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Fear Of Losing Control

Acts 19:28-34

When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's travelling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theatre together. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theatre. The assembly was in confusion: some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defence before the people. But when they realised he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!'

The silversmiths, who made models of Diana's (Artemis’) temple in Ephesus, were very worried and angry. Paul had been preaching that the pagan gods had neither personality nor any divine power (Acts 19:26-27). However, the temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and attracted many pilgrims. Part of the economy of Ephesus was based on this religious tourist trade; that included selling silver models of the temple. They were expensive and were supposed to bring Diana's power into people's homes. It was a lucrative trade.