Treasures
Paul’s third missionary journey, which occurred from AD 52–57, took place primarily in the city of Ephesus, which was the capital of the Roman province of Asia, located on the seacoast in western Turkey. Ephesus was a major commercial center and home of the temple of the pagan goddess Artemis, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Temple of Artemis, built in 550 BC out of the finest marble with 127 Grecian pillars each 60 feet high, was one of the most magnificent buildings ever constructed by the Greeks.
Much of the commercial life of Ephesus centered around the worship of Artemis, given that the temple attracted worshippers, pilgrims, and tourists from all over the Roman world, who would also purchase talismans or souvenirs. There was a prosperous guild of silversmiths who had a lucrative business manufacturing and selling shrines and miniature silver images of the goddess.
There was a large population of Jews in Ephesus, and during his first three months in Ephesus, Paul spoke boldly at the Jewish synagogue, preaching Christ and reasoning and persuading the people about the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8). Despite his arguments to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, many of them refused to believe and rejected his message, and they began to malign the Christian faith in front of the entire assembly (Acts 19:9). So Paul and the disciples departed from their midst and no longer attempted to reach them, turning their focus instead to reaching the Gentiles (the non-Jewish people).
Elsewhere in the book of Acts, similar incidents are recorded where Paul preached in the synagogue in the cities he visited and encountered rejection by the Jewish population. In each case, he discontinued his attempts to speak to the Jews and instead focused on reaching the Gentiles (Acts 13:44–45; 18:5–6). In this case in Ephesus, once Paul experienced public opposition in the synagogue, he began to preach to the Greeks in the hall of Tyrannus.
The hall of Tyrannus was likely a public lecture space in Ephesus used for teaching and philosophical discussions, which was common in Greco-Roman cities. This hall would enable Paul to speak to a broader audience, in particular people who were interested in philosophy and religion. Paul reasoned and taught there for two years until all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, had heard the gospel message (Acts 19:10).
As the weeks and months went by, many leading government officials of the city were converted to faith in Christ. Students, Roman officials, city fathers and common citizens, including people from Ephesus and faraway cities received a witness, and many people became Christians, even more so after witnessing how God performed extraordinary miracles of healing through Paul.
When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled (Acts 19:11–12). In a city where pagan magic was practiced, the people witnessed the more powerful work of the Holy Spirit through Paul. These miracles opened the door for the gospel to be proclaimed and served as a confirmation that God was working through Paul and that the message he shared was true. “This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks … and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified” (Acts 19:17).
As a result, many of the citizens of Ephesus were converted. Men who had formerly practiced witchcraft and black magic came forward and openly confessed their evil deeds (Acts 19:18). During the Greco-Roman era, magical incantations and spells were often collected and published in books that sold at high prices. In a spectacular display of repentance, the Bible recounts that “a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19).
By the end of two years, the word of the Lord and the gospel message had grown in such power and influence that all the inhabitants who lived in the province of Asia, Jews, Romans and Greeks alike, had heard the message of salvation.
Up until that time, the thriving sale of shrines and idols had kept the many craftsmen in Ephesus employed. But as more and more Ephesians turned to Christianity, the silversmiths began to see a noticeable drop in their sales. One of these silversmiths, who employed many craftsmen in his guild, was a man named Demetrius, and he began to view the influence of Paul’s teachings increasingly as a threat to this lucrative business.
Demetrius called together all his craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades and crafts, and when they had assembled, he said, “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!” (Acts 19:25–26).
Demetrius went on to point out that not only would they lose income, but the temple of their goddess Artemis, who was worshipped throughout Asia, would be discredited and even be “deposed from her magnificence” (Acts 19:27). Demetrius’ claim was a true one, as people traveled from Asia and all of the Roman world to Ephesus to worship Artemis, particularly in the weeklong spring festival dedicated to the goddess.
When the assembled craftsmen heard this speech, they were overcome with fury and religious rage, and began shouting in unison, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:28). The confusion soon spilled out into the streets, and before long the entire city of Ephesus was in an uproar. The mob rushed into the theater, dragging with them Paul’s Macedonian travel companions, Gaius and Aristarchus (Acts 19:29). The Ephesian theater was the place of assembly for town business meetings and had a capacity of more than 20,000 people.
By this time all the officials and government heads of Ephesus had heard that the city was in an uproar over Paul and that the mob had seized his two friends. When Paul heard what was happening, he wanted to go and appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province who were friends of Paul sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater (Acts 19:30–31). They knew that it could very likely cost him his life.
Meanwhile, across the city, the assembly at the amphitheater was in a state of total confusion and chaos. Some were shouting one thing, some another, and most of the people did not even know why they had come together (Acts 19:32). A Jewish coppersmith named Alexander was urged by the Jewish leaders to go to the front of the forum, likely to make a statement that would disassociate them from Paul.
Alexander made it to the front, but as he was motioning for the crowd to keep silence and preparing to make a defense, some of the mob recognized that he was a Jew. Thinking that he was going to speak against their goddess, they became possessed with religious fervor and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” For two hours the crowd chanted, and the entire city shook with the deafening roar (Acts 19:33–34).
Finally the town clerk, who served as the chief administrative officer of the city, stood up and quieted the crowd, assuring them that their city’s reputation was secure.
“Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash” (Acts 19:35–36). Motioning toward Gaius and Aristarchus, he went on to say, “You have brought these two men here, but they haven’t robbed our great temple or blasphemed our goddess.”
The town clerk went on to state: “If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody and want to press charges, the courts are open and in session and there are judges who will hear their case. If they have any accusations to bring up, then they ought to settle them through legal channels in a lawful assembly, in court” (Acts 19:37–39).
“As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today’s events. If the Roman authorities ask for an account for the uproar today, we would not be able to give an explanation, since there is no valid reason for it” (Acts 19:40). After making this proclamation, the town clerk dismissed the assembly and sent them all home.
This detailed report in Acts of the reasoning of the town clerk using legal arguments may have provided an important foundation for Christians in other cities to defend themselves. This established a precedent that the Christian gospel was not contrary to the Roman rule of law or disruptive of public order, and that accusations made to that effect were untrue. After this event, the Christian community in Ephesus continued to prosper.
From a dramatized Bible story series published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished September 2026.
