Acts 19:26

Translations

Modern

And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.

Traditional

Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

Literal

And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul, having persuaded them, has turned away a great many people, saying that they are not gods being made by hands.

Latin

…et videtis et auditis quia non solum Ephesi, sed pene totius Asiæ, Paulus hic suadens avertit multam turbam, dicens: Quoniam non sunt dii, qui manibus fiunt.

Original

Greek

English

And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.

Notes

Acts 19:24–34

Demetrius, a silversmith whose business was harmed by Paul’s message about one God, stirred up a large riot against him.

Acts 19:23–41

The main god worshiped in Ephesus was the Greek goddess Artemis. People believed she was born there, so the city of Ephesus was known as the guardian of her temple.

Each year, the people held large festivals in her honor. These included sports, music, and theater. During these events, people would shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The temple of Artemis in Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

As more people became Christians, the worship of Artemis began to decline. This also affected the local economy, since many people earned money from her temple. However, it became clear that Paul and his coworkers had not committed any crime.

Acts 18:23–19:41

This section describes Paul's third mission journey, which happened around AD 53 to 57. Paul visited Galatia and Phrygia again to build stronger relationships with the disciples (18:23). He then traveled to Ephesus, where he stayed for more than two years (19:1, 8–10).

Theme notes and profiles

Ephesus Paul (Saul) Rome Dealing with Conflict

Events

Third Missionary Journeyc. AD 50
Riot in Ephesus

Related verses

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.
1 Corinthians 8:4
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
Isaiah 44:10–20
Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?
Acts 19:10
This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
Acts 14:15
“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
1 Corinthians 10:19–20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?
Jeremiah 10:14–15
Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
Galatians 4:8
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
Jeremiah 10:11
Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
1 Corinthians 12:2
You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

People

Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles, author of many NT epistles

Places

Asia: A Roman province in western Asia Minor Ephesus: Major city in Asia Minor; important center for early Christianity

Glossary

Alexander Artemis Asia Asiarch Book of the Acts of the Apostles Chronology of the Bible (New Testament) Demetrius Diana Ephesus First Letter to the Corinthians Gods and Goddesses Letter to the Colossians Letter to the Ephesians Paul the Apostle Persecution Philippians, Letter to the Second Letter to the Corinthians Timothy, First Letter to Travel

Topics

Demetrius: A Silversmith, Noted for Raising a Riot Idolatry: Saints should Testify Against Paul: The Spread of the Gospel Through his Preaching Interferes with the Makers of Idols

Acts 19:26

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