And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.
Parallel translations
- WEB You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands.
- KJV Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
- NKJV Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.
- NASB You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.
- NLT But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Demetrius complained that Paul had persuaded many across Asia that gods made by hands are not gods at all.
Overview
His complaint unwittingly testifies to the gospel's success and to its core truth: idols made by human hands are no gods (cf. Isa. 44; Acts 17:29). Paul's preaching had spread widely enough to threaten the idol trade. The verse confirms that the gospel had taken deep root throughout the province.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Acts 17:29Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.
- 1 Cor 8:4So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
- Isa 44:10–20Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?
- Rev 9:20Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.
- Acts 19:10This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
- Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
- Deut 4:28And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
- Jer 10:11Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
- 1 Cor 16:8–9But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
- Gal 4:8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
- 1 Cor 12:2You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
- Jer 10:14–15Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them.
- 1 Cor 10:19–20Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything?
- 1 Th 1:9For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God
- Acts 18:19When they reached Ephesus, Paul parted ways with Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue there and reasoned with the Jews.
- Acts 19:18–20Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.
- Ps 135:15–18The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Ps 115:4–8Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Isa 46:5–8To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike?
- Jer 10:3–6For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.
- Hos 8:6For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.
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Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
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