The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Apostles 19
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul,
having passed through the upper country,
came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.
2 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.”
3 He said, “Into what then were you baptized?”
They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 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.Ӡ
5 When they heard this, they were baptized
in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 When Paul had laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came on them and they
spoke with other languages and prophesied.
7 They were about twelve men in all.
8 He entered into the synagogue and
spoke boldly for a period of three months,
reasoning and persuading about the
things concerning God’s Kingdom.
9 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.
10 This continued for two years, so that
all those who lived in Asia heard the word
of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 God worked special miracles by the
hands of Paul,
12 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.
13 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.”
14 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a
Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15 The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I
know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”
16 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.
17 This became known to all, both Jews
and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell
on them all, and the name ofthe Lord Jesus
was magnified.
18 Many also of those who had believed
came, confessing and declaring
their deeds.
19 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.‡
20 So the word of the Lord was growing
and becoming mighty.
21 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.”
22 Having sent into Macedonia two of
those who served him, Timothy and
Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia
for a while.
23 About that time there arose no small
disturbance concerning the Way.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius,
a silversmith who made silver shrines of
Artemis, brought no little business to the
craftsmen,
25 whom he gathered together with the
workmen of like occupation, and said,
“Sirs, you know that by this business we
have our wealth.
26 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.
27 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.”
28 When they heard this they were filled
with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is
Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 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.
30 When Paul wanted to enter in to the
people, the disciples didn’t allow him.
31 Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his
friends, sent to him and begged him not to
venture into the theater.
32 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.
33 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.
34 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!”
35 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?
36 Seeing then that these things can’t be
denied, you ought to be quiet and to do
nothing rash.
37 For you have brought these men here,
who are neither robbers of temples nor
blasphemers of your goddess.
38 If therefore Demetrius and the c
raftsmen who are with him have a matter
against anyone, the courts are open and
there are proconsuls. Let them press
charges against one another.
39 But if you seek anything about other
matters, it will be settled in the regular
assembly.
40 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.”
41 When he had thus spoken, he dismissed
the assembly.