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Paul at Ephesus
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding 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.”
he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.
And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
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.”
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
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.
And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
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.
But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
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.
And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles.
Miracles Glorify Christ
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
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.
so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
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 leading priest, were doing this.
Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?”
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
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.
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.
This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices.
And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.
So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
The Riot at Ephesus
When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed 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.”
When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed 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.”
He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.
The Riot in Ephesus
About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.
And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.
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.
He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.
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!
Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.
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!”
At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
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.
So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.
Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him.
And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him.
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.
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.
Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak.
And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people.
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!”
But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
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.
Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash.
Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly.
You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.
“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.
And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly.
But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly.
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.”