Actes 19:32-41

Some therefore cried one thing, and some another.

The excitement at Ephesus

I. What produced it.

1. Self-interest endangered.

2. Superstitious feelings aroused.

3. The unpopularity of the gospel.

4. The persuasive eloquence of one man.

II. What it produced. A display of the spirit of--

1. Enemies of truth.

2. True friends.

3. Eminent Christians. (Stems and Twigs for Sermon Framework.)

The tumult at Ephesus

I. Its causes.

1. The preaching of Paul.

2. The speech of Demetrius.

II. The tumult itself.

1. Paul’s courageous demeanour.

2. The conduct of the populace.

III. The tumult stilled. The speech of the town clerk.

1. A model of worldly prudence.

2. An example of great moral courage.

Application:

1. Be not dismayed in times of danger.

2. Unite prudence with courage and justice. (J. H. Tasson.)

Popular disorders--their cause and cure

A depraved commonalty is the teeming source of all moral and political disorder, and the fearful presage, if not speedily averted by an efficient system of Christian instruction, of a sweeping anarchy and great national overthrow. (T. Chalmers, D. D.)

And when the town clerk had appeased the people.--

The conduct of the town clerk

When the tumult had gone on for about two hours down comes the town clerk. At the appearance of a well-known Roman official order is quickly restored, just as we have seen a crowd in the streets of London, assembled to witness a fight, quietly disperse on the appearance of one policeman, whilst the two excited combatants saunter off calmly in the opposite direction with their hands in their pockets. This sudden quieting of the city was a great tribute to the genius of Rome for good government. The Roman officials, indeed, usually appear to advantage in the New Testament, especially in the Acts. Gallio knew his business at Corinth, and the town clerk knew his business at Ephesus. His speech was brief and admirable--quite as good as Gallio’s, in its way, and to the point. He said in effect--“Good people, what is this noise about? ‘Great is Diana!’ We all know Diana is great. If a wretched, wandering Jew, half off his head, comes here and says otherwise, what can it matter? Every one in this assembly is aware that the famous image we adore came straight down from Jupiter. Nobody doubts that, so there’s an end of the matter. You are not so simple as to suppose that our temple, celebrated throughout the world, can be in any danger from the windy chatter of this half-blind Paulus and his crew? Then, after all, poor deluded troublesome creatures as we know all the Jews are, yet these particular ones have committed no robbery. (Cries of ‘Demetrius and all of us are being robbed. Here’s the month of May, the place is full of visitors, the temple festival at its height, and we can’t sell our shrines; there’s a lot of dead stock on hand.’) Well, well, if Demetrius and his friends have any grievance, the law is open; let him get his solicitor to prepare his case; both sides will then be heard, and you know that in a Roman law court justice will be done. I’ll see to that. But this is not the way to get your rights. Go home quietly, and your business shall be attended to ‘in a lawful manner.’ Remember, an uproar like this is a serious matter. You have special privileges, and you are in danger of forfeiting them by your unseemly behaviour. You are not under martial law with a propraetor and a legion to rule you, but you are a senatorial province, with a proconsul, and your humble servant in office, who is likely to be ‘called to account’ for this disturbance, and in what a ridiculous, if not criminal light will Demetrius and his followers have to appear then! I fear they, and not Paulus and Alexander, will have to stand as prisoners in the dock.” And beneath this mixture of flattery, irony, and menace, the excited crowd melted away. (H. R. Haweis, M. A.)

The conduct of the town clerk as an example

Cotton Mather used to say that there was a gentleman mentioned in Actes 19:1, to whom he was often and greatly indebted--viz., the town clerk of Ephesus, whose counsel was, “Do nothing rashly.” And on any proposal of consequence he would say, “Let us consult a little with the town clerk of Ephesus.”

The address of the town clerk

Observe here:--

I. Conciliation. As if he had said, These poor Jews cannot in any way weaken the authority, limit the influence, or dim the glory of Diana. You may as well be anxious about the radiance of the quenchless stars as about Diana (Actes 19:36). As there is not the slightest occasion for all this tumult, be quiet; act as men, not as children.

II. Conscience. He speaks out the just as well as the politic (Actes 19:37). There is a high testimony from a learned and dignified pagan to the conduct of the apostles as the promoters of a new faith. It shows--

1. That they exhibited a respectful deference to the feelings of the errorists.

2. That they set forth God’s truth rather than battled with men’s opinions.

3. That their language was kind and not reproachful. Would that all promoters of truth had imitated the example of the apostles in this respect.

III. Counsel. He administers wise advice (Actes 19:38). This assembly is an unlawful one. Let there be an assembly of men lawfully called together to settle the matter in dispute.

IV. Caution. In conclusion, he gives them a word of warning (Actes 19:40). (D. Thomas, D. D.)

The speech of the town clerk

is the model of a popular harangue. Such excitement was--

I. Undignified, as they stood above all suspicion in religious matters (Actes 19:35).

II. Unjustifiable, as they could establish nothing against the men (Actes 19:37).

III. Unnecessary, as other means of redress were open to them (Actes 19:38).

IV. Dangerous; if neither pride nor justice availed anything, fear of the Roman power should restrain them (Actes 19:40). (W. Hackett.)

The image which fell down from Jupiter.--

The image of Diana

A many-breasted idol of wood, rude as an African fetich, was worshipped in its shrine, in some portion of which a meteoric stone may have been inserted, the token of its being “the image that fell down from Jupiter.” Similar superstitions belong to various countries, such as the Palladium of Troy, the Ceres of Sicily, the Minerva Polias of Athens, and the Diana of Tauris. Somewhat of the same nature were the shield of Mars at Rome, the black stone in the Caabah at Mecca, that in the temple of the Sun at Baalbec, and the Lia Fail, or stone of destiny, on which the Scottish kings were for many centuries crowned at Scone. Popularly supposed in those ancient times to be a portion of Jacob’s pillar, it was thought to be so connected with the destiny of the kingdom, that wherever it happened to be, there should reign the Scottish race, and though it was removed by Edward to Westminster Abbey, where it now forms the support of the coronation chair of the British sovereign, the old prophecy was fondly believed to be verified when James VI ascended the English throne on the death of Elizabeth. (Prof. Eadie.).