What did Paul persuade many people in Asia Minor to turn away from?
Throughout almost all Asia Minor, Paul persuaded much people to turn away from gods made with hands, declaring that such handmade deities are no gods at all. This threatened the silversmiths' profitable trade in silver shrines to Diana at Ephesus.
Les explains that greed prompted the silversmiths to rise up against Paul's ministry and against Christianity, because their wealth came from making silver shrines to Diana. The accusation in verse 26 was that Paul had persuaded and turned away much people, not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia—that is, Asia Minor, Turkey—saying there be no gods made with hands. This endangered their craft and the temple of the great goddess Diana, whom all Asia and the world worshiped. Les further notes that idolatry feeds on the baser instincts of humanity.