Bible chapter guide

Acts 19

In Ephesus Paul teaches in the hall of Tyrannus for two years and extraordinary miracles are done; magicians burn their books. Demetrius the silversmith, whose trade in shrines of Artemis is threatened, stirs up a riot in the theatre until the town clerk quiets the crowd.

Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.

What happens in this chapter

Paul comes down to Ephesus, where he finds about twelve disciples who know only John's baptism; baptised in the name of Jesus, they receive the Holy Spirit. After three months in the synagogue he moves to the school of Tyrannus and teaches there daily for two years. When seven sons of Sceva try to use Jesus' name as a spell, the possessed man overpowers them, and practitioners of magic burn books worth fifty thousand pieces of silver. Near the end of his stay Demetrius, who makes silver shrines of Artemis, warns his fellow craftsmen that their trade is at risk; the crowd seizes Gaius and Aristarchus, packs the theatre and shouts for two hours until the town clerk sends them home.

What the lab shows, and where to look

Paul's Roads gives Ephesus one long stop on the third journey, dated about AD 53–55, with the hall of Tyrannus and the riot among its events. The Acts 19:29 verse page opens four doors on the riot: when it happened, the city, the great theatre and the silversmiths. Its theatre claim is strong; the seating figure of 20,000 to 25,000 is only plausible. Then open Gaius and Aristarchus in the People view to follow the two men the crowd dragged in.

Questions people ask

Where was the theatre of the riot, and how big was it?

Acts speaks of 'the theatre' as a place everyone knew, and Ephesus had one great theatre, cut into the slope of Mount Pion and facing the street to the harbour. It has been excavated and still stands. Estimates of its seating run from about 20,000 to 25,000, but it was enlarged over time, so the figure for Paul's day is approximate.

Strongly supported

Where was the school of Tyrannus?

No one knows. Acts gives only the name (19:9), and no building in Ephesus has been identified with it; it is not even clear whether Tyrannus owned the hall or taught in it. Codex Bezae and a few other ancient witnesses add that Paul taught there from the fifth hour to the tenth, roughly late morning to mid-afternoon, but most scholars take this as a later addition to the text.

Speculative

How long did Paul stay in Ephesus?

About three years. Acts counts three months in the synagogue and two years in the school of Tyrannus (19:8–10), then he stayed in Asia 'for a season' (19:22), and Paul later tells the Ephesian elders it was 'by the space of three years' (20:31). It was his longest stay anywhere on his journeys.

Textually stated

See it in the Labs

People in this chapter

Aristarchus Gaius Erastus Timothy Demetrius the silversmith Apollos

Places

Ephesus The school of Tyrannus The great theatre The commercial agora (Tetragonos Agora)The state agora The Temple of Artemis (Artemision)

Also in this chapter

Paul's third journey The third journey Strengthening the Galatian churches Twelve disciples of John Two years in the hall of Tyrannus The riot of the silversmiths

How sure can we be?

Textually stated
Acts never puts Apollos and Paul in the same place; the letters show them working together.
In Acts Apollos is at Ephesus and Corinth while Paul is away (18:24–19:1). 1 Corinthians 16:12 shows him with Paul at Ephesus, unwilling to go to Corinth just then.
Textually stated
Demetrius made silver shrines of Artemis and brought much business to the craftsmen.
Stated in Acts 19:24.
Strongly supported
At least two, perhaps three, different men named Gaius worked with Paul.
Acts 19:29 names a Macedonian Gaius seized at Ephesus; Acts 20:4 a Gaius of Derbe; Romans 16:23 and 1 Corinthians 1:14 a Gaius of Corinth whom Paul baptized. Gaius was one of the commonest Roman names. The lab keeps them on one card and says which is which.
Strongly supported
The theatre of the riot is the great theatre excavated at Ephesus.
Acts speaks of 'the theatre' as a single known place; Ephesus had one great theatre, on the slope of Mount Pion facing the harbour street, and it has been excavated.
Strongly supported
Hellenistic, being enlarged in the first century AD (to about 24,000 seats by the 2nd century)
Acts 19:29–31 names 'the theater'; Ephesus's great theatre is the obvious candidate and was in use, though not yet at its final size.
Strongly supported
Hellenistic, rebuilt under Augustus
Excavated; that Demetrius's guild traded here is plausible but not stated.

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King James Version (KJV) Chinese Union Version, 1919 (Wikisource)