THEMES:

• Tearing Down Idols: In the Old Testament, the Israelites struggled with idol worship. Foreign enemies would invade Israel and bring their false gods into the land of Israel in the form of physical idols and temples. So God sent judges and prophets to tear down these idols physically. They would go to the Asherah poles or the statues of Baal and Moloch and would chop them down with their own sword. These idols sat atop hills for all to see, so it was important for the judges to destroy them and root them out from the land of Israel. But, the idols kept coming back. The judges and prophets could never defeat the idols completely, they could only suppress them for a time. This points to the need of a true and final Judge and Prophet. His name was Jesus Christ. Christ himself was put atop a hill as a spectacle for all to see, and in doing this, Jesus became the only face to look upon and the only one worthy of our worship. On the cross, He defeat all idols, and he gives the power to defeat them freely to those who place their faith in him.
• So, that’s what we see Paul doing in Acts 19. Paul believes that Jesus is the true object of faith, and the one mediator to God, so he preaches that. He preaches Jesus and in doing so preaches against the idols of Ephesus, namely Diana. So in the Old Testament we see idols invading the land of Israel, which were the people of God. In the New Testament we see Paul invading all lands with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is on the offensive tearing down idols. And, Paul does not do this physically, he does it spiritually. Paul is getting at the root, and showing people that idols only give temporary and false hope, and that Jesus gives you a new life, true hope, and the promise of the resurrection. Paul presents the gospel so convincingly that he had an actual effect on the culture of the city. The monetary well-being of the idol makers were being affected, so much so that the magicians, coppersmith, silversmith, and goldsmiths all rose up to push Paul out. Think about that. Gospel preaching monetarily hurts the industries of idols.
• So then, the question is, do we as the church in Tacoma, Washington, and America cause the idol makers of our society and culture to feel a monetary burden? Let’s take the idol of sexual promiscuity for example. Are we preaching the gospel enough so that Lady Bug Espresso here in Tacoma is shrinking and not expanding? Are we preaching the gospel enough with immese compassion so that the abortion rate of Washington is decreasing instead of increasing? Are we preaching the gospel enough so that the porn industry is losing money instead of becoming one of the fastest growing industries in America? These are hard questions, and right now it seems the answer is no. But, the good news is we don’t have to feel bad, because Jesus has already overcome all idols. We merely need to preach the gospel and reach our neighbor with the love of Jesus Christ. When we do this, we join the mission of Jesus in tearing down the idols he has already overcome.

PEOPLE:

• Demetrius: “A silversmith at Ephesus, whose chief occupation was to make "silver shrines for Diana" (q.v.), Acts 19:24,i.e., models either of the temple of Diana or of the statue of the goddess. This trade brought to him and his fellow-craftsmen "no small gain," for these shrines found a ready sale among the countless thousands who came to this temple from all parts of Asia Minor. This traffic was greatly endangered by the progress of the gospel, and hence Demetrius excited the tradesmen employed in the manufacture of these shrines, and caused so great a tumult that "the whole city was filled with confusion.”

CULTURE:

