Acts 19:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.

NIV: And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.

NASB: You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.

CSB: You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods.

NLT: 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!

KJV: Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

NKJV: Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

The craftsmen of Ephesus are worried. They make their living by selling idols and shrines, particularly for the goddess Artemis. About three years before (Acts 20:31), Paul came to town and started teaching about Jesus: the God who heals people, frees them from demons, forgives their sins, and will live with His followers forever in paradise. Most vexingly, Jesus is fully God and fully man, but His followers don't worship His image, they just worship Him.

This isn't good for idol-makers. Led by the silversmith Demetrius, the craftsmen join for a marketing campaign. They decide to start a protest to remind the city that they are defined by Artemis worship. The protest nearly turns into a riot, but Paul leaves (Acts 19:28—20:1).

Asia is the province in western modern-day Turkey. It encompasses all the cities of Revelation 2—3. When Paul came to Ephesus from Galatia, he likely traveled through Colossae and Laodicea and may have taken a detour to Hierapolis, but the churches in those cities were planted by Epaphras (Colossians 1:7–8; 2:1; 4:12–14). The Bible doesn't mention Paul traveling around Asia during his stay in Ephesus, but he might have. The message he preaches about Jesus certainly covers all of Asia (Acts 19:10).

Acts 19:23–27 is the story of how people often value money and civil identity more than the freedom and salvation found in Christ. Paul's work in Ephesus is so effective that people are turning to Jesus in noticeable numbers. Fearful for their income, the craftsmen who make idols start a pro-Artemis rally that nearly turns into a riot. They know people are being healed and rescued from demons, but they'd rather have money, so they use the religious and civil identities of the Ephesians to secure it.

Acts 19 recounts Paul's three-year visit in Ephesus. He starts by revealing how Jesus of Nazareth has brought to life the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit validates Paul's message by healing those struck with physical ailments and demon possession. Amazed by Paul's authority over evil spirits, so many magicians turn to Christ that the craftsmen who make idols fear for their livelihoods. They nearly incite a riot before the town clerk settles them down. Paul realizes his time in Ephesus has ended, and he travels to Macedonia (Acts 20:1).

Acts 19 is the meat of Paul's third missionary voyage. He has already revisited the churches in central modern-day Turkey (Acts 18:23). Now he returns to Ephesus for a three-year stay. After firmly establishing the church there, rescuing many from pagan magic and the worship of Artemis, he returns to Macedonia and Greece. A threat on his life sends him back up to Macedonia and across to Troas. He meets briefly with the Ephesian elders to tell them they will not meet again (Acts 20). When he returns to Jerusalem, he is arrested and, eventually, taken to Rome.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.