Acts 19

Chap. XIX. Ver. 1—22. The Holy Ghost given by Paul’s hands. The Jewish exorcists confounded, and their books burnt.—We now find Paul returned to Ephesus, according to his promise, ((Acts 18:21),) where he finds about a dozen of John’s disciples, who, though they associated with the Christians, had received only John’s baptism, and appear to have heard nothing of the miraculous events of the day of Pentecost. They now, however, willingly consented to receive baptism in the name of Jesus, after which, Paul laying his hands on them they received the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, and prophesied and spake with tongues. Paul, during his three months’ continuance here, attended and preached at the Jewish synagogue, ‘‘disputing” with objectors, and ‘‘persuading” them to believe in Christ Jesus, and to receive the doctrines and precepts of his kingdom. Some of the Jews, however, were so hardened, that they not only refused to receive the truth themselves, but abused those who did believe, insomuch that Paul and his friends were obliged to withdraw from them, and hold their meetings in the schoolroom of one Tyrannus. “All at Ephesus and the adjacent country heard the word of the Lord Jesus, and many of them, both Jews and Greeks, believed.” ‘In no place (says Mr. Milner) does the word of God seem so much to have triumphed as at Ephesus. No less numerous than those of Corinth, the believers were much more spiritual. The work of conversion was deep, vigorous, and soul-transforming to a great degree.

Many persons, struck with the horror of their former crimes, made an open confession; and many, who had dealt in the abominations of sorcery, now showed their sincere detestation of them, by burning their books before all men, the price of which amounted to a large sum. ‘So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed!’ Thus triumphs the sacred historian. Satan must have tremendously appeared no less palpable than the flagitiousness of vice, and the enormities of idolatry. The spiritual power of Jesus was never seen in a stronger light since the day of Pentecost; and the venal priesthood of Diana, the celebrated goddess of Ephesus, apprehended the total ruin of their hierarchy.” We are farther informed, that it pleased God to honour Paul with powers singularly miraculous, such as the cure of diseases and the ejection of demons, by means of handkerchiefs and aprons which he wore, of which we recollect nothing parallel in the New Testament.

But every instrument is equally effective when endued with a divine virtue—the power is alone of God. Satan is ever imitating where he cannot rival; he now stirred up certain vagabond (or travelling) Jews, the seven sons of a chief priest, exorcists by profession, who took upon them to call over them that had evil spirits, saying, ‘‘We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth.”’ This was a dangerous experiment. Jesus they knew, and Paul they knew, but these men they knew not; they were glad therefore to escape naked and wounded from the hands of one of these demoniacs. Dr. Boothroyd says, ‘‘I should think that this man was insane.” We should think so too, and believe that maniacs often are possessed; yet we would by no means assert that all are possessed who are insane, or all insane who are possessed.

This miracle had a salutary effect in calling the public attention to the divine superiority of the Christian religion; and the present contest reminds us of that between Moses and the magicians of Egypt. The latter, indeed, did wonders in the sight of Pharaoh, by turning their rods (apparently) into serpents; but that of Moses evinced a superior power, by devouring them. (See on (Exodus 7)and viii. exposition and notes.) Ephesus seems to have been at this time as much famed for curious arts as Egypt, at least if we may judge by the quantity of books here brought together to be burned, which, valued at the lowest calculation, were worth $8,436.

It is well known formerly held, both astrological and magical; yet such a fear now fell upon the professors of these arts, that they voluntarily had believed in Jesus, by this act confessed their guilt, and renounced such practices for ever. Much do we regret that any who profess the name of Christian (and we have known some such) should waste their precious time on studies so unholy and unprofitable.

We neither pretend nor aspire to any skill in these mysteries of iniquity. The far greater part of them are unquestionably artifice and trick; and yet, since ‘‘the prince of the power of the air’’ holds a mighty dominion in this world, we are far from considering him inactive, or attributing all to human skill or effort.

Indeed we cannot, without a violence to the sacred narrative, which subverts the authority of the Scriptures, and sets aside their inspiration. Mrs. More remarks, that at the time of the French Revolution, many persons sold their copies of the infidel writings of Voltaire and others very cheap; but they had not the honesty to burn them: this, therefore, only increased their circulation, instead of checking it. Ver. 23—41. Demetrius raises an uproar against Paul, which is suppressed by the town-clerk.—We have here an instance how much idolatry was supported by private interest among the pagans. Besides a large establishment of priests and priestesses, many others were maintained by the erection of temples and the manufacture of idols, not only for the temples and public processions, but also portable representations of the temple and the indwelling deity, both on medals and enclosed in boxes, (like those of the French musical boxes,) to be carried in the pocket or girdle, for the purpose of private idolatry, or perhaps of fashion.

