Demetrius

Demetrius

Q: Who was Demetrius?

• a. a silversmith who made idols
• b. a temple priest in Ephesus
• c. a follower of Paul

Paul and his traveling companions weren’t welcomed everywhere they went. While some people willingly received the gospel message, others didn’t. For some, changing the way they lived when they became Christians meant a loss of business. Here’s what was happening in Ephesus.

Demetrius was a silversmith in Ephesus who made silver idols of the Greek goddess Artemis, a false god, and sold them. Other workmen also made money from things related to Artemis. There was even a festival to celebrate her. Demetrius called all the workers together and warned them that if people believed Paul’s message about Jesus, they’d stop buying the idols and celebrating Artemis.

Demetrius got the people stirred up and angry. They gathered in a building and took Paul’s traveling companions with them. The people shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” for two hours. They only stopped when the mayor addressed them and tried to calm them down. The mayor told the people that Paul and his friends hadn’t done anything against them, but if they had, they would be tried in court. The riot showed Paul and his traveling companions that it was time to move on to a new city.

For You

Although you won’t face what the early missionaries did, you will meet people who are closed to the gospel because they don’t want to change their lifestyles. But don’t let that keep you from sharing the gospel anyway. You never know the impact it’ll have.

Answer: a

Demetrius [was] a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.   Acts 19:24

(The Whole Story: Acts 19:23-41)