Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 19:37

"For ye have brought [hither] these men, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess." — Acts 19:37 (ASV)

For you, etc. Demetrius and his friends. The blame was to be traced to them.

Which are neither robbers of churches. The word "churches" we now apply to buildings constructed for Christian worship. Since no such buildings for Christian worship had then been built, this translation is unfortunate and is not at all required by the original Greek.

The Greek word—ierosulouv—is properly applied to those who commit sacrilege, who plunder temples of their sacred things. The meaning here is that Paul and his companions had not been guilty of robbing the temple of Diana or any other temple.

The charge of sacrilege could not be brought against them. Although they had preached against idols and idol worship, they had offered no violence to the temples of idolaters, nor had they attempted to strip them of the sacred utensils employed in their service. What they had done, they had done peaceably.

Nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. They had not used harsh or reproachful language against Diana. This had not been charged against them, nor is there the least evidence that they had done it.

They had opposed idolatry, reasoned against it, and endeavored to turn the people from it. But there is not the least evidence that they had ever done it in harsh or reproachful language.

This shows that men should employ reason, not harsh or reproachful language, against any pervasive evil. The way to remove it is to enlighten the minds of men and to convince them of the error of their ways.

Men gain nothing by bitter and reviling words. It is a significant achievement to obtain the testimony of even the enemies of religion—as Paul did from the chancellor of Ephesus—that no such words had been used in describing their crimes and follies.