(Acts 10:44–48)
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And it came to pass, in Apollos being in Corinth, Paul having gone through the upper parts, came to Ephesus, and having found certain disciples,
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he said to them, “Having believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit?” And they said to him, “But we did not even hear whether there is any Holy Spirit”;
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and he said to them, “Into what, then, were you immersed?” And they said, “Into John’s immersion.”
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And Paul said, “John, indeed, immersed with an immersion of conversion, saying to the people that they should believe in Him who is coming after him—that is, in the Christ—Jesus”;
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and they, having heard, were immersed into the Name of the Lord Jesus,
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and Paul having laid [his] hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, they were also speaking with tongues, and prophesying,
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and all the men were, as it were, twelve.
Paul Ministers in Ephesus
(Ephesians 1:1–2; Revelation 2:1–7)
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And having gone into the synagogue, he was speaking boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom of God,
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and when certain were hardened and were disbelieving, speaking evil of The Way before the multitude, having departed from them, he separated the disciples, reasoning every day in the school of a certain Tyrannus.
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And this happened for two years so that all those dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks,
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also mighty works—not common—God was working through the hands of Paul,
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so that even to the ailing were brought from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them; the evil spirits also went forth from them.
Seven Sons of Sceva
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And certain of the wandering exorcist Jews, took on [them] to name over those having the evil spirits the Name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches”;
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and there were certain—seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest—who are doing this thing;
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and the evil spirit, answering, said, “I know Jesus, and I am acquainted with Paul; and you—who are you?”
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And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaping on them, and having overcome them, prevailed against them, so that they fled naked and wounded out of that house,
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and this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who are dwelling at Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified;
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many also of those who believed were coming, confessing and declaring their acts,
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and many of those who had practiced the superfluous arts, having brought the scrolls together, were burning [them] before all; and they reckoned together the prices of them, and found [it] fifty thousand pieces of silver,
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so powerfully was the word of God increasing and prevailing.
The Riot in Ephesus
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And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in the Spirit, having gone through Macedonia and Achaia, to go on to Jerusalem, saying, “After my being there, it is also necessary for me to see Rome”;
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and having sent to Macedonia two of those ministering to him—Timotheus and Erastus—he himself stayed a time in Asia.
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And there came, at that time, not a little stir about The Way,
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for a certain one, Demetrius by name, a worker in silver, making silver sanctuaries of Artemis, was bringing to the craftsmen not a little gain,
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whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who worked around such things, he said, “Men, you know that by this work we have our wealth;
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and you see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, turned away a great multitude, saying that they who are made by hands are not gods;
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and not only is this department in danger for us of coming into disregard, but also, that of the great goddess Artemis, the temple is to be reckoned for nothing, and also her greatness is about to be brought down, whom all Asia and the world worships.”
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And having heard, and having become full of wrath, they were crying out, saying, “Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!”
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And the whole city was filled with confusion; they rushed also with one accord into the theater, having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s fellow-travelers.
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And on Paul’s resolving to enter in to the populace, the disciples were not permitting him,
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and also some of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, having sent to him, were pleading [with] him not to venture into the theater himself.
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Some indeed, therefore, were calling out one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they had come together;
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and out of the multitude they put forward Alexander—the Jews thrusting him forward—and Alexander having beckoned with the hand, wished to make defense to the populace,
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and having known that he is a Jew, one voice came out of all, for about two hours, crying, “Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!”
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And the public clerk having quieted the multitude, says, “Men, Ephesians, why, who is the man that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of that which fell down from Zeus?
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These things, then, being undeniable, it is necessary for you to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
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For you brought these men, who are neither temple-robbers nor slandering of your goddess;
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if indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a matter with anyone, court [days] are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.
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And if you seek after anything concerning other matters, it will be determined in the legal assembly;
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for we are also in peril of being accused of insurrection in regard to this day, there being no occasion by which we will be able to give an account of this concourse”;
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and having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
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