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Observe here, 1. How angry the devil grows at the success of the gospel, mentioned in the foregoing verses: there we read how the whole college of diabolical conjurors were brought over, by the apostles' preaching at Ephesus, to burn their books, and leave their wicked course of life.
Hereupon the devil bestirs him, and raises a persecution against the apostle. Those that will disturb Satan in the quiet and peaceable possession of his kingdom, shall be sure to meet with trouble and disquiet from him. Let not any of the saints of God in general, nor any of the faithful and zealous ministers of Christ in particular, expect any long continuance of their outward tranquility and peace in this world, where they are every day up in arms against Satan, and meditating the ruin of him and his kingdom; for which he will certainly seek revenge.
Observe, 1. The instruments which the devil employs to raise the storm of persecution against the apostle, namely, Demetrius the silversmith, and his craftsmen; they looking upon St. Paul as one that impaired their profit, and spoiled their trade of making silver shrines for Diana's temple, by his crying down the worship of idols.
"But what were their silver shrines, made for Diana's temple?"
Answer, The temple of Diana was at that time one of the seven famous structures of the world; and the silver shrines made by these silversmiths, were certain models or images of this temple, wherein their idol goddess Diana was set forth; which shrines or portable temples, all the people of Asia carried about with them, to stir up the more their own devotions towards this idol.
So that this shrine-making must needs be a very gainful trade, when all Asia was addicted to this superstition. No wonder then that Demetrius, upon the sight of the loss of his gain, made an horrible outcry, and set the city in an uproar: for carnal men, whose gain is in their god and their godliness, account themselves undone when their god Mammon is in danger. If you take away their gods, what have they more.
Learn hence, That gain-getting, and maintaining of men's livelihood, are mighty temptations to carnal men, to use impious means for supporting superstition and idolatry.
Observe, 3. The arguments which Demetrius used to stir up the people against the apostle; and they are three,
1. The plea of profit, By this craft we get our gain: if this man's doctrine obtain, our trade will quickly fall under disgrace, and die. This was the most cogent, the most pungent argument, that could be used; for, though an argument drawn from our own interest is not the most weighty, yet usually it is the most persuasive.
2. The pretence of piety: not only are we like to lose our livelihood, but our religion too; Our goddess Diana will be despised, her temple profaned, and her worshippers scorned. This easily heated the rabble's blood, put the multitude into a ferment, and caused an hideous outcry for two hours together, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
3. The plea of the antiquity and universality, and the common consent of all worshippers: Diana, whom all Asia, and the world worshippeth. As if Demetrius had said, "What! shall we suffer the temple of Diana to be set at naught by the preachments of this babbler Paul; a place so magnificent for structure, being some say one hundred, others two hundred and twenty years, a building; so renowned for the oracles of the gods, so magnified for the image that fell down from Jupiter, so honoured by the oblations of the Asiatic potentates, and crowded with the devotions of the Ephesians, and admired throughout the whole world?"
Lord! what danger was the life of the great apostle now in! how did this popular tumult threaten the present destruction of him and his companions, Gaius and Aristarchus! Now is supposed to be the time when the apostle says, That after the manner of men he had fought with beasts at Ephesus; and this is probably the deliverance which he gratefully commemorates in Who hath delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. 2Co_1:10