Acts 19:41

‘And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.'

Then having spoken in this way he quickly dismissed the assembly hoping that its convening, and his part in it, might not have been noticed or might be overlooked. But in Luke's eyes it was a clear and unequivocal declaration that the authorities saw nothing about the Christian church to disapprove of.

We can summarise a number of lessons that Luke wishes us to see from this passage:

1) That the Christian church was publicly approved of by those set in authority by Rome including the respected and loyal Asiarchs.

2) That it reinforces the idea of the unquestionable and widespread impact that Christianity had made on the whole of Asia Minor

3) That it brings out how Paul's ministry was becoming more and more difficult in this area, and indeed in many areas round about. He had too great a reputation. It is in complete contrast with chapter 28 where Paul can calmly continue his witness to his heart's content, and has no reputation (Acts 28:21; Acts 28:30).

4) That the political-religious alliance of Ephesus, with its temple dedicated to a prestigious local deity combined with its temples dedicated to Roma and the imperial cult, is the very antithesis of the Kingly Rule of God. The cults of Ephesus were for the Gentiles what Herod Agrippa had been for the Jews (Acts 19:12). It must surely be significant that Acts opens with the sending forth of the message freely and without restraint in Jerusalem and that this led up to the false religious and political alliance in Jerusalem in chapter 12. Now here we have the false religious and political alliance in Ephesus (subtly symbolic of the Roman Empire), which will lead up to the message of the Kingly Rule of God going out in Rome without restraint in chapter 28. Having been rejected by Jerusalem Christ is seen as having ‘conquered' Rome.

5) That the magnifying of the name of the LORD Jesus (Acts 19:17), stands over against the magnifying of the name of Artemis, the one defeating the powers of evil and rejecting the occult, burning its instruments in fire, the other exalting the powers of evil and the occult and manufacturing its occult instruments. What happened to the sons of Sceva illustrated what would one day happen to the cult of Artemis.

Thus this was God's message to Paul that He intended to take him away from this parody of Royal Rule to Rome where he would be able to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God freely. Luke no doubt saw it as ironic that Satan chased Paul out of his ministry at Ephesus in order that he might set up his ministry in Rome.