Acts 19

1

(Acts 10:44–48)

WhileG1722 ApollosG625 wasG1510 atG1722 CorinthG2882, PaulG3972 passed throughG1330 theG3588 interiorG510G33131 and cameG2064 toG1519 EphesusG2181. There he foundG2147 someG5100 disciplesG3101 2andG5037 askedG2036 themG846, “Did you receiveG1487G2983 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 when you became believersG4100?”

“NoG235,” they answered, “we have not even heardG3761G191 thatG1487 there isG1510 a HolyG40 SpiritG4151.”

3“IntoG1519 whatG5101, thenG3767, were you baptizedG907?” Paul askedG2036.

“TheG3588 baptismG908 of JohnG2491,” they repliedG2036.

4

PaulG3972 explainedG2036: “John’sG2491 baptism wasG907 a baptismG908 of repentanceG3341. He toldG3004 theG3588 peopleG2992 toG2443 believeG4100 inG1519 theG3588 One comingG2064 afterG3326 himG846, thatG3778 isG1510, inG1519 JesusG2424.”

5

On hearing thisG191, they were baptizedG907 intoG1519 theG3588 nameG3686 of theG3588 LordG2962 JesusG2424. 6AndG2532 when PaulG3972 laidG2007 his handsG5495 on themG846, theG3588 HolyG40 SpiritG4151 cameG2064 uponG1909 themG846, andG5037 they spokeG2980 in tonguesG1100 andG2532 prophesiedG4395. 7There wereG1510 aboutG5616 twelveG1427 menG435 in allG3956.

Paul Ministers in Ephesus

(Ephesians 1:1–2; Revelation 2:1–7)

8ThenG1161 Paul wentG1525 intoG1519 theG3588 synagogueG4864 and spoke boldlyG3955 there forG1909 threeG5140 monthsG3376, arguingG1256 persuasivelyG3982 aboutG4012 theG3588 kingdomG932 of GodG2316. 9ButG1161 whenG5613 some of themG5100 stubbornlyG4645 refused to believeG544 and publiclyG1799G3588G4128 malignedG2551 theG3588 WayG3598, Paul tookG873 his disciplesG3101 and leftG868G575 the synagogue to conduct daily discussionsG1256G2596G2250 inG1722 theG3588 lecture hallG4981 of TyrannusG5181. 10ThisG3778 continuedG1096 forG1909 twoG1417 yearsG2094, so thatG5620 everyoneG3956 whoG3588 livedG2730 inG3588 the province of AsiaG773,2 JewsG2453 andG2532 GreeksG1672 alikeG5037, heardG191 theG3588 wordG3056 of theG3588 LordG2962.

11

GodG2316 didG4160 extraordinaryG3756G3588G5177 miraclesG1411 throughG1223 theG3588 handsG5495 of PaulG3972, 12so thatG5620 evenG2532 handkerchiefsG46763 andG2228 apronsG4612 that had touched himG575G846G3588G5559 were takenG667 toG1909 theG3588 sickG770, andG2532 theG3588 diseasesG3554 andG5037 evilG4190 spiritsG4151 leftG1607G575 themG846.

Seven Sons of Sceva

13NowG1161 there were someG5100 itinerantG4022 JewishG2453 exorcistsG1845 who triedG2021 to invokeG3687 theG3588 nameG3686 of theG3588 LordG2962 JesusG2424 overG1909 thoseG3588 withG2192 evilG4190 spiritsG4151. They would sayG3004, “I commandG3726 youG4771 by JesusG2424, whomG3739 PaulG3972 proclaimsG2784.” 14SevenG2033 sonsG5207 of ScevaG5100G4630, a JewishG2453 chief priestG749, wereG1510 doingG4160 thisG3778.

15ButG1161 one day theG3588 evilG4190 spiritG4151 respondedG611G2036G846, “JesusG2424 I knowG1097, andG2532 I know aboutG1987 PaulG3972, butG1161 whoG5101 areG1510 youG4771?” 16ThenG2532 theG3588 manG444 withG3739G1510 theG3588 evilG4190 spiritG4151 jumpedG2177 onG1909 themG846 and overpoweredG2634 them allG297. The attackG2480G2596G846 was so violentG5620 that they ranG1628 out ofG1537 theG3588 houseG3624 nakedG1131 andG2532 woundedG5135.

17

ThisG3778 becameG1096 knownG1110 to allG3956 theG3588 JewsG2453 andG2532 GreeksG1672 livingG2730 in EphesusG2181, andG2532 fearG5401 cameG1968 overG1909 allG3956 of themG846. So theG3588 nameG3686 of theG3588 LordG2962 JesusG2424 was held in high honorG3170. 18ManyG4183 whoG3588 had believedG4100 nowG5037 came forwardG2064, confessingG1843 andG2532 disclosingG312 theirG846 deedsG4234. 19AndG1161 a numberG2425 of those whoG3588 had practicedG4238 magic artsG4021 broughtG4851 their booksG976 and burnedG2618 them in front ofG1799 everyoneG3956. When theG3588 valueG5092 ofG846 the books was calculatedG4860, the total came to fifty thousandG4002G3461 drachmasG694.4 20SoG3779 theG3588 wordG3056 of theG3588 LordG2962 powerfullyG2596G2904 continued to spreadG837 andG2532 prevailG2480.

