Acts 19:36 - Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.
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What does "Acts 19:36" mean?
Acts 19:36 is part of a speech given by the town clerk of Ephesus to calm a riot stirred up by silversmiths who felt threatened by Paul's preaching of Christianity, which was hurting their business of selling idols of the goddess Artemis. Let's break down the verse:
"Seeing then that these things can’t be denied": The "these things" likely refer to a few generally accepted and undeniable facts in Ephesus. Earlier in his speech (Acts 19:35), the town clerk mentions that Ephesus was well known as:
The keeper of the temple of the great goddess Artemis.
The worshipper of the image which fell down from Zeus.
These were points of civic pride and undisputed facts. He's saying, "Everyone knows Ephesus is the center of Artemis worship, and no one can deny that."
"you ought to be quiet": Given the undeniable importance of Artemis to Ephesus, the town clerk advises the crowd to calm down. He's urging them to stop the riot and consider their actions. "Quiet" here means to stop the commotion and be orderly.
"and to do nothing rash": This is the key point. He's warning the crowd not to act impulsively or without thinking. A rash decision could have severe consequences, possibly drawing the attention and wrath of the Roman authorities.
In essence, the town clerk is saying:
> "Look, everyone knows Ephesus is a great city and the center of Artemis worship. This is not up for debate. Therefore, you should calm down, stop the uproar, and think before you act. Don't do anything that could bring trouble upon yourselves or the city."
The overall purpose of the verse and the town clerk's speech is:
To de-escalate the situation: Prevent the riot from escalating further and potentially attracting Roman intervention, which could be disastrous for Ephesus.
To appeal to civic pride and reason: Remind the people of Ephesus of their city's reputation and encourage them to act rationally.
To buy time: Give the city leaders time to figure out a more measured response to the situation with Paul and his followers.
The town clerk's speech is a masterful example of diplomacy and crowd control. He acknowledged the crowd's concerns (regarding Artemis), but also urged them to act responsibly and avoid rash actions that could harm their city.
Acts 19:36 - Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.
What does "Acts 19:36" mean?
Acts 19:36 is part of a speech given by the town clerk of Ephesus to calm a riot stirred up by silversmiths who felt threatened by Paul's preaching of Christianity, which was hurting their business of selling idols of the goddess Artemis. Let's break down the verse:
"Seeing then that these things can’t be denied": The "these things" likely refer to a few generally accepted and undeniable facts in Ephesus. Earlier in his speech (Acts 19:35), the town clerk mentions that Ephesus was well known as:
The keeper of the temple of the great goddess Artemis.
The worshipper of the image which fell down from Zeus.
These were points of civic pride and undisputed facts. He's saying, "Everyone knows Ephesus is the center of Artemis worship, and no one can deny that."
"you ought to be quiet": Given the undeniable importance of Artemis to Ephesus, the town clerk advises the crowd to calm down. He's urging them to stop the riot and consider their actions. "Quiet" here means to stop the commotion and be orderly.
"and to do nothing rash": This is the key point. He's warning the crowd not to act impulsively or without thinking. A rash decision could have severe consequences, possibly drawing the attention and wrath of the Roman authorities.
In essence, the town clerk is saying:
> "Look, everyone knows Ephesus is a great city and the center of Artemis worship. This is not up for debate. Therefore, you should calm down, stop the uproar, and think before you act. Don't do anything that could bring trouble upon yourselves or the city."
The overall purpose of the verse and the town clerk's speech is:
To de-escalate the situation: Prevent the riot from escalating further and potentially attracting Roman intervention, which could be disastrous for Ephesus.
To appeal to civic pride and reason: Remind the people of Ephesus of their city's reputation and encourage them to act rationally.
To buy time: Give the city leaders time to figure out a more measured response to the situation with Paul and his followers.
The town clerk's speech is a masterful example of diplomacy and crowd control. He acknowledged the crowd's concerns (regarding Artemis), but also urged them to act responsibly and avoid rash actions that could harm their city.