Acts
Chapter 19
Paul in Ephesus
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland areas and arrived at Ephesus.
There, he found some disciples and asked them: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They responded:
“We haven’t even heard of anyone receiving the Holy Spirit.”
Paul then asked:
“What type of baptism have you received?”
They responded:
“The baptism of John.”
Paul then explained:
“John’s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said they should believe in the one who was to come, and that one is Jesus.”
Upon hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then Paul laid his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them; they began to speak in tongues and prophesy.
There were about twelve of them in total.
Paul entered the synagogue; for three months, he preached and debated there boldly, aiming to persuade them about the kingdom of God.
Some of them, instead of believing, became stubborn and criticized publicly. So Paul left them and took the disciples with him. He taught daily in the lecture hall of a certain Tyrannus.
He did this for two years so that everyone in the province of Asia, both Jews and non-Jews, would hear the word of the Lord.
The Exorcists
God performed extraordinary acts of power through Paul.
Even handkerchiefs or cloths that had touched his skin were placed on the sick, and their illnesses were healed, and evil spirits also left them.
Some Jews who traveled around casting out evil spirits also tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those possessed by evil spirits, saying: “I command you, by this Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
Among them were the seven sons of a Jewish priest named Sceva.
But one day, when they entered a house and dared to do this, the evil spirit said to them:
“Jesus, I recognize; and Paul, I know; but who are you?”
Then the man with the evil spirit lunged at them and overpowered, first one and then another. He attacked them so fiercely that they ran from the house naked and bruised.
This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus; everyone was very impressed, and the name of the Lord Jesus was highly honored.
Many believers came forward and openly admitted their previous practices.
Many who practiced magic arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everyone. When their value was assessed, it totaled fifty thousand silver coins.
In this way, the Lord’s word spread rapidly and effectively.
The Silversmiths’ Riot
Once all these events were finished, Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, decided to travel through Macedonia and Achaia again, and then head to Jerusalem. And he said,“After I have been there, I must visit Rome also.”
So he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia ahead of him, while he himself stayed for a while in Asia.
Around that time, the city was deeply troubled because of the Way.
It all started because of a silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis, and his business brought in a lot of profit for the workers.
He gathered them together with others who did similar work, and said:
“Friends, you know that our prosperity depends on this work.
But as you can see and hear for yourselves, this Paul has led a large number of people astray, not only here in Ephesus but also throughout most of the province of Asia. And he has convinced them that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.
The danger increases—that not only our trade will be discredited, but even the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing. She, whom Asia and the whole world worships, may soon be stripped of her honor renown.”
Hearing this, they became furious and started shouting:
“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
The uproar spread across the entire city. The crowd hurried to the theater, dragging Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions, along with them.
Paul wanted to face the crowd, but the disciples wouldn’t allow him.
Some officials from the Asian province who were friends of Paul also sent him a message, begging him not to appear in the theater.
Meanwhile, the entire assembly was in an uproar. Some shouted one thing, others another; most did not know why they were there.
Some of the crowd wanted a certain Alexander to speak, whom the Jews presented. Alexander intended to deliver a speech of defense before the crowd,
but when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all chanted together for about two hours:
“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Finally, the town clerk managed to calm the mob. He said:
“Citizens of Ephesus, who does not know that Ephesus is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and her image, which fell from the sky?
Since these things are undeniable, you must calm yourselves and do nothing rash.
These men you brought here are not temple-robbers, nor have they spoken ill of our goddess.
If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen want to bring charges against anyone, the courts are open, and there are officials. Let them bring charges against each other.
If there is anything else that needs to be investigated, let it be done in the lawful assembly.
For, as it stands today, we are in danger of being charged with rioting, since we have no valid excuse for this wild demonstration.”
And the town clerk dismissed the assembly.
Commentaries
Paul in Ephesus.
After briefly passing through Ephesus, where he promises to return (18:21), Luke reports that Paul traveled to Caesarea, the main port of Palestine, with intentions of visiting the mother church in Jerusalem. Paul then goes back to Ephesus and stays there for two years and three months. For three months, he preached in the synagogue, but the Jews rejected him. Not finding the synagogue a suitable place to teach “the way,” Paul instead preaches in the school of Tyrannus. Luke notes that “all the inhabitants of Asia, Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord” (10). Paul completes training the twelve leaders of the movement, baptizes them, and they receive the Holy Spirit. Luke highlights the Spirit’s victory over all aspects of Paul’s evangelization.
The Exorcists.
In Ephesus, then the imperial center of magic, Paul faces the challenge of these practices, which also influenced the new believers. Luke contrasts the freeing power of the Gospel with the false security it offered. The lively port city atmosphere fostered chaos and religious mixing. Yet, the victory of the Spirit was complete. Jews and Greeks felt reverent fear. The story ends with a mention of a purifying bonfire where books of magic worth a fortune were burned. Two thousand years later, Luke’s account remains just as relevant. Horoscopes, astrological charts, divination arts, and other forms of fortune-telling still produce huge profits today, including among Christians. The salvation offered by the Gospel of Jesus is as important now as it was then.
The Silversmiths’ Riot.
The conflict stemmed from the followers of Jesus, known as “the Way.” Ephesus was famous for its grand temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis, worshiped throughout Asia. Demetrius, the leader of the silversmiths’ union, viewed Paul’s criticism of idolatry as a threat to their business of making statues and other religious items associated with the goddess. This sparked a large, violent, chaotic, and illegal protest. The crowd aimed to attack Paul and his companions. The Jews, also threatened by Paul’s stance against idols, joined the protest. They moved to the city theater, which could hold 24,000 people. Shouts filled the air. Luke notes that many in the crowd didn’t even understand why they were there. After several attempts to calm things down, local authorities managed to disperse the crowd and reason with them. Luke’s reason for sharing this story appears to be his focus on illustrating how Paul’s mission fit within Roman law. Later, Roman soldiers will save Paul’s life twice (21:27-40; 23:12-24). The Apostle will also later appeal to Caesar’s court to ensure his safety (25:1-12).