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Paul in Ephesus
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.
“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.
And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
Paul Ministers in Ephesus
Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.
But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia — both Jews and Greeks — heard the word of the Lord.
God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,
God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this.
One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”
But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”
Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.
When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored.
Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.
Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.
In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.
He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
The Riot in Ephesus
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
The Riot in Ephesus
About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.
A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.
He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.
He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:
“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.
“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.
And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!
There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis — this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world — will be robbed of her great prestige!”
When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together.
Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.
Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him.
Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.
Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people.
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak.
But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?
At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven.
Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.
Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.
You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.
You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.
If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges.
“If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges.
If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.
And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.
As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”
I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.”