CHAPTER 19 is about Paul's three-year stay in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. He first goes to the synagogue where he expounds on his initial message that Jesus is the Messiah. After a while, many agree with him, but those who don't harass him and his followers so much they leave. Paul then begins to teach in a lecture hall, where he performs many miracles, and many people are converted to Christianity. Some Jewish exorcists try to use Jesus' name to cast out demons, but they are unsuccessful and are themselves attacked by a possessed man. The incident causes many people to fear the Lord and the demonic, and the name of the Lord Jesus is magnified. A riot is raised by Demetrius, a silversmith who makes shrines of the goddess Artemis, because he fears that Paul's preaching will hurt his business. The town clerk manages to calm the mob and end the immediate threat to Paul and the other Christians.
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