For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
The statement belongs to the uproar at Ephesus during the annual ceremonies for Diana, when Paul's teaching had weakened confidence in the pagan gods and made the festival a difficult time for new believers. It was spoken by the city recorder in the theater after two hours of crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians and after the Jews' spokesman Alexander had been thrust aside. The crowd had fallen silent from exhaustion, and the recorder by virtue of his office obtained a hearing.
Meeting the people on their own ground and appealing to their reason, he affirmed that Ephesus was known as worshiper of Diana and of the image fallen from Jupiter. Therefore they ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. The men brought into the theater before the crowd were Paul and his companions. The declaration that they were neither robbers of churches nor blasphemers of the goddess meant they were innocent of any crime, offense, or unlawful conduct against the temple or Diana. For they had neither robbed or profaned temples nor blasphemed or insulted the goddess.
Therefore the crowd had no cause or ground for mob violence and uproar. Any charge by Demetrius and the craftsmen had to be settled in the open courts before deputies or in a lawful assembly. Since the day's causeless uproar put the city in danger of being called in question. The recorder's appeal and judgment quieted and restrained the mob and dismissed the assembly.
The officials' public judgment vindicated Paul. It kept the Ephesian uproar from bringing Christianity into disrepute. In this it was a triumph of Christianity over error and superstition.
The statement belongs to the uproar at Ephesus during the annual ceremonies for Diana, when Paul's teaching had weakened confidence in the pagan gods and made the festival a difficult time for new believers. It was spoken by the city recorder in the theater after two hours of crying Great is Diana of the Ephesians and after the Jews' spokesman Alexander had been thrust aside. The crowd had fallen silent from exhaustion, and the recorder by virtue of his office obtained a hearing.
Meeting the people on their own ground and appealing to their reason, he affirmed that Ephesus was known as worshiper of Diana and of the image fallen from Jupiter. Therefore they ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. The men brought into the theater before the crowd were Paul and his companions. The declaration that they were neither robbers of churches nor blasphemers of the goddess meant they were innocent of any crime, offense, or unlawful conduct against the temple or Diana. For they had neither robbed or profaned temples nor blasphemed or insulted the goddess.
Therefore the crowd had no cause or ground for mob violence and uproar. Any charge by Demetrius and the craftsmen had to be settled in the open courts before deputies or in a lawful assembly. Since the day's causeless uproar put the city in danger of being called in question. The recorder's appeal and judgment quieted and restrained the mob and dismissed the assembly.
The officials' public judgment vindicated Paul. It kept the Ephesian uproar from bringing Christianity into disrepute. In this it was a triumph of Christianity over error and superstition.