Acts 19:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They rightly called the preaching “the way.” It truly was the way leading to the Kingdom of Heaven. “He disputed,” says the writer, “in the school of a certain Tyrannus. This continued for two years,” where the faithful were, and very faithful they were. What does it mean that, “leaving them, he separated the disciples”? He turned aside their slander. He does this and separates himself because he did not wish to inflame their envy or provoke a greater quarrel. Thus, by separation from those who slandered and reviled the teaching, they were overcome. The teaching is precisely what is here called “the way.” He separates himself in such a manner that he neither abandoned the disciples nor drove the others to fury. He showed that he always had salvation in view. Here also he does not defend himself before them, because the Gentiles everywhere had already believed. And he preached not simply in any place, but where there was a school, as a place most convenient for gathering.

"Speaking evil of the Way." Luke calls Christ the Way, of whom it is said that He is the Way. Or he calls the true faith the Way, which Paul preached. By the words "he separated the disciples," instruction is given that believers in the Son of God should withdraw from those who revile Him.

Paul then chose as the place of his longer labor a city especially important for the spread of the Gospel. It was the center of communication and trade for a vast part of Asia, and the largest trading city in Asia on this side of Taurus: Ephesus.

Yet here Christianity faced a new struggle with alien tendencies of the religious spirit. These either openly opposed it or threatened to merge with it.

Pagan magic ruled here. It had taken its beginning from the mystical worship of Diana. Alongside this pagan magic, Jewish magic also found access here.

The spirit of the age was not satisfied by religion and always thirsted for something new. It supported this false teaching, which claimed to open union with heaven and spiritual powers by human strength.

After settling in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul, according to his custom, began attending the synagogue and preaching Christ there without fear. He did this for about three months.

But some of the Jews were gradually stirred against the Apostle's preaching. They finally became so hardened that they began openly, before the people, to speak evil of the way of the Lord.

They mocked the Apostle's teaching and the Christ whom he preached. Then Paul left them and separated from them all the Christians in Ephesus.

He moved his preaching to the school of a certain Tyrannus. There he preached not only on Sabbaths, as he had done until then in the synagogue, but daily. This school became a Christian school.

Since he taught Christianity not in an enticing philosophical form, but in all its simplicity and directness, his preaching naturally aroused hostility among the hardened Jews. Matters reached the point that, after three months of labor, the apostle found himself compelled to leave the synagogue. He hired for the meetings of his disciples and hearers the school of a certain Tyrannus, one of the pagan sophists. There were many such men in Ephesus at that time. This new place for liturgical assembly made it possible for the apostle to see his brethren daily. In the synagogue this had been possible only three times a week.

Some, therefore not all, and perhaps a minority; cf. Acts 17:4, were hardened. The expression points to gradual hardening, developing little by little over a certain time.

This hardening and unbelief in some finally grew so far that they began openly to speak evil before the people; Acts 18:6 and parallels. They spoke against the way of the Lord; Acts 18:25-26.

This moved the Apostle to the same decisive action as in Corinth; Acts 18:6-7. Indeed, he went further. He resolved not only to break off all dealings with the Ephesian synagogue himself, but also separated the disciples from it, that is, all the Christians.

He then moved his preaching to the school of a certain Tyrannus. There he preached daily, not only on Sabbaths, as in the synagogue.

The influence of the preaching of the holy Apostle Paul upon the Ephesians was varied. Some believed and gladly listened to the Apostle. Others not only failed to heed his preaching, but regarded it with indignation.

This moved Paul to leave them and preach to the chosen in a separate place. This was where a certain teacher, Tyrannus, gathered his disciples from time to time.

Thus, striving to be all things to all men, Paul appeared here as a kind of teacher like the others. His meetings with the faithful were daily there, as in a school.

Saint John Chrysostom asks, "What does it mean that he left them? He turned aside their blasphemy. Leaving them, he withdrew because he did not wish to provoke their envy and kindle greater hatred.