Acts 19
1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples.
2 He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They replied, “We haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 He asked, “Then what were you baptized into?” They said, “John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was coming after him—that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, discussing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
9 But some became stubborn and refused to believe, speaking badly of the Way in front of the crowd. So he left them, took the disciples with him, and held discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10 This continued for two years, so that everyone living in Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
11 God performed extraordinary miracles through Paul’s hands.
12 Even cloths or aprons that had touched his body were carried to the sick; their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out.
13 Some itinerant Jewish exorcists also tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
14 Those doing this were seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest.
15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize. But who are you?”
16 Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.
17 This became known to everyone living in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was honored.
18 Many of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring what they had done.
19 Many who had practiced magic gathered their books and burned them in front of everyone. They calculated their value and found it came to fifty thousand silver coins.
20 In this way the word of the Lord grew and prevailed with power.
21 After these events, Paul resolved in his spirit to go to Jerusalem by way of Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
22 He sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23 At that time, there arose no small disturbance about the Way.
24 For a silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought the craftsmen no small amount of business.
25 He gathered these craftsmen and the workers in related trades and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this work.
26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia, saying that gods made by human hands are not gods.
27 And there is danger not only that our trade will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing, and that she herself, whom all Asia and the inhabited world worship, will be stripped of her greatness.”
28 When they heard this, they were filled with anger and shouted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 The whole city was thrown into confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
30 Paul wanted to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.
31 Some of the Asiarchs, who were his friends, also sent word urging him not to risk going into the theater.
32 Some shouted one thing, others something else, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had gathered.
33 Some in the crowd put Alexander forward, since the Jews had pushed him to the front. Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make his defense before the people.
34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted with one voice for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said, “Men of Ephesus, who among people does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell from heaven?
36 Since these things are beyond dispute, you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash.
37 For you have brought these men here, though they are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.
38 So if Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another.
39 And if you are seeking anything further, it will be settled in the lawful assembly.
40 For we are in danger of being accused of rioting over what happened today, with no cause we can give to justify this gathering.” After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.
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