Frameworks:
Acts 19:
Ongoing teaching in Ephesus and a riot
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. )
v.1-7
In Ephesus Paul imparts the Holy Spirit to the believers
v.8-12
Paul's Ministry in Ephesus
v.13-16
Some in rogue deliverance ministry are beaten
v.17-20
Fear causes repentance
v.21,22
Paul gets ready to move on
v.23-29
Demetrius stirs up a Riot
v.30-34
Paul is stopped appearing
v.35-41
The City Clerk calms the situation
v.1-7
In Ephesus Paul imparts the Holy Spirit to the believers
v.1,2
While
Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior
and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They
answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
v.3
So
Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John's
baptism,” they replied.
v.4
Paul
said, “John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the
people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
v.5
On
hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
v.6
When
Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and
they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
v.7
There
were about twelve men in all.
[Passage
Synopsis: Paul
moves on to Ephesus and finds the Spirit has not yet been poured
out on the believers there so he lays hands on them and the Spirit
fills them and releases tongues and prophecy.]
v.8-12
Paul's Ministry in Ephesus
v.8
Paul
entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months,
arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
v.9
But
some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly
maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with
him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
v.10
This
went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived
in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
v.11,12
God
did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs
and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their
illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
[Passage
Synopsis: For
three months [!] he argues in the synagogue until eventually some
of the Jews react against him and so he took the disciples to
a nearby hall and continued with them daily. This continues for
two whole years [!!] and the Lord ratified his ministry with signs
and wonders and healings sand deliverances.]
v.13-16
Some in rogue deliverance ministry are beaten
v.13
Some
Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke
the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed.
They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches,
I command you to come out.”
v.14
Seven
sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
v.15
One
day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know
about, but who are you?”
v.16
Then
the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered
them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the
house naked and bleeding.
[Passage
Synopsis: Some
Jews – sons of the chief priest – were attempting deliverance
ministry but without God's authority and power (i.e. copycat ministry)
and were beaten up by a demon possessed man.]
v.17-20
Fear causes repentance
v.17
When
this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they
were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was
held in high honour.
v.18
Many
of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they
had done.
v.19
A
number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together
and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the
scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
v.20
In
this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
[Passage
Synopsis: This
resulted in the fear of the Lord coming and many who had been
dabbling in the occult repenting and publicly burning their documents.
Thus the word of the Lord grew in power.]
v.21,22
Paul gets ready to move on
v.21
After
all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing
through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said,
“I must visit Rome also.”
v.22
He
sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while
he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
[Passage
Synopsis: Paul
starts sensing he should be moving on, going to Jerusalem and
eventually to Rome.]
v.23-29
Demetrius stirs up a Riot
v.23
About
that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
v.24
A
silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis,
brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.
v.25
He
called them together, along with the workers in related trades,
and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income
from this business.
v.26
And
you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray
large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the
whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands
are no gods at all.
v.27
There
is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but
also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited;
and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province
of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
v.28
When
they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great
is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
v.29
Soon
the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus,
Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed
into the theatre together.
[Passage
Synopsis: A
maker of idol shrines, seeing his business being depleted, stirred
all the craftsmen up against Paul and created a riot.]
v.30-34
Paul is stopped appearing
v.30
Paul
wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not
let him.
v.31
Even
some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him
a message begging him not to venture into the theatre.
v.32
The
assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some
another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.
v.33
The
Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted
instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make
a defence before the people.
v.34
But
when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for
about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
[Passage
Synopsis: Paul
wanted to step into this but the disciples stopped him and so
the uproar continued despite attempts to calm it.]
v.35-41
The City Clerk calms the situation
v.35
The
city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn't
all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of
the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from
heaven?
v.36
Therefore,
since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not
do anything rash.
v.37
You
have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples
nor blasphemed our goddess.
v.38
If,
then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against
anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can
press charges.
v.39
If
there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled
in a legal assembly.
v.40
As
it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because
of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account
for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”
v.41
After
he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
[Passage
Synopsis: The
city clerk steps in and with wise words dismisses the crowd.]
Continue
to chapter 20