19 Certain disciples at Ephesus, 3 having only received John’s baptism, 2 and know not the visible gifts of the holy Ghost, wherewith God had beautified his Son’s kingdom, 5 are baptized in the Name of Jesus. 13 The Jewish exorcists 16 are beaten of the devil. 19 Conjuring books are burnt. 24 Demetrius 29 raiseth sedition against Paul.
1 And [a]it came to pass, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul when he passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples,
2 And said unto them, Have ye received the [b]holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be an holy Ghost.
3 [c]And he said unto them, Unto [d]what were ye then baptized? And they said, Unto [e]John’s baptism.
4 Then said Paul, (A)John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe in him, which should come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.
5 And when they heard it, they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
6 So Paul laid his hands upon them, and the holy Ghost came on them, and they spake the tongues, and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.
8 ¶ Moreover he went into the Synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and exhorting to the things that appertain to the kingdom of God.
9 [f]But when certain were hardened, and disobeyed, speaking evil of the [g]way of God before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, and disputed daily in the school of one [h]Tyrannus.
10 And this was done by the space of two years, so that all they which dwelt in Asia, heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Grecians.
11 And God wrought no small miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick, kerchiefs, or handkerchiefs, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
13 [i]Then certain of the vagabond Jews, [j]exorcists took in hand to name over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth.
14 (And there were certain sons of Sceva a Jew, the Priest, about seven which did this.)
15 And the evil spirit answered, and said, Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know: but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was, ran on them, and overcame them, and [k]prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house, naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Grecians also which dwelt at Ephesus, and fear came on them all, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was magnified,
18 [l]And many that believed, came and [m]confessed, and showed their works.
19 Many also of them which used curious arts, brought their books, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it [n]fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of God grew mightily, and prevailed.
21 ¶ [o]Now when these things were accomplished, Paul purposed by the [p]Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia, and to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
22 So sent he into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timothy, and Erastus, but he remained in Asia for a season.
23 [q]And the same time there arose no small trouble about that way.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius a silversmith, which made silver [r]temples of Diana, brought great gains unto the craftsmen,
25 Whom he called together, with the workmen of like things, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our goods:
26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia this Paul hath persuaded, and turned away much people, saying, That they be not Gods which are made with hands.
27 So that not only this thing is dangerous unto us, that this our [s]portion shall be reproved, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be nothing esteemed, and that it would come to pass that her magnificence, which all Asia and the world worshippeth, should be destroyed.
28 Now when they heard it, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
29 And the whole city was full of confusion, and they rushed into the common place with one assent, and caught (B)Gaius, and (C)Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, and Paul’s companions of his journey.
30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
31 [t]Certain also of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not present himself in the Common place.
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was out of order, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
33 And some of the company drew forth Alexander, the Jews thrusting him forwards. Alexander then beckoned with the hand, and would have excused the matter to the people.
34 [u]But when they knew that he was a Jew, there arose a shout almost for the space of two hours, of all men, crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
35 [v]Then the town clerk when he had stayed the people, said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is it that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image, which [w]came down from Jupiter?
36 Seeing then that no man can speak against these things, ye ought to be appeased, and to do nothing rashly.
37 For ye have brought hither these men, which have neither committed sacrilege, neither do blaspheme your goddess.
38 Wherefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen which are with him, have a [x]matter against any man, the [y]law is open, and there are [z]Deputies: let them accuse one another.
39 But if ye inquire anything concerning other matters, it may be determined in a [aa]lawful assembly.
40 For we are even in jeopardy to be accused of this day’s sedition, forasmuch as there is no cause, whereby we may give a reason of this concourse of people.
41 And when he had thus spoken, he let the assembly depart.
Footnotes
- Acts 19:1 Paul being nothing offended at the rudeness of the Ephesians, planted a Church among them.
- Acts 19:2 Those excellent gifts of the holy Ghost, which were in those days in the Church.
- Acts 19:3 John did only begin to instruct the disciples whom Christ should make perfect.
- Acts 19:3 In what doctrine then are you taught and instructed?
- Acts 19:3 To be baptized into John’s baptism, is to profess the doctrine which John preached and sealed with his baptism.
- Acts 19:9 For a man to separate himself and others from infidels which are utterly desperate, it is not to divide the Church, but rather to unite it and make it one.
- Acts 19:9 By this word Way, the Hebrews understand any kind of life, and here it is taken for Christianity.
- Acts 19:9 This was a man’s proper name.
- Acts 19:13 Satan is constrained to give witness against himself.
- Acts 19:13 So were they called which cast out devils by conjuring them in the Name of God: and in the beginning of the Church, they which had the gift of working miracles, and laid their hands on them that were possessed with devils, were also so called.
- Acts 19:16 He prevailed against them, though they strove never so much.
- Acts 19:18 Conjuring and sorcery is condemned by open testimony, and by the authority of the Apostle.
- Acts 19:18 Confessed their errors, and detested them openly, being terrified with the fear of the judgment of God: and what is this to ear shrift?
- Acts 19:19 They that make the least value of it, reckon it to be about eight hundred pounds English.
- Acts 19:21 Paul is never weary.
- Acts 19:21 By the motion of God’s Spirit: therefore we may not say that Paul ran hand over head to death, but as the Spirit of God led him.
- Acts 19:23 Gain cloaked with a show of religion is the very cause wherefore idolatry is stoutly and stubbornly defended.
- Acts 19:24 These were certain counterfeit temples with Diana’s picture in them which they bought that worshipped her.
- Acts 19:27 As if he said, If Paul go on thus as he hath begun to confute the opinion which men have of Diana’s image, all this our gain will come to nought.
- Acts 19:31 There ought to be in all Christians and especially in the Ministers, an invincible constancy, which may not by any storms or assaults be overcome, which notwithstanding must suffer itself modestly to be governed by wisdom.
- Acts 19:34 Instead of reason, the idolaters are sufficiently contented with their own madness and outcries, and those are the greatest defenses that they have.
- Acts 19:35 An example of a political man who redeemeth peace and quietness with lies, which Paul would never have done.
- Acts 19:35 The Ephesians believed superstitiously, that the image of Diana came down from heaven to them.
- Acts 19:38 Have ought to accuse any man of.
- Acts 19:38 For there are certain days appointed for civil causes and matters of judgment, and the Deputies sit.
- Acts 19:38 By the Deputies are meant also the Deputies’ Substitutes, that is, such as did sit for them.
- Acts 19:39 He speaketh of a lawful assembly, not only to except against the disordered hurly-burly of the people, but also against all meeting and coming together which was not by order: for there were certain days appointed to call the people together in.