Artemis and the Riot in Ephesus

Artemis, a goddess of fertility and harvest, was popular in Asia Minor. Known as Artemis in Greek and Diana in Latin, she was depicted with multiple breasts, symbolizing productivity. Believers would pray to her for children.

During his third missionary journey, Paul came to Ephesus, where God performed extraordinary miracles through him. Everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, knew about this and was filled with fear, and “the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor” (Acts 19:11, 17). As a result, Paul faced persecution from the locals, a situation similar to what he experienced in Philippi during his second missionary journey: the gospel was hindering the livelihood of those who profited from idolatry. The Holy Spirit testified through the mouths of Gentiles about the effectiveness of Paul’s preaching. Many people in Ephesus and the province of Asia who had worshipped Artemis were now coming to faith and no longer believed in handmade idols. This had a major impact on the silversmith industry. Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines for Artemis, gathered his workers and spoke against Paul and the gospel he preached. The whole city was thrown into an uproar. The crowd grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions, and rushed into the Great Theater of Ephesus, which could hold 25,000 people. In contrast to the powerful influence of the gospel, the city officials were more concerned with preventing a riot than with the issue at hand. As a result, the disturbance was quickly quelled. Afterward, Paul encouraged the disciples, said goodbye, and set off for Macedonia.

The commotion and influence of God’s word in Ephesus was major news locally. This disturbance could have endangered the apostle, but God allowed this outcome so that more people could hear the gospel, enabling it to spread and flourish. Furthermore, the scripture mentions that Paul was protected. There are similar accounts where, when Paul’s life was in danger, loving disciples came to his aid, helping him escape peril. It was all God’s grace!