Places

• Ephesus - “The capital of the Roman province of Asia, and an illustrious city in the district of Ionia, nearly opposite the island of Samos. Buildings. --Conspicuous at the head of the harbor of Ephesus was the great temple of Diana or Artemis, the tutelary divinity of the city. This building was raised on immense substructions, in consequence of the swampy nature of the ground. The earlier temple, which had been begun before the Persian war, was burnt down in the night when Alexander the Great was born; and another structure, raised by the enthusiastic cooperation of all the inhabitants of "Asia," had taken its place. The magnificence of this sanctuary was a proverb throughout the civilized world. In consequence of this devotion the city of Ephesus was called neokoros, (Acts 19:35) or "warden" of Diana. Another consequence of the celebrity of Diana's worship at Ephesus was that a large factory grew up there of portable shrines, which strangers purchased, and devotees carried with them on journeys or set up in the houses. The theatre , into which the mob who had seized on Paul, (Acts 19:29) rushed, was capable of holding 25,000 or 30,000 persons, and was the largest ever built by the Greeks. The stadium or circus, 685 feet long by 200 wide, where the Ephesians held their shows, is probably referred to by Paul as the place where he "fought with beasts at Ephesus." (1 Corinthians 15:32) Connection with Christianity --The Jews were established at Ephesus in considerable numbers. (Acts 2:9; 6:9) It is here and here only that we find disciples of John the Baptist explicitly mentioned after the ascension of Christ. (Acts 18:25; 19:3) The first seeds of Christian truth were possibly sown here immediately after the great Pentecost. (Acts 2:1) ... St. Paul remained in the place more than two years, (Acts 19:8,10; 20:31) during which he wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians. At a later period Timothy was set over the disciples, as we learn from the two epistles addressed to him. Among St. Paul's other companions, two, Trophimus and Tychicus, were natives of Asia, (Acts 20:4) and the latter was probably (2 Timothy 4:12) the former certainly, (Acts 21:29) a native of Ephesus. Present condition --The whole place is now utterly desolate, with the exception of the small Turkish village at Ayasaluk . The ruins are of vast extent.”
• V9 - Hall of Tyrannus - “Who this Tyrannus was is not known. It is probable that he was a Jew, who was engaged in this employment, and who might not be unfavorably disposed toward Christians. In his school, or in the room which he occupied for teaching, Paul instructed the people when he was driven from the synagogue. Christians at that time had no churches, and they were obliged to assemble in any place where it might be convenient to conduct public worship.”

Cultural Background

• V27 - The Temple of Artemis - “Called Diana by the Romans; called Artemis by the Greeks. Her most noted temple was that at Ephesus. It was built outside the city walls, and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. One historian writes: “First and last it was the work of 220 years; built of shining marble; 342 feet long by 164 feet broad; supported by a forest of columns, each 56 feet high; a sacred museum of masterpieces of sculpture and painting. At the centre, hidden by curtains, within a gorgeous shrine, stood the very ancient image of the goddess, on wood or ebony reputed to have fallen from the sky. Behind the shrine was a treasury, where, as in ‘the safest bank in Asia,’ nations and kings stored their most precious things. The temple as St. Paul saw it subsisted till a.d. 262, when it was ruined by the Goths”
• The theater at Ephesus - “Public drama arrived with the Greeks after 400 b.c. As a symbol of Greco-Roman culture, the presence of theaters in Palestine was a constant reminder of Greek and Roman control of the Jewish state. Herod I built numerous theaters in the Greek cities during his reign in Palestine (37–4 b.c.). The presence of these theaters, especially near the Temple in Jerusalem, continually aroused anger in the Jews. Public performances began with a sacrifice to a heathen god, usually the patron god of the city. Dramas and comedies included historical or political themes and were often lewd and suggestive. The semicircular seats of the theater rose step fashion either up a natural hillside or on artificial tiers. A facade, several stories high, was decorated with sculptures and stood behind the stage. The general public sat in the higher seats, farther back, but wealthier patrons were given seats lower and closer to the stage. A large central area was reserved for the local governor or ruler. Theaters varied in size. Those in small towns held approximately 4,000 persons, while larger theaters, such as that in Ephesus where Paul was denounced, were capable of holding 25,000 or more.”

CONTEMPLATING GOD:

Voices of the Past:

• Their Religion is Threatened - Bede: “That is: Demetrius and the other idol makers thought, not only will our work be discredited as vain and not deserving of payment but indeed our religion will be brought to disgrace, if Paul prevails with his teaching that idols are not gods and that it is an extraordinary stupidity on the part of the Gentiles not to be ashamed to worship that which can be constructed and destroyed all the same.
• One Should Nothing without Strict Examination - John Chrysostom: “Such is the way with the vulgar, to jump to conclusions and become enraged on any pretest. That is why one must do everything after careful consideration. But see how contemptible they are, how exposed to all excitements and outrage…”Some cried one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion.” For such is the behavior of a crowd or mob. It simply follows, as a fire that spreads across wood that is lit.”

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Footnotes:

Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Demetrius.”

Smith’s Bible Dictionary, “Ephesus.”

https://www.godtube.com/bible/acts/19-9

Manners & Customs of the Bible, J.M. Freeman & H.J. Chadwick, pp.525-536.

Manners & Customs of the Bible, J.M. Freeman & H.J. Chadwick, pp.525-536.

Bede. Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. 19:27.

John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles. Homily 42.

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