Acts 19:31

Ἀσιαρχῶν : “the chief officers of Asia,” R.V., cf. Γαλατάρχης, Βιθυνιάρχης, Συριάρχης, etc.; Mommsen, Röm. Gesch., v., 318 (Knabenbauer), officers, i.e., of the province of Asia, and so provincial, not merely municipal officers. Each province united in an association for the worship of Rome and the Empire, hence Κοινὸν Ἀσίας, of which the Asiarchs would probably be the high priests. But in addition to their religious office the Asiarchs were called upon to provide games, partly if not solely at their own expense, and to preside over them. These festivals were called Κοινὰ Ἀσίας ἐν Σμύρνῃ, Λαοδικείᾳ, κ. τ. λ. It is doubtful whether the office was annual, or whether it was held for four years; but as an Asiarch still retained his title after his term of office had expired, there may evidently have been in Ephesus several Asiarchs, although only one was actually performing his duties (cf. the title ἀρχιερεῖς amongst the Jews, Acts 4:6; Acts 4:23). If there were a sort of Council of Asiarchs, this Council may well have assembled when the Κοινὰ Ἀσίας were being held, and this might have been the case at Ephesus in the narrative before us; such a festival would have brought together a vast crowd of pilgrims and worshippers actuated with zeal for the goddess, and ready to side with Demetrius and his followers. The title was one of great dignity and repute, as is evident from inscriptions which commemorate in various cities the names of those who had held the office. Whether the Asiarchs were in any sense high priests has been disputed, but see Polycarp, Mart., cf. Acts 12:2; Acts 12:21; on the whole subject “Asiarch” (Ramsay), Hastings' B.D. and B.D. 2; St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp, ii., p. 987, Lightfoot; Renan, Saint Paul, p. 353; Wendt, p. 318; O. Holtzmann, Neutest. Zeitgeschichte, p. 102. φίλοι : not only does the notice show that St. Paul had gained at least the toleration of some of the leading men of the province, but that the attitude of the imperial authorities was not unfriendly. We cannot of course suppose with Zimmermann that the Asiarchs were friendly because the Apostle had been less opposed to the imperial cultus than to that of Diana, and that so far the Asiarchs stood with him on common ground. See Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire, on the probable attitude of the priests, and cf. chap. 14 δοῦναι ἑαυτὸν : only here in N.T., cf. Polyb., v., 14, 9, the expression involves the thought of danger, so in A. and R.V.