Exalting Jesus Instead of Idols

Acts 19:10-41

Main Idea: In Paul’s extended Word-driven ministry in Ephesus, many Ephesians turned from idols to the living Christ; Luke records some significant events surrounding this spiritual awakening.

1. The Word Increased and Prevailed (19:10,20).
2. God Displayed His Power (19:11-12).
3. People Magnified Jesus (19:13-17).
4. Believers Confessed/Renounced Sin (19:18-19).
5. The Gospel Impacted Social Norms (19:21-41).

When a person is genuinely converted to faith in Jesus, he or she gets new affections. Old loves, desires, and interests are replaced with new ones. Those who have become new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) experience a new love for Jesus, his church, and his mission. The converts in Ephesus illustrate this dynamic. The Ephesians loved many things—sports, theater, idols (especially their famed goddess, Artemis), and wealth. But when Paul preached the gospel and the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of many in the city, they experienced a change in affections (v. 17).

If you have ever seen a young man in his late teens get a crush on a girl, then perhaps you have seen how this works. All of a sudden the smitten lad’s interests change. He washes the car—like twice a week. He starts wearing cologne—enough to overpower your nose. He gets a job—maybe two jobs. Why? Because he has a new love! His parents may have told him a hundred times before to wash the car, to freshen up, and to get a job, but with his change in interest, they no longer have to tell him! He wants to do these things because he has experienced a change in affections. And that’s the sort of thing that happens when we meet Jesus, only in a much greater sense. When affections change, everything changes.

Ephesus was a mighty city with many points of interest. Most notably, Ephesus was the keeper of the renowned temple of Artemis (also known as Diana), the pagan goddess of fertility. Her worshipers believed her image had fallen from heaven and was housed inside her temple. But with Paul’s arrival, a Christian was walking around town preaching a message about a crucified and risen Savior with far more power than Artemis could claim. So some Ephesians exchanged their idols for the worship of the living Christ (cf. 1 Thess 1:9-10).

A phrase that captures Paul’s extended ministry in Ephesus is found in 19:23—“a major disturbance about the Way.” Indeed, Christ’s work through Paul was causing a number of disturbances. Early in the chapter we see the disturbance in the synagogue community when Paul preached about the Messiah (vv. 8-9). Then there were disturbances in cities around Ephesus as residents from various places took the gospel back to their towns and “all the residents of Asia . . . heard the word of the Lord” (v. 10). There were disturbances in the demonic realm, too; we will read of some extraordinary miracles in verses 11-19. Finally, there was a major disturbance in the city center; in response to the gospel’s impact on the social customs of Ephesus, a group of protestors opposed the Way (vv. 23-41).

From one point of view, these things created “a major disturbance.” But from our point of view, what happened in Ephesus is better called “a great awakening.” This chapter has all the signs of a great awakening. In an essay on Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening, J. I. Packer notes ten elements:

1. God comes down.
2. God’s Word pierces.
3. Man’s sin is seen.
4. Christ’s cross is valued.
5. Change goes deep [which Packer illustrates with 19:18-19].
6. Love breaks out.
7. Joy fills hearts.
8. Each church becomes itself. . . . God is felt to be there, present to bless, in the midst of those who are his.
9. The lost are found.
10. Satan keeps pace. (“The Glory of God and the Reviving of Religion,” 100–104)

When we read Acts 19–20 and the book of Ephesians, it’s easy to see that Ephesus experienced such a movement as Packer describes. So let’s look at some of the notable events surrounding Paul’s ministry in Ephesus and this great spiritual awakening.

The Word Increased and Prevailed

Acts 19:10,20

The awakening in Ephesus began and continued with the proclaimed Word, as discussed previously. Later, when Paul reflected on his ministry in Ephesus, he emphasized how his primary task there involved expounding the Scriptures to everyone (20:20-21,27,31-32).

Luke brackets verses 10-20 with references to “the word of the Lord.” In verse 10, a transitional verse, he says, “This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.” Then, in a summary verse, he says, “In this way the word of the Lord flourished and prevailed” (v. 20). This bracket highlights the major emphasis in Paul’s ministry in Ephesus: the Word of the Lord. Additionally, the later report of Paul’s critic, Demetrius, also underscores Paul’s persuasive teaching (v. 26). Paul’s preaching was causing a major disturbance.

All of this points to the fact that what turned Ephesus upside down was Paul’s message. The miracles confirmed the validity of Paul’s message, displayed the superior power of Jesus over all other forms of power, and were, indeed, impressive. But let’s not lose sight of what was primary: the exposition of the Word.

Repeatedly in the book of Acts, Luke reports on how the early church impacted the nations: through the Word of the Lord (cf. 2:41; 6:7; 12:24; 13:49). So if want to know how we can see cities changed and wonder how the affections of idolaters can be changed, we need to preach the Word of Christ. Doing so is key.

