Riot in Ephesus - Mobs and Free Speech - Acts 19

²³ About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. ²⁴ A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. ²⁵ He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. ²⁶ And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.²⁷ There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

²⁸ When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.³¹ Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

As the Jewish priests often did, these silversmiths create a riot based on their ability to make money.  When the message of Jesus gets into people’s pocketbooks, it creates division.  People who do not believe are often tolerate of Christians and the gospel message until it affects their security.  Believing in Jesus is a decision of security.  When someone believes, truly believes, their security is in Jesus and His work in the death on the cross and His resurrection.  Their security is knowing that He has borne all of their sins upon Himself and He alone did this work and it is finished!  He holds their keys to heaven and eternal security.  For the non-believer, their security is whatever they can do now on earth in this physical life.  So they greatly oppose and fight anyone or thing that affects their effort to provide their own security.

The whole basis of this riot is that their “trade will lose its good name”.  If the idol of Artemis is removed then everyone who comes to Ephesus for the idol artifacts made from silver will not buy them.  Their livelihood depended upon people’s worship to Artemis.  Artemis is the image of Diana.  It is not the Diana of the Greeks, but a multi-breasted oriental type Diana that is not a graceful image.  This temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  It was the largest Greek temple ever built.

³² The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.³³ The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. ³⁴ But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Notice that the mob does not grant Alexander free speech.  They refuse to allow him to speak.  This is what mob rule does.  It crushes freedom.  Also notice that a mob catches within it many people who don’t know why they are there.  But, once they are in it, it is hard to get out of it.  Back in WWII, there were many Germans that had no interest in being at war and certainly not in slaughtering Jews.  But once they had gotten caught up into the “mob” of the Nazis, there was no way out apart from dying.  They had lost their ability to free speech and freedom as much as those who actually actively opposed the Germans. 

Finally, a city clerk is allowed to speak.  The city clerk is not named, but he is a strong voice of reason.  He settles them down so they can realize what they are doing.  The laws of the ordered society are able to rule.  This is a testimony of an ordered society, something that America is losing with the political attacks on police officers and biased judges that try to make laws from the bench.  There is a sect of the public that seek to demonstrate and even riot over anything they deem to be unfair.  My hope is that America will stay an ordered society and the laws will prevail.