Acts 19:30

30 Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples 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 When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

29 The city was filled with the confusion; and people rushed together to the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's travel companions.

30 Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him;

31 even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theater.

32 Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.