Acts 19
19
Twelve Disciples of John the Baptist
1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples # Ac 18:1,24; 1Co 1:12; 3:5-6 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? ” # Ac 8:15-17; 10:44-45
“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” # Jn 7:39; Ac 8:16; 11:16
3“Then what baptism were you baptized with? ” he asked them.
“With John’s baptism,” they replied. # Ac 18:25
4Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, # Lk 3:3; Ac 13:24 telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.” # Mt 3:11; Jn 1:7,27; Ac 13:24-25
5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands on # Ac 6:6; 8:17 them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in other languages and to prophesy. # Mk 16:17; Ac 2:4; 10:46 7Now there were about 12 men in all.
In the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus
8Then he entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things of the kingdom of God. # Ac 1:3; 9:20; 28:23 9But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. # Ac 9:2; 11:26; 14:4; 19:23,30 10And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, # Ac 14:1; 18:4; 19:17; 20:21; 1Co 1:24 heard the message about the Lord. # Ac 19:8,22,26-27; 20:31
Demonism Defeated at Ephesus
11God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12so that even facecloths or work aprons # Or that also sweatbands and sweatcloths or handkerchiefs that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. # Ac 5:15; 8:13
13Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches! ” # Mt 12:27; Mk 9:38; Lk 11:19 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul — but who are you? ” 16Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus # Ac 8:16; 19:5,13; 21:13; 1Co 6:11; Col 3:17 was magnified. # Ac 5:5,11; 18:19 18And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19while many of those who had practiced magic # Is 3:3; Ezk 13:18-20 collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. 20In this way the Lord’s message flourished and prevailed. # Ac 6:6-7; 12:24
The Riot in Ephesus
21When these events were over, Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well! ” # Ac 16:9; 18:12; 20:16,22; Rm 15:24-25,28 22So after sending two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, # Rm 16:23; 2Tm 4:20 to Macedonia, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. # Ac 13:5; 16:1,23; 19:10; 2Tm 4:20
23During that time there was a major # Lit was not a little disturbance about the Way. # Ac 9:2; 2Co 1:8 24For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, # Artemis was the ancient Gk mother goddess believed to control all fertility. provided a great deal of # Lit provided not a little business for the craftsmen. 25When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said: “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. 26You both see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods! # Dt 4:28; Ps 115:4; Is 44:10-20; Jr 10:3; Ac 17:29; 1Co 8:4; Rv 9:20 27So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin — the very one all of Asia and the world adore.”
28When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! ” 29So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius # Rm 16:23; 1Co 1:14 and Aristarchus, # Ac 20:4; 27:2; Col 4:10; Phm 24 Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 30Though Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. 31Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to take a chance by going # Lit not to give himself into the amphitheater. 32Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, # Ac 21:34 because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33Then some of the crowd gave Alexander advice when the Jews pushed him to the front. So motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people. # Ac 12:17; 21:34 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a united cry went up from all of them for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! ”
35However, when the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “Men of Ephesus! What man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great # Other mss add goddess Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? 36Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. 37For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our # Other mss read your goddess. 38So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. # Ac 13:7; Rm 2:22 39But if you want something else, it must be decided in a legal assembly. 40In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting # Mt 26:5; 27:24; Ac 17:5 for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disorderly gathering.” 41After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.
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Acts 19: HCSB
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Acts 19
19
Paul in Ephesus
1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces to get to the city of Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him, “No, we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”
3Paul asked them, “What kind of baptism did you have?”
They answered, “John’s baptism.”
4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.#19:4 “Repentance” is turning to God with a complete change in the way a person thinks and acts. John told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.”
5After they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed. 7About twelve men were in the group.
8For three months Paul would go into the synagogue and speak boldly. He had discussions with people to convince them about God’s kingdom. 9But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and had nothing good to say in front of the crowd about the way ⌞of Christ⌟, he left them. He took his disciples and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This continued for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
11God worked unusual miracles through Paul. 12People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them.
13Some Jews used to travel from place to place and force evil spirits out of people. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to force evil spirits out of those who were possessed. These Jews would say, “I order you ⌞to come out⌟ in the name of Jesus, whom Paul talks about.” 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15But the evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I’m acquainted with Paul, but who are you?” 16Then the man possessed by the evil spirit attacked them. He beat them up so badly that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.
17All the Jews and Greeks living in the city of Ephesus heard about this. All of them were filled with awe for the name of the Lord Jesus and began to speak very highly about it. 18Many believers openly admitted their involvement with magical spells and told all the details. 19Many of those who were involved in the occult gathered their books and burned them in front of everyone. They added up the cost of these books and found that they were worth 50,000 silver coins. 20In this powerful way the word of the Lord was spreading and gaining strength.
21After all these things had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem by traveling through Macedonia and Greece. He said, “After I have been there, I must see Rome.” 22So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed longer in the province of Asia.
A Riot in Ephesus
23During that time a serious disturbance concerning the way ⌞of Christ⌟ broke out in the city of Ephesus.
24Demetrius, a silversmith, was in the business of making silver models of the temple of Artemis. His business brought a huge profit for the men who worked for him. 25He called a meeting of his workers and others who did similar work. Demetrius said, “Men, you know that we’re earning a good income from this business, 26and you see and hear what this man Paul has done. He has won over a large crowd that follows him not only in Ephesus but also throughout the province of Asia. He tells people that gods made by humans are not gods. 27There’s a danger that people will discredit our line of work, and there’s a danger that people will think that the temple of the great goddess Artemis is nothing. Then she whom all Asia and the rest of the world worship will be robbed of her glory.”
28When Demetrius’ workers and the others heard this, they became furious and began shouting, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!” 29The confusion spread throughout the city, and the people had one thought in mind as they rushed into the theater. They grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who traveled with Paul, and they dragged the two men into the theater with them.
30Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but his disciples wouldn’t let him. 31Even some officials who were from the province of Asia and who were Paul’s friends sent messengers to urge him not to risk going into the theater.
32Some people shouted one thing while others shouted something else. The crowd was confused. Most of the people didn’t even know why they had come together. 33Some people concluded that Alexander was the cause, so the Jews pushed him to the front. Alexander motioned with his hand to quiet the people because he wanted to defend himself in front of them. 34But when they recognized that Alexander was a Jew, everyone started to shout in unison, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!” They kept doing this for about two hours.
35The city clerk finally quieted the crowd. Then he said, “Citizens of Ephesus, everyone knows that this city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis. Everyone knows that Ephesus is the keeper of the statue that fell down from Zeus. 36No one can deny this. So you have to be quiet and not do anything foolish. 37The men you brought here don’t rob temples or insult our goddess. 38If Demetrius and the men who work for him have a legal complaint against anyone, we have special days and officials to hold court. That’s where they should bring charges against each other. 39If you want anything else, you must settle the matter in a legal assembly. 40At this moment we run the risk of being accused of rioting today for no reason. We won’t be able to explain this mob.” 41After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.#19:41 Acts 19:41 in English Bibles is Acts 19:40b in the Greek Bible.
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