Acts 19:30

30 Paul himself wanted to go before the crowd, but the believers would not let him.

Acts 19:30 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 19:30

And when Paul would have entered in unto the people
In the theatre, in order to have preached to the people, and to have removed their prejudices against him, and the Gospel preached by him, and to have shown them the error and evil of their idolatrous ways and worship, and to have reconciled them to him, and his friends, and to have persuaded them to do them no hurt; which shows the apostle's greatness of soul, his firmness, constancy, and intrepidity, and his great concern and affection for his companions, to risk his life in this manner: but

the disciples suffered him not;
the believers, the members of the church at Ephesus would by no means agree to it, but dissuaded him from it; who hereby, on their part, showed great love to him, and what a value they had for him, and how much they esteemed the life of so great an apostle, and faithful preacher of the Gospel. The Ethiopic version renders it, "the apostles prohibited him"; but there were none of that office with him.

Acts 19:30 In-Context

28 As the crowd heard these words, they became furious and started shouting, "Great is Artemis of Ephesus!"

29 The uproar spread throughout the whole city. The mob grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were traveling with Paul, and rushed with them to the theater.

30 Paul himself wanted to go before the crowd, but the believers would not let him.

31 Some of the provincial authorities, who were his friends, also sent him a message begging him not to show himself in the theater.

32 Meanwhile the whole meeting was in an uproar: some people were shouting one thing, others were shouting something else, because most of them did not even know why they had come together.