The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 19 -

(Acts 10:44–48)

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior (a) and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples

and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.

Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

There were about twelve men in all.

Paul Ministers in Ephesus

(Ephesians 1:1–2; Revelation 2:1–7)

Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia,(b) Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.

God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,

so that even handkerchiefs

(c)

and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.

Seven Sons of Sceva

Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.

This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.

And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.(d)

So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.

The Riot in Ephesus

After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit

(e)

to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”

He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.

About that time there arose a great disturbance

(f)

about the Way.

It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business

(g)

to the craftsmen.

Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.

And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.

There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”

When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.

Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asia

(h)

sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre.

Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there.

The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.

But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.

For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.

So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.

But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.

For we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.”

After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Footnotes

(a)19:1 Or the highland

(b)19:10 Literally in Asia; Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey; similarly in verses 22, 26, 27, and 31.

(d)19:19 Or fifty thousand pieces of silver. A drachma was a silver coin worth about one day’s wages.

(e)19:21 Or resolved in spirit

(f)19:23 Literally there arose no little disturbance

(g)19:24 Literally bringing no little business

(h)19:31 Or friends who were Asiarchs

(Acts 10:44–48)

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.

He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

He said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”

Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.”(a)

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.

They were about twelve men in all.

Paul Ministers in Ephesus

(Ephesians 1:1–2; Revelation 2:1–7)

He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.

But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,

so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.

Seven Sons of Sceva

But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.

The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”

The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

Many also of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds.

Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.(b)

So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

The Riot in Ephesus

Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,

whom he gathered together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.

You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands.

Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.”

When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

The whole 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.

When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him.

Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.

Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together.

They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people.

But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rash.

For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.

If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.

But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.

For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning today’s riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion.”

When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

Footnotes

(a)19:4 NU omits Christ.

(b)19:19 The 50,000 pieces of silver here probably referred to 50,000 drachmas. If so, the value of the burned books was equivalent to about 160 man-years of wages for agricultural laborers