Who stirred up opposition against Paul in Ephesus?

• A. Demetrius, a silversmith who made shrines for Diana
• B. Alexander, who attempted to defend Paul
• C. Aquila, Paul's coworker
• D. Gamaliel, a Jewish elder

Answer: (A)

Demetrius the silversmith stirred up opposition in Ephesus. His guild’s trade depended on Artemis’ temples and idols, so when Paul announced that idols were powerless before the one true God, business suffered and the temple economy was threatened. Demetrius seized that fear, gathered the craftsmen, and organized a public uproar in the theater to defend Artemis’ honor. The other figures—Alexander trying to defend Paul, Aquila and Priscilla as Paul’s coworkers, and Gamaliel the Jewish elder—were not the ones who sparked the agitation in this situation. The decisive impulse came from Demetrius and those tied to the idol-making trades.