Demetrius, and a numerous body of fellow-craftsmen, it appears, lived by the various branches of this trade, and he makes no secret of it among them, that he was actuated more by his interest than devotion: “Ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.” It was necessary, however, to carry this point with the populace, that he should put on the mask of religious zeal, and praise “the great goddess Diana,” her image, and her temple, which, indeed, for its beauty and magnificence, was considered as one of the wonders of the world. The image of Diana was a female figure, crowned with a [hile], however, we pity the folly and stupidity of these ignorant heathen, we can but admire the temper and moderation of some of the magistrates, particularly the town clerk or recorder of Ephesus, who discovers great address in the manner in which he governs and controls these ‘‘beasts of Ephesus;” and the argument he uses in favour of Paul and his companions does them honour as well as himself. 1. They were not (as he observes) guilty of sacrilege; they had done no violence to their temples, an excess into which zealous reformers too often fall, and of which some of our countrymen, at the time of the reformation, cannot be wholly cleared: nor, 2. Did they abuse (or blaspheme) either the goddess or her priests. They taught, indeed, ‘that they be no gods which are made with hands:” and thus they endeavoured to enlighten their minds; but they cautiously avoided exasperation, either in their language or their actions. We are happy to see that the same course is pursued by our modern missionaries; and we doubt not but, eventually, their labours will be crowned with a like success, of which, indeed, we have had a happy specimen, both among the civilized Pagans of the East, and the rude, uncultivated savages of the South.

As to Paul’s conduct on this occasion, he was not deficient either in zeal or courage, for it appears he would have plunged into the theatre amidst all the mob, had it not been for the prudence of his friends, who used their utmost exertions to prevent him.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 22. Erastus—Chamberlain of Corinth.—See (Romans 16:23). Ver. 23. No small stir about that way.—Namely, the Christian worship, in opposition to idolatry. Ver. 24. Which made silver shrines.—These shrines are understood to mean small models of the temple, with the goddess within; and Pliny mentions such of the Venus of Cnidus. The late Mr. Vaylor, in his Fragments, No. exxvii., has given various figures of this goddess, most of them ending in what artists call a term; as also the copy of a medal exhibiting the famous temple of Diana, with the idol in the centre. ——Craftsmen—i.e. artisans, including casters, chasers, engravers, &c. Ver. 26. Saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands.—Implying, as Doddridge remarks, that Demetrius would have them believe they

Ver. 28. Diana.—(The Ephesian Diana is represented in some statues all covered with breasts, from the shoulders down to the feet; and in others from the breast to the bottom of the abdomen; from which we find that she was widely different from Diana the huntress, and that she represented Nature, as is stated on two inscriptions in Montfaucon.—Baxter. Ver. 29. Into the theatre.—Theatres, it is known, were sometimes used for public meetings; but from the great tumult raised on this occasion, and other circumstances, it has been supposed that the Ephesians were at this time celebrating games to the honour of Diana.—Macedonia—An extensive province of Greece, was bounded on the north by the mountains of Rhemus, on the south by Epirus and Achaia, on the east by the Aegean sea and Thrace, and on the west by the Adriatic sea; celebrated in all histories as being the third kingdom which, under Alexander the Great, obtained the empire of the world, and had under it 150 nations.

—Bagster. Ver. 31. Certain of the chief of Asia.—The Asiarchs, here mentioned, were the priests who presided in the Greek games, whence a principal reason of the conjecture in the last note: some of these, it appears, were so favourable to Paul, (as a man of talents, perhaps,) that they wished to save his Ver. 33. Alexander.—Who this was is uncertain; some have supposed it to have been “Alexander the coppersmith,” but it is plain, from the opposition made to him, that he was a friend of Paul. Ver. 35. The town clerk.—Doddridge, ‘‘The Chancellor.” Taylor, “The Recorder,” which is more literal. This appears to have been an officer of high rank and great influence.—‘Tis a worshipper.—Doddridge, “Is devoted to.”

He means to represent the city of Ephesus as the guardian (Neokoros) of her temple, her image, and her rites. Mr. Taylor seems to think it impossible that the Ephesians could believe that a carved statue came down from heaven; but if the people of Rome can believe that the house of “our Lady of Loretto” was removed thither from Nazareth in a night, what is there more incredible in believing that a statue should be lowered from the skies? This original statue of Diana, according to different accounts, was of ivory, of cedar, or the vine.—Orient. Lit. No. 1431, 1436. Properly introduced; the original (hierosulous) means sacrilegious persons—‘robbers of temples,” as Doddridge renders it. Ver. 38. The law is open.—“Court days are kept.”

Doddridge, ‘‘Courts are held.—And there are deputies—i.e. the Roman proconsuls, or procurators.’ Ver. 39. Lawful assembly—i.e. lawfully called together.