Acts 19:28

And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the city was filled with confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.

Great is Diana of the Ephesians ... When Elijah contested with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, the priests of Baal carried on a continuous shout for hours, crying, "O Baal, hear us" (1 Kings 18:26); and in recent decades the followers of Adolph Hitler in Germany reinforced Hitler's propaganda with similar chants in unison. Then, as always, it was a device of ignorance and prejudice. The truth cannot be drowned out by any such noise; although, of course, it may win a temporary victory.

Into the theater ... This was an immense open-air auditorium capable of holding 50,000 people, or at least, as some suppose, 25,000.

Gaius and Aristarchus ... A Gaius (Acts 20:4) was Paul's companion, but was there said to have been of Derbe; Paul baptized a Gaius in Corinth with his own hands (1 Corinthians 1:14); and a Gaius was Paul's host in Corinth when Romans was written (Romans 16:23); and the apostle John addressed his Third Epistle to Gaius. This was a common name, however; and any certain identification of all or any of these as the same person is precarious.

Aristarchus ... was a Thessalonian (Acts 20:4), thus also a Macedonian; and from other references in Acts 27:2; Colossians 4:10, and Philemon 1:1:24, it appears that he continued with Paul through thick and thin:

He continued through good report and evil report, through persecution, violence, shipwreck, imprisonment and bonds, to the latest moment on which the light of Bible history shines. Blessed servant of Christ; blessed fellow-servant of his chief apostle![35]

The reason for seizing these two fellow-workers of Paul was likely that of doing them bodily injury.