a After the uproar was ceased.

b MACEDONIA; for to go.

SYRIA; to sail to.

MACEDONIA; return through.

c ASIA; his companions.

The reader will observe - and the structure brings this into prominence - that Macedonia is very much in the

apostle's mind at this time.

`After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia,

to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of

them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season'(Acts

`And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go

into Macedonia ... he purposed to return through Macedonia' (Acts 20:1-3).

His objective was Jerusalem, and then Rome, but his way was through Macedonia, and he sends on ahead two

trusted workers, while he himself stays in Asia. In 1 Corinthians 16 the apostle reminds the church of the collection

for the saints (1 Cor. 16:1) which was to be taken by him to Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:3), and he tells them that he will

come to them when he has passed through Macedonia. This is the journey that is recorded in the chapter of the Acts

that we are now considering.

Although he had accomplished so much, by the grace of God, the apostle still looked eagerly out on to the great

Roman world, desiring to preach Christ in the regions beyond. The words `I must see Rome' indicate his desire and

willingness, and, in writing to the Romans, he contemplates passing through Rome to Spain (Rom. 15:22-29).

In order to appreciate what happened to the apostle, and the incidents recorded in Acts 19 with regard to Ephesus

and the Temple of Diana, we must acquaint ourselves with some of the ancient records.

We gather from the first epistle to the Corinthians, that it was written at about the time of the Passover, and that

the apostle intended to remain in Ephesus until Pentecost (1 Cor. 5:7; 16:8). This would give an approximate date

for Acts 19:23, as the month of May. This particular month was specially dedicated to the goddess of Ephesus. Dr.

Chandler found an inscribed marble slab in this district, and the following translation will perhaps help us to

understand the presence of the crowds and their enthusiasm for the worship of Diana.

`Inasmuch as it is notorious that, not only among the Ephesians, but also everywhere among the Greek nations,

temples are consecrated to her and sacred portions ... besides this, as the greater token of veneration paid to her, a

month is called by her name; by us Artemision ... in which (other cities) general assemblies and Hieromenia are

celebrated, but not in the holy city, the nurse of its own, the Ephesian goddess: the people of Ephesus, deeming it

proper that the whole month called after her name be sacred and set apart to the goddess, have determined by this

decree, that the observation of it by them be altered. Therefore it is enacted that in the whole month Artemision

the days be holy, and that nothing be attended on them, but the yearly feastings ... for from this improvement in

our worship our city shall receive additional lustre, and be permanent in prosperity for ever'.

The reader who is acquainted with the narrative of Acts 19 will see that Demetrius was but expressing the

sentiments that were evidently popular. There was obviously a close association in the minds of the people between

the `improvement' of the worship of Artemis (or Diana, in our version) and the prosperity of the city.

`By this craft we have our wealth ... this our craft is in danger ... also that the temple of the great goddess Diana

should be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth'.

So great was the magnificence of this temple that it was included in the seven wonders of the world. The

attitude of the Ephesians themselves towards it can be gauged from the fact that an offer by Alexander to dedicate

the spoils of a conquest to the building of the temple, on condition that he should be permitted to inscribe his name

on the front of the building, was refused (Strabo).