21

The Riot in Ephesus

AfterG5613 these thingsG3778 had happenedG4137, PaulG3972 resolvedG5087 inG1722 theG3588 SpiritG41515 to goG4198 toG1519 JerusalemG2414, passing throughG1330 MacedoniaG3109 andG2532 AchaiaG882. “AfterG3326 IG1473 have beenG1096 thereG1563,” he saidG2036, “IG1473 mustG1163 seeG3708 RomeG4516 as wellG2532.” 22He sentG649 twoG1417 ofG3588 hisG846 helpersG1247, TimothyG5095 andG2532 ErastusG2037, toG1519 MacedoniaG3109, while heG846 stayedG1907 for a timeG5550 inG1519 the province of AsiaG773.

23

AboutG2596 thatG1565 timeG2540 there aroseG1096 a greatG3756G3641 disturbanceG50176 aboutG4012 theG3588 WayG3598. 24It began with aG5100 silversmithG695 namedG3686 DemetriusG1216 who madeG4160 silverG693 shrinesG3485 of ArtemisG735, bringingG3930 muchG3756G3641 businessG20397 to theG3588 craftsmenG5079.

25Demetrius assembledG3739G4867 the craftsmen, along withG2532 theG3588 workmenG2040 inG4012 relatedG3588 tradesG5108. “MenG435,” he saidG2036, “you knowG1987 thatG3754 thisG3778 businessG2039 isG1510 ourG1473 source of prosperityG2142. 26AndG2532 you can seeG2334 andG2532 hearG191 thatG3754 notG3756 onlyG3440 in EphesusG2181, but inG235 nearlyG4975 the wholeG3956 province of AsiaG773, thisG3778 PaulG3972 has persuadedG3982 a great numberG2425 of peopleG3793 to turn awayG3179. He saysG3004 thatG3754 man-madeG1096G1223G5495 gods areG1510 noG3756 godsG2316 at all. 27There is dangerG2793 notG3756 onlyG3440 that ourG1473 businessG3313 will fallG2064 intoG1519 disreputeG557, butG235 alsoG2532 that theG3588 templeG2411 of theG3588 greatG3173 goddessG2299 ArtemisG735 will be discreditedG3049G1519G3762 andG5037 herG846 majestyG3168 deposedG2507—she whoG3739 is worshipedG4576 by allG3650 the province of AsiaG773 andG2532 theG3588 whole worldG3625.”

28When the men heardG191 this, they wereG1096 enragedG4134G2372 and began shoutingG2896G3004, “GreatG3173 is ArtemisG735 of the EphesiansG2180!” 29Soon theG3588 wholeG3588 cityG4172 was in disarrayG4130G4799. They rushedG3729 togetherG3661 intoG1519 theG3588 theatreG2302, dragging withG4884 them GaiusG1050 andG2532 AristarchusG708, Paul’sG3972 traveling companionsG4898 from MacedoniaG3110.

30

PaulG3972 wantedG1014 to go beforeG1525G1519 theG3588 assemblyG1218, but theG3588 disciplesG3101 would not allowG3756G1439 himG846. 31EvenG2532 someG5100 ofG3588 Paul’s friendsG5384 who wereG1510 officials of the province of AsiaG7758 sent wordG3992 to himG4314, beggingG3870 himG846 notG3361 to ventureG1325 intoG1519 theG3588 theatreG2302.

32MeanwhileG3767G3303G1063 theG3588 assemblyG1577 wasG1510 in turmoilG4797. SomeG243 were shoutingG2896 one thingG5100 and some another, andG2532 mostG4119 of them did not even knowG3756G1492 whyG5101G1752 they were thereG4905. 33TheG3588 JewsG2453 inG1537 theG3588 crowdG3793 pushedG4261 AlexanderG223 forward to explain himselfG4822, andG1161 he motioned for silenceG2678G3588G5495 so heG2309 could make his defenseG626 to theG3588 peopleG1218. 34ButG1161 when they realizedG1921 thatG3754 he wasG1510 a JewG2453, they all shouted in unisonG5456G1096G1520G1537G3956 forG1909 aboutG5613 twoG1417 hoursG5610: “GreatG3173 is ArtemisG735 of the EphesiansG2180!”

35FinallyG1161 theG3588 city clerkG1122 quietedG2687 theG3588 crowdG3793 and declaredG5346, “MenG435 of EphesusG2180, doesn’tG3756G1510 everyone knowG1097 thatG5101 theG3588 cityG4172 of EphesusG2180 isG1510 guardian of the templeG3511 of theG3588 greatG3173 ArtemisG735 andG2532 ofG3588 her image, which fell from heavenG1356? 36SinceG3767 these thingsG3778 areG1510 undeniableG368, youG4771 oughtG1510G1163 to beG5225 calmG2687 andG2532 not do anythingG3367G4238 rashG4312. 37ForG1063 you have broughtG71 theseG3778 men hereG435, though they have neitherG3777 robbed our templeG2417 norG3777 blasphemedG987 ourG1473 goddessG2316.

38SoG3767 ifG1487 DemetriusG1216 andG2532 his fellowG3588G4862G846 craftsmenG5079 haveG2192 a complaintG3056 againstG4314 anyoneG5100, the courtsG60 are openG71 andG2532 proconsulsG446 are availableG1510. Let them bring charges againstG1458 one anotherG240 there. 39ButG1161 ifG1487 you are seekingG1934 anythingG5100 beyond thisG4008, it must be settledG1956 inG1722 aG3588 legalG1772 assemblyG1577. 40ForG2532 we are in jeopardy ofG1063G2793 being chargedG1458 with riotingG4714 forG4012 today’sG4594 events, and we haveG5225G3739G3756G1410G591 noG3367 justificationG159G4012 to accountG3056 forG4012 thisG3778 commotionG4963.”

41After he had saidG2036 this, he dismissedG630 theG3588 assemblyG1577.