Back to Ephesus

1Now it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus. Disciples of John And finding certain disciples

2he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “But we have not so much as heard that there is a Holy Spirit!”

3So he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John's baptism.” ⁴⁰⁷

4So Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe into the One who would come after him, that is, into Jesus, the Christ.” ⁴⁰⁸

5So upon hearing this they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

6And as Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came upon them, ⁴⁰⁹and they started speaking languages and prophesying.

7There were about twelve men in all.

The school of Tyrannus becomes the base

8During three months Paul kept going to the synagogue and speaking boldly, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the Kingdom of God.

9But when some became hardened and disobedient, maligning the Way before the crowd, he withdrew from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of a certain Tyrannus. ⁴¹⁰

10Now this continued for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the Word of the Lord Jesus. ⁴¹¹

11Further, God kept working unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that he touched were applied to the sick, and the diseases left them and the wicked spirits went out from them. ⁴¹²

Some fake exorcists

13Well some among the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had wicked spirits saying, “We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

14In fact there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who were doing this.

15But a particular wicked spirit reacted and said, “Jesus I know, and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”

16And the man in whom the wicked spirit was jumped on them and overpowered them; he was so much stronger that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

17Now this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was being exalted.

18And many of those who had believed started coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.

19In fact, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them up, in front of everybody ⁴¹³(they had calculated their value and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver).

20With power like that it was that the word of the Lord kept growing and prevailing.

21Now after these things were accomplished, Paul resolved in his spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ⁴¹⁴

22So he sent two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, on to Macedonia, while he himself stayed on in Asia for a time.

Demetrius

23Now it was during that time that a serious disturbance concerning the Way occurred.

24A certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, habitually brought in plenty of business for the artisans;

25he called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know that our prosperity depends on this trade.

26And you observe and hear that not only in Ephesus but throughout almost all Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that handmade things are not gods.

27So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, ⁴¹⁵but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be discredited, and even her own majesty be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

28Now upon hearing this they were filled with anger and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

29So the whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed into the theater with one accord (they had seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's traveling companions).

30When Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not let him.

31Even some of the officials of Asia, being his friends, sent word to him and urged him not to venture into the theater. ⁴¹⁶

32The assembly was in confusion: some were shouting one thing and some another; most of them did not know why they had come together.

33Then the Jews pushed Alexander forward, ⁴¹⁷out from the crowd. So Alexander motioned with his hand and would have made a defense to the people.

34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, ⁴¹⁸“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35When the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Artemis and of what fell from Zeus? ⁴¹⁹

36Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash.

37You have arrested these men who are neither temple thieves nor blasphemers of your goddess.

38Now if Demetrius and his fellow artisans have a complaint against anyone, courts are available, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another.

39But if you want to debate any other matter, it will be settled in the legal assembly.

40Indeed, we are in danger of being charged with a riot, because of today, there being no reason at all that we can give to account for this commotion.”

41And having said these things he dismissed the assembly.