In Acts 19:28-34, we find that things get messy in Ephesus. Whether we call them mobs, riots, or just “demonstrations that get out of control”, too many people getting riled up without a clear purpose and message leads to problems. We see the same thing today (after all, people are still people), but rather than judging others as we consider what led to an unruly crowd in Ephesus, let’s consider what messages we attach ourselves to.
As Paul’s teaching about Jesus Christ begins to impact the financial position of those who sell artifacts dedicated to the false goddess Artemis, Demetrius’s inflammatory speech (see Acts 19:23-27) to his colleagues triggers an expected result.
When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.
Acts 19:28-29 NIV
(By the way, just to give you an idea of this theater’s size, the theater in Ephesus apparently seated about 25 thousand people [ref. Lookout (x2); Gaertner, p.309, citing Bruce, p.376; Reese].)
Let’s consider the elements that caused this riot:
First, there is an instigator. Demetrius has intentionally tried to appeal to a number of people, to get them to work against the teachings of Paul (and perhaps other followers of Jesus, if they were thinking of Paul as a representative of “the Way”).
Next, there is high emotion. The NIV says that “they were furious”, but the NASB says that they “were filled with rage” [see verse 28]. This is not a diplomatic group, nor are they ready to listen to much of anyone, as evidenced by their response to Alexander [see verses 33-34].
There is a slogan or chant for this event, where the group follows along saying the same thing over and over again.
There was also a lot of confusion.
The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.
Acts 19:32 NIV
It sounds like a lot of people didn’t know what going on, and while it appears that some were shouting different things (at least at first), I suspect that this got to the point where some of the people who eventually shouted the common message, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”, didn’t even know what they were talking about. By following along with what Demetrius had started, they became party to something that maybe didn’t mean what they thought it meant. (This is a cautionary reminder for those who get involved in demonstrations, repeat slogans, or “like” other people’s social media posts without fully understanding them first.)
There is also impulsive action, as the mob forcibly seizes two of Paul’s traveling companions.
And, there is some level of xenophobia or racism. Since the two men who were seized came from Macedonia, it’s possible that they were perceived as outsiders. And, when a guy named Alexander tried to speak, they shout him down because of his ethnicity.
As a side note, in verses 30-31, we find that Paul wanted to go to the theater and speak. I think that it is in character for Paul to try to get there. He may see this as an evangelistic opportunity: after all, there’s a whole bunch of people gathered together to whom he could share the gospel. However, there are times and places when it’s not the right time or place to share the good news. That may seem counter-intuitive, but even Jesus told us not to “cast ye your pearls before swine” (see Matthew 7:6, KJV). Paul apparently has multiple friends who caution him against facing this crowd directly.
Per Acts 19:34, this goes on for “about two hours”! See the next article (or just continue reading in Acts 19) to learn about the resolution to this riot, but let’s pause here for a little bit and consider how little this mob accomplished, along with the implications for us today.
Sometimes, we can get riled up about things that make us angry. There is a time and a place for behavior like Jesus’ clearing of the Temple, but from the account of that in Mark 11 [see verses 11, 15-17], it seems that Jesus pondered the problem overnight before taking action. Jesus did not start a riot to clean out the temple. Like Him, we should have a righteous approach to effective change, which still leaves many avenues for us to make a difference, as we are led to do so by the Holy Spirit (and not merely our emotions).
The Lookout points out that the word for the “assembly” in the theater (even though it actually looked more like a mob or riot) is the same word used for “church” (i.e., “ekklesia”). When we are the church – the Body of Christ – are we a bunch of people shouting different things in confusion, attacking those we don’t agree with like the mob did…or are we shouting praise to God in unison, led by one person (Jesus Christ) to do great things? A mob can tear things down, but a church – with the power of God behind it – can help to transform a broken world.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for November 19, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, November 19, 2023, © 2023 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- New Testament History: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Acts, by Gareth L. Reese. © 1976, College Press Publishing Company.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Acts, by Dennis Gaertner. © 1993 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 