Acts 19
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul [left the places in Phrygia and Galatia] provinces where he had been visiting, and traveled through [Asia province] back to Ephesus. He met some people [