19:1 Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
19:2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.”
19:3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized ①in the name of the Lord Jesus.
▷ ①Lit into
19:6 And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
19:7 There were about twelve men in all.
19:8 And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, having discussions and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
19:9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of ①the Way before the ②people, he withdrew from them and took the disciples away with him, and had discussions daily in the school of Tyrannus.
▷ ①See John 14:6 ②Lit multitude
19:10 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in ①Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
▷ ①I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
19:11 God was performing extraordinary ①miracles by the hands of Paul,
▷ ①Or works of power
19:12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
19:13 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to ①use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, “I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!”
▷ ①I.e., as an incantation
19:14 Now there were seven sons of ①Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this.
▷ ①Lit some Sceva
19:15 But the evil spirit responded and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?”
19:16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
19:18 Also many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.
19:19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they added up the prices of ①the books and found it to be fifty thousand ②pieces of silver.
▷ ①Lit them ②Prob. Greek drachmas; a drachma was a day’s wages for a laborer
19:20 So ①the word of the Lord was growing and prevailing mightily.
▷ ①Or according to the power of the Lord the word was growing
19:21 Now after these things were finished, Paul resolved in ①the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
▷ ①Or his spirit
19:22 And after he sent into Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in ①Asia for a while.
▷ ①I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
19:23 About that time ①a major disturbance occurred in regard to ②the Way.
▷ ①Lit no small ②See John 14:6
19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of ①Artemis, was bringing ②considerable ③business to the craftsmen;
▷ ①Lat Diana ②Lit no little ③Or profit
19:25 he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ①depends upon this business.
▷ ①Lit is from
19:26 You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of ①Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that ②gods made by hands are not gods at all.
▷ ①See note v 22 ②Lit those
19:27 Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess ①Artemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of ②Asia and the ③world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”
▷ ①Lat Diana ②See note v 22 ③Lit the inhabited earth
19:28 When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began shouting, saying, “Great is ①Artemis of the Ephesians!”
▷ ①Lat Diana
19:29 The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s Macedonian traveling companions.
19:30 And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him.
19:31 Also some of the ①Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him and repeatedly urged him not to ②venture into the theater.
▷ ①I.e., political or religious officials of the province of Asia ②Lit give himself
19:32 So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the ①assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know ②for what reason they had come together.
▷ ①Gr ekklesia ②Or on whose account
19:33 Some of the crowd ①concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.
▷ ①Or advised Alexander
19:34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is ①Artemis of the Ephesians!”
▷ ①Lat Diana
19:35 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, “Men of Ephesus, what person is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great ①Artemis and of the image which fell down from ②the sky?
▷ ①Lat Diana ②Lit Zeus; Lat Jupiter
19:36 So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash.
19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.
19:38 So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and ①proconsuls are available; have them bring charges against one another.
▷ ①Or provincial governors
19:39 But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the ①lawful ②assembly.
▷ ①Or regular ②Gr ekklesia
19:40 For indeed, we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real reason for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.”
19:41 After saying this he dismissed the ①assembly.
▷ ①Gr ekklesia