Acts
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland country and
came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples.
He asked them, “Did you
receive holy spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not
even heard that there is holy spirit given.”
So Paul asked, “Into what then were you
baptized?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul then said,
“John
baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling people that they should
believe in the one who was to come after him — that is, in Jesus.”
When
they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them, the holy spirit came on them and they
began to speak foreign languages and prophesy.
There were about twelve
men in all.
Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three
months, addressing and persuading them about the Kingdom of God.
But
when some stubbornly refused to believe, insulting the
Way before the people, he left them and took the disciples with him. Then he
spoke to them daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
This continued for two years, so
that all those living in the province of Asia heard the Gospel-word of the
Lord, both Jews and Gentiles.
God worked extraordinary miracles through Paul,
so that
even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried from his body to the sick, and their
diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
But some Jews who were
traveling around casting out demons tried to use the name of the lord Jesus over those
who had evil spirits, saying, “I solemnly command you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
There were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who were doing this.
The evil spirit answered them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul,
but who are you?”
And the man, in whom the evil spirit was, leapt on them,
overpowered all of them and beat them, and they fled out of that house naked
and wounded.
This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both
Jews and Gentiles. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the lord Jesus was
being honored.
Many of those who had believed came and confessed,
openly admitting their former practices.
And many of those who had practiced
magic brought their books and burned them up in the sight of all. They
calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand silver coins.
So
the Gospel-word of the Lord was increasing and growing powerfully.
After all this, Paul decided that when he had passed through Macedonia
and Achaia, he would go to Jerusalem. He said, “After I have been there, I
must also go to Rome.”
So after sending into Macedonia two of those who
helped him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed for a while in the
province of Asia.
About that time there arose a great disturbance concerning the Way.
For a
man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of the goddess
Artemis, was bringing a great deal of business to himself and the other craftsmen.
Demetrius
gathered them together, along with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our wealth depends on this business.
And you see and
hear that not only in Ephesus, but almost throughout the whole province of
Asia, this Paul has persuaded and led away many people, by saying that
the gods made with hands are not gods at all.
Not only is there a danger that our trade might lose its good reputation, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing and her majesty lost, she whom all the province of Asia and the world worship.”
When they heard this they became furious and began to shout, “Great is Artemis
of the Ephesians!”
The city was filled with confusion, and people rushed
together into the amphitheater, seizing Paul’s traveling companions Gaius
and Aristarchus who were from Macedonia.
But when Paul wanted to go in among the
people, the disciples would not allow him.
Even some of the provincial officials,
who were Paul’s friends, sent word to him and begged him not to risk entering the
amphitheater.
Some people were shouting one thing and some another. The crowd
was in complete confusion. Most of them did not know why they were there.
Some of them thought Alexander was the reason, because the Jews had
pushed him to the front. Alexander gestured with his hand and was intending
to make a defense to the crowd.
But when they realized that he was a Jew,
they all shouted in unison for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the
Ephesians!”
When the city clerk had quieted the crowd down, he said,
“People of Ephesus, is there anyone who does not know that the city of the
Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image
that fell from heaven?
Since these are undeniable facts, you ought to be
calm and do nothing rash.
For you have brought these men here, who are
neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
So then if
Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the
courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges there.
But
if you require anything beyond this, it will be settled in a lawful assembly.
Indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot because of today’s
events, and there is no cause for it. We will not be able to give a single reason
for this commotion.”
After speaking these words, he dismissed the crowd.
Acts