God's New Bible

The Acts of the Apostles

Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 19 -

(Acts 10:44–48)
1
It came about that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to the city of Ephesus, and found certain disciples there.
2
Paul said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we did not even hear about the Holy Spirit.”
3
Paul said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4
So Paul replied, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance. He told the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5
When the people heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6
Then when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in other languages and prophesied.
7
In all they were about twelve men.

Paul Ministers in Ephesus

(Ephesians 1:1–2; Revelation 2:1–7)
8
Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months. He was leading discussions and persuading people about the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9
But when some Jews were hardened and disobedient, they began to speak evil of the way of Christ before the crowd. So Paul left them and led the believers away from them. He began to speak every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10
This continued for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11
God was doing mighty deeds by the hands of Paul,
12
so that even the sick were healed, and evil spirits went out of them, when they took handkerchiefs and aprons from Paul’s body.

Seven Sons of Sceva

13
But there were Jewish exorcists traveling through the area who took the name of Jesus for their own use. They spoke it over those who had evil spirits; they said, “I command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches to leave.”
14
Those who did this were the seven sons of a Jewish chief priest, Sceva.
15
An evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
16
The evil spirit in the man leaped on the exorcists and overpowered them and beat them up. Then they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17
This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. They became very afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was honored.
18
Also, many of the believers came and confessed and admitted the evil things they had done.
19
Many who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of everyone. When they counted the value of them, it was fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20
So the word of the Lord spread very widely in powerful ways.

The Riot in Ephesus

21
Now after Paul completed his ministry in Ephesus, he decided in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia on his way to Jerusalem; he said, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
22
Paul sent to Macedonia two of his disciples, Timothy and Erastus, who had helped him. But he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23
At about that time there arose a great disturbance in Ephesus concerning the Way.
24
A certain silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver statues of Diana, brought in much business for the craftsmen.
25
So he gathered together the workmen of that occupation and said, “Sirs, you know that in this business we make much money.
26
You see and hear that, not only at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people. He is saying that there are no gods that are made with hands.
27
And not only is there danger that our trade will no longer be needed, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana may be considered worthless. Then she would even lose her greatness, she whom all Asia and the world worships.”
28
When they heard this, they were filled with anger and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”
29
The whole city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed together into the theater. They had seized Paul’s travel companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, who came from Macedonia.
30
Paul wanted to enter in among the crowd of people, but the disciples prevented him.
31
Also, some of the officials of the province of Asia who were his friends sent him a message strongly requesting him not to enter the theater.
32
Some people were shouting one thing, and some another, for the crowd was in confusion. Most of them did not even know why they had come together.
33
The Jews brought Alexander out of the crowd putting him up front of the people. Alexander motioned with his hand to make an explanation to the people.
34
But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all cried out with one voice for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”
35
When the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from heaven?
36
Seeing then that these things are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash.
37
For you have brought these men to this court who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.
38
Therefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have an accusation against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them accuse one another.
39
But if you seek anything about other matters, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.
40
For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning this day’s riot. There is no cause for this disorder, and we will not be able to explain it.”
41
When he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
(Acts 10:44–48)
1
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.
2
He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3
He said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4
Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.”(a)
5
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6
When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.
7
They were about twelve men in all.

Paul Ministers in Ephesus

(Ephesians 1:1–2; Revelation 2:1–7)
8
He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.
9
But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
10
This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11
God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,
12
so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.

Seven Sons of Sceva

13
But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
14
There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15
The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”
16
The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17
This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18
Many also of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds.
19
Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.(b)
20
So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

The Riot in Ephesus

21
Now after these things had ended, Paul determined 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.”
22
Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23
About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.
24
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,
25
whom he gathered together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.
26
You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands.
27
Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.”
28
When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29
The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.
30
When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him.
31
Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.
32
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together.
33
They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people.
34
But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35
When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
36
Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rash.
37
For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.
38
If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.
39
But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.
40
For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning today’s riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion.”
41
When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

Footnotes

(a)19:4 NU omits Christ.
(b)19:19 The 50,000 pieces of silver here probably referred to 50,000 drachmas. If so, the value of the burned books was equivalent to about 160 man-years of wages for agricultural laborers