Acts 19:23-41

The Riot in Ephesus
23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: "Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26 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! 27 Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!" 28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. 31 Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater. 32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. 34 But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 35 At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. "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. 36 Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess. 38 "If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40 I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say." 41 Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.
Devotion (By Jen Wilson):
In this passage, Demetrius tries to rally the others of Ephesus against Paul and his disciples because Demetrius felt threatened by their spreading the word of Jesus. He feared that as the people came to know Jesus that they would no longer buy the shrines that he made. He selfishly felt that the good news would threaten his own livelihood.
I remember the excitement and passion that I had when I first devoted my life to Christ. I felt a renewed reason for my life and began to look at things differently. I wanted to share my new found faith with those who did not yet know Christ. As time passed, however, things and people from my past tried to chip away at that excitement. I found that not everyone was excited to hear about this change in my life nor were they excited for me and the change that I had undergone. I struggled to understand why this was happening. I came to understand how strong fear can be.
Some of the people that I had known before I devoted my life to Christ were afraid of my decision. They didn’t understand what it meant for me and for our relationship. They also had a fear of the unknown- they didn’t know Christ and where therefore afraid of Him. With the help of more mature believers, I came to know that I was not the only person who had this experience. I also learned that I should pray for these people so that one day they might be able to come to know Christ and share in the excitement.

Prayer: Dear God, We thank you that you are always with us. Help us to not be afraid or feel threatened by the unknown. Help us to know how to share you with those who do not yet know you. Amen.