Acts 19:23-27 23And about that time, there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen, 25whom he gathered together with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this trade is our prosperity, 26and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia, this Paul by persuading has turned away a great crowd, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27And not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be counted as nothing, and that her magnificence be brought down, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
The next episode of Paul’s experience in Ephesus stands in sharp contrast to the change and sacrifice the new believers made when they burned their magic books. As Paul was making plans to leave the city, a group of silversmiths started to raise a commotion about the effect Paul was having on their business. Behind this story lies the powerful change the gospel was making to people in the city. It all started with Paul’s obedience to go to the city and his courage to preach the gospel to all people, no matter the personal cost. Also in the background is the religious context of Ephesus as the host of the cult and temple to Artemis, the goddess of nature, fertility, hunting, and the moon. She was known as Diana by the Romans. Her temple was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. It was massive with 100 columns, 165 feet by 345 feet in dimension, and built on a platform 240 by 420 feet. The entire edifice was elaborately adorned in brilliant colors and gold leaf. Votive figurines of the goddess and the temple were sold in the Ephesian marketplace. Visitors to the city from all over the Roman Empire would buy these figurines as souvenirs.
One of the silversmiths, named Demetrius, started to see his trade diminish because people were turning away from idolatry to Jesus. He must have been in a position of influence among the other silversmiths. He organized all the smiths to protest what was happening. Demetrius’ speech indicates how much the gospel through Paul’s efforts had spread not only in Ephesus but all over Asia. Luke likes to throw in extravagant descriptions like this throughout Acts, possibly to indicate the legitimacy of Christianity.
Demetrius’ theology was poor and followed human thinking throughout the ages because he mistook idols for gods. His devotion to the worship of Artemis is also obvious. He was mixing up his worship with his work, both of which were headed in the wrong direction. Instead of humbling himself, like many others in Ephesus, he dug in through his hard attitude and rejection of Paul’s words. The derision can almost be felt behind Demetrius’ words. He first appealed to the finances and livelihood of the other smiths. Then he moved on to appeal to their emotions and spiritual life by attaching his complaint to the well-being of his goddess. If Artemus were a true deity, she would not need to be defended by a human.
Demetrius was deceived by his idol worship and lust for money; however, he did perceive correctly the power and effect of Paul’s ministry. If the gospel continued to impact people, the worship of Artemis and all other gods and goddesses would diminish, and their influence would end. The power of God’s word cannot be stopped, though it can be hindered by deceived people like Demetrius.