I know it seems like a hopeless exercise. A little guy going into a massive, powerful city and deciding to teach in the synagogue and then lecturing daily for two years doesn’t sound world changing. But just read Acts 19–20. The gospel changed lives then, and it does so today. God has always used the intense preaching of the Word to stimulate spiritual awakening. John Calvin preached once each day, and twice on Sunday during the Geneva reformation (Ferguson, “No Little Disturbance”). Through the Spirit-empowered preaching of Calvin, the city was transformed.

I’m not talking about merely preaching sermons like those you hear from the pastor on Sunday. I am talking about Christians meeting Christ in his Word and helping others meet him through the exposition of Scriptures. Intense preaching of the Christ-exalting Scriptures transformed the city of Ephesus. And it can transform our nation today. So let this passage increase your confidence in the power of the proclaimed Word. Just keep explaining and applying it—in small groups, in large groups, one-on-one, in lecture halls, in homes, under a tree in Ethiopia, or anywhere else. For hearing it really does “renew one’s life” (Ps 19:7).

God Displayed His Power

Acts 19:11-12

Luke tells of some wonders that accompanied Paul’s message. Unfortunately, passages like these have been misapplied. Religious hucksters on television have told gullible people bizarre things like, “Get this prayer hankie that I have prayed over, and it will heal you. . . . Order yours now for only $99.99.” Tom Schreiner told a story about how one such person was marketing prayer carpets. He told superstitious customers that previous buyers had prayed on the carpet and received wonderful things, including vacations to Hawaii and mobile homes (Schreiner, “Power of Lord Jesus”)! Such applications are abuses of this passage.

Here Luke is describing historical events; he is not prescribing an activity that we should mimic. Paul is simply the instrument here. He’s not walking around handing out facecloths. In fact, Luke emphatically states that it was “God” who was doing extraordinary miracles. God may choose to do the miraculous today too, but we must not expect him to do so—much less demand it. In this case, in a city steeped in superstition and interest in magic, God kindly condescended to show the Ephesians his sovereign power in a way that would get their attention and draw them to the Savior.

Many Christians want to see a miracle every moment, but little of the typical Christian life involves visible displays of miraculous power. Just read the book of Proverbs. Most of life involves submitting to God’s revealed will in the Bible, walking by the Spirit, and pursuing godly wisdom.

So let’s have a balanced view of miracles. We must not rule miracles out. God can do whatever he pleases (Ps 115:3). But we must not assume God isn’t working when we don’t see visible miracles. The greatest miracle, after all, is the new birth. God raised Jesus from the dead, and all who are in Christ will also vacate a tomb! So while we shouldn’t start a miracle sweatband ministry, we should keep trusting in the God who raises the dead. We should keep pouring out our hearts to him in prayer, even asking for healing, as James 5:14-16 says. We must keep believing that he will change lives as the gospel is proclaimed.

People Magnified Jesus

Acts 19:13-17

“The Seven Sons of Sceva” sounds like the name of a modern rock band. Sceva, the biological father of this group, is called a Jewish chief priest. He may have simply claimed this position without actually occupying it. Another possibility is that Sceva really was a chief priest, and his sons turned away from traditional Judaism to practice exorcism.

Jewish exorcists were known for offering strange Hebrew incantations. The Ephesians were attracted to sorcerers, looking to them to provide cures and blessings for a price. It was common for charlatans to borrow names to use in their incantations. So after observing Paul’s ministry, this particular group of pretenders decided to cash in on Jesus’s name (much like Simon Magus wanted to do in 8:9-24), but their attempt backfired. A better title for these guys, as Alistair Begg quipped, would be “The Seven Streakers of Sceva” (“Reaching the City”)!

After trying to add Jesus’s name to their hocus-pocus act in order to cast out evil spirits, the seven sons get utterly humiliated. As demons often do in the New Testament, this one testifies to the power of Jesus—this time to his power working through Paul (Polhill, Acts, 404; cf. Acts 16:17). The demon essentially says, “I know I can’t best Jesus or Paul, but you guys have no power to do anything to me.” Because these wizards didn’t belong to Jesus, the demon wasn’t forced to relinquish control to them. And instead of being exorcised of the evil spirit, the tormented man becomes supernaturally strong and proceeds to whip the sorcerers (cf. Mark 5:3-4). Things got so bad, in fact, that the sons fled the house naked and dripping with blood. So who won the battle? As Matt Chandler commented, “If when the fight started you were wearing pants and when it was over you were no longer wearing pants, you lost” (“Like a Wildfire”).

People should magnify Jesus’s name in worship, never trying to misuse it for witchcraft. Only Jesus’s people have the Spirit of God. This episode shows us the reality and influence of the devil but also the superior power of Jesus over all forms of power (cf. Mark 5:6-7).

The people certainly recognized Jesus’s superior power (v. 18). After the sons of Sceva failed in their attempt to combat demonic powers, both Jews and Greeks began revering Jesus’s name and esteeming him all the more.

Believers Confessed/Renounced Sin

Acts 19:18-19

The story continues with a vivid picture of confession and repentance. Luke says “believers” were confessing and disclosing their practices. Apparently some of them realized for the first time that faith in Jesus and participation in magic and the occult were incompatible (Johnson, Let’s Study Acts, 238). So they burn their books—the scrolls prescribing occult rituals.

It shouldn’t shock us that “believers” were burning books. After all, salvation leads to a process of growth—a work of sanctification in which the Spirit shapes us into the image of Christ over time. After believing in Christ, then, there are often practices and ideas that new converts realize they must abandon as they come to understand more about Jesus.

In the Louvre there’s a painting by Eustache Le Sueur that dates to 1649. It’s entitled “The Sermon of Saint Paul at Ephesus.” It shows Paul addressing a crowd while people beneath him burn books. It’s one of my favorite pieces in the famed museum, as it conveys a powerful picture of repentance. Those who practiced sorcery confessed their evil practices and burned occult books publicly.

I love that they don’t just give the books away or sell them; they destroy them. That was a costly thing to do, considering the total expense of those burned volumes. I’ve read suggestions of their value ranging from thousands of dollars to millions. Yet the believers wanted a radical break with all that was ungodly in their lives because the Spirit of God produced a deep change in their hearts. Selling the volumes would’ve only spread the poison of what they contained: Christ’s followers are to spread the good news instead.

These Ephesian believers had a new affection. They had a new love for Jesus. Their actions shouted that he was more valuable to them than any god, power, false source of trust, or any amount of money. In Revelation the church in Ephesus is rebuked for abandoning “the love [they] had at first” (Rev 2:2-4). We may begin with passionate adoration of Jesus, but we must not grow cold in our love for the Savior. Continue to cultivate your love for him by confessing secret sins and forsaking ungodly practices (Rev 2:5). Seek his Word and remember that he is your greatest good and your highest joy. Reject all rivals and revere the Son of God, who loved you and gave himself for you (Gal 2:20).

The Gospel Impacted Social Norms

Acts 19:21-41

After summarizing how the power of Jesus was displayed in Ephesus and spotlighting the triumph of the Word (v. 20), Luke tells about the protest in Ephesus. But before we see how the gospel impacted social norms, we get two verses about Paul’s travel plans (vv. 21-22). This gives a glimpse of what’s to come in the book of Acts. Paul plans on returning to Jerusalem via Macedonia and Achaia. Then he hopes to fulfill his desire to preach in Rome (cf. Rom 1:13). The Spirit prompts this decision, even though he lets Paul know that trials await him in Jerusalem (20:22-23; 21:10-11). Paul apparently wrote 1 Corinthians during his time here in Ephesus. He sent the letter ahead with Timothy and Erastus (1 Cor 16:5-10), and he later visited Corinth himself (Acts 20:1-2).

Paul’s purpose for visiting Jerusalem was to give the poor Jewish believers an offering from the Gentile churches. The gift is a wonderful picture of unity and generosity (cf. Rom 15:25-28; 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8–9). Paul sent his companions, Timothy and Erastus, ahead of him while he remained in Ephesus for a while to allow for these preparations (Johnson, Let’s Study Acts, 239). We should observe in this passage Paul’s heart for evangelism and also his care for the church and for the poor. Let’s follow his example.

In verses 23-41 we read the last recorded event in Paul’s stay in Ephesus. It’s a vivid picture of what happens when people exalt Jesus instead of idols. Paul’s gospel-centered, Jesus-exalting, Spirit-empowered ministry impacted the local economy and caused an uproar. The “disturbance” begins with a man named Demetrius, a leader among the silversmiths (v. 24). These craftsmen made silver replicas of the temple of Artemis. People would purchase them as souvenirs and for home altars. These have been found throughout the Mediterranean world. John Polhill describes this temple:

The temple of Artemis was indeed a hub of Ephesian economic life. It was an impressive building, some 165 feet by 345 feet in dimension and built on a platform 240 by 420 feet. The entire edifice was elaborately adorned in brilliant colors and gold leaf. The altar area was 20 feet square and contained a massive image of the goddess with a veiled head, with animals and birds decorating her head and lower body and numerous breasts from her waist to her neck. The animals and breasts were symbolic of her status as the ancient Asian Mother Goddess, the goddess of nature who was believed to protect and preserve the fecundity of all living things. (Acts, 408–9)

This temple grew so wealthy that it became the main financial institution of Asia, receiving deposits and making loans (ibid.). Clearly, Artemis and the god of money were tied closely together in Ephesus.

The angry Demetrius gathers a crew of craftsmen and delivers his speech (vv. 25-27). Here’s his argument: Paul’s preaching threatens the craftsmen’s idol-making business—both its profitability and its reputation; Paul is misleading people by proclaiming that gods made with hands aren’t gods (cf. 17:24,29). To these claims he adds a third argument: Paul’s preaching threatens to rob our world-renowned goddess of her rightful glory. This assertion was meant to stir up the emotions of patriotic Ephesians. In making it, he essentially said, “To attack Artemis is to attack Ephesus” (Polhill, Acts, 410).

Demetrius has no interest in trying to learn what Paul is teaching. He’s driven ultimately by greed (“which is idolatry,” Col 3:5), not by his love for the goddess. He’s driven by dollars, not doctrine. Many today may not bow down to a statue, but millions bow to the idol of money—oblivious to the fact that it can never satisfy or provide ultimate security (Eccl 5:10; 1 Tim 6:6-10).

What do people do when their idols are threatened? If they don’t repent and look to Jesus instead of idols, then they get angry. That’s what happens in this story. Instead of saying, “Jesus is Lord. Let’s either find a new profession or make some new products,” the craftsmen decide to assault the messenger. Chaos ensues. Since the wild rioters can’t get to Paul, they take Paul’s companions into the amphitheater, which seated around twenty-four thousand people (v. 29). Paul tries to enter the scene and speak on behalf of his brothers Gaius (cf. 20:4) and Aristarchus (cf. 27:2), but Paul’s friends (including some high-ranking officers) plead with him to avoid the mob (vv. 30-31). The scene is one of total chaos, with one group shouting one thing and another group shouting something else and some people not even knowing why they are assembled (v. 32)!

The Alexander moment adds to the confusion (v. 33). We aren’t told why the Jews put him forward. It was probably to distance themselves from the Christians. But before he can deliver his speech, his voice is drowned out by a two-hour chant: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (v. 34).

Paul and his companions encountered much persecution in Ephesus from the Jews (20:19) and from the Ephesians (1 Cor 16:8-9; also consider 1 Cor 15:32 and 2 Cor 1:8-9 as possible allusions to this riot). But the Lord delivered his ambassador. On this occasion God used the city clerk—the chief administrative officer—to prevent this ordeal from turning into a violent riot. The clerk was the city’s liaison to the Roman provincial government of Asia, which had its seat in Ephesus. If local authorities couldn’t control the citizenry, then some of the city’s self-governing privileges—enjoyed under the empire’s authority—would be jeopardized.

The clerk basically says the worship and glory of Artemis stand secure. The rise of Christianity, he feels, poses no threat to Ephesus’s reputation as keeper of the grand temple. He asserts that no earthly movement can threaten one whose image dropped from the heavens. Then he deals with the legal ramifications of the gathering. He states that the two Christians whom they had seized were not guilty of any crime, but if anyone was guilty, it was the Ephesians who were running the risk of being charged with unlawful assembly (Polhill, Acts, 413). The assembly is thus dismissed, and the uproar ceases (20:1).

This story shows us how we advance the kingdom of Christ. It’s not by weapons, force, or violence. Paul preaches the gospel; people get converted; they renounce sin and idolatry; and by the power of the Spirit, the whole social order is impacted. Don’t underestimate the power the gospel. Keep exalting Christ in cities filled with idols.

When Paul writes his letter to the Ephesians later, he says the believers in Christ are joined together, growing “into a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:21). The church comprised of individuals on common mission is God’s real temple! He says, “In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit” (2:22). The power of Christ in his people stood in stark contrast to the renowned Ephesian temple. One had life. The other was lifeless.

We are made to worship but not to worship idols. Exalt Jesus, who comes to reside in repentant people, transforming them from the inside out.

Reflect and Discuss

1. How have you experienced or witnessed a change in affections through conversion?
2. How does this chapter display the idea of a great awakening?
3. Explain in your own words the culture of Ephesus.
4. Explain how Paul’s exposition of the Scriptures impacted Ephesus.
5. What are some common misapplications of the story of people being healed by contact with Paul’s facecloths?
6. What does Paul’s encounter with the “sons of Sceva” teach about the Holy Spirit? What does it teach about the evil one?
7. What does the story about believers burning books teach?
8. What does Paul’s decision to go to Jerusalem teach about loving the church and loving the poor?
9. Why were the craftsmen in Ephesus upset?
10. How might the preaching of the gospel impact your city’s social norms?