A silversmith, Demetrius, had gathered together craftsmen similar to himself.  The men whose livelihood depended on the worship of the goddess Artemis gathered together.

Demetrius made quite a speech of how their incomes were in jeopardy from many turning to the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 19:23-26)

(NASB) Acts 19:28 “When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’”

  The city of Ephesus was filled with confusion and rage.  More and more people came to find out what was going on.  The crowd became a mob.

(NASB) Acts 19:29 “The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.”

Paul, where was Paul in all of this uproar?
(NASB) Acts 19:30-31 “And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.
31 Also some of the Asiarchs (political or religious officials of Asia) who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.”

Most of the crowd didn’t know what was going on, but they were there, in the middle of the mob.  Then they came to some conclusions, some wrong conclusions.

(NASB) Acts 19:33-34 “Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.
34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’”

Did you notice?  Many in that crowd didn’t know what was going on.  There was confusion.  Victims were found and blamed.  Wrong conclusions were given free reign.  The mob became frenzied with emotional involvement.  There was a great lack of orderly conduct.

Paul was given sound advice which we can use today – when a crowd becomes a mob, don’t go there!  Stay out of it.  The mob doesn’t listen as they shout out their slogans.  And no matter how persuasive a person is…a mob will not listen.  Get out of the situation.