to speak to the mob. The speaker they chose was the craftsman Alexander, a coppersmith, who Paul later said had done him much harm (2 Timothy 4:14). Alexander applied all his energies to focusing the people’s anger exclusively on Paul and his companions. But the crowd, seeing that he was a Jew, pushed him aside, and “all with one voice cried out for about two hours, ‘Great is Diana of the Ephesians!’” 4TC 154.3

Finally there was a moment of silence. Then the clerk of the city, because he was an important government officer, got the crowd’s attention. He showed that there was no cause for the present uproar and appealed to their reason. “‘What man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? ... You ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. ... These men here ... are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ... We are in danger of being called in question with today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.’ And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.” 4TC 154.4

In his speech Demetrius revealed the real cause of the commotion and also much of the persecution that followed the apostles: “This trade of ours [is] in danger of falling into disrepute.” The spread of the gospel endangered the business of making idols. The income of pagan priests and craftsmen was at stake. 4TC 154.5

The decision of the clerk and of others in the city had upheld Paul before the people as innocent of any unlawful act. God had raised up a great city official to vindicate His apostle and keep the mob under control. Paul’s heart was filled with gratitude to God for preserving his life and that Christianity had not been discredited by the near riot at Ephesus. 4TC 155.1

“After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.” 4TC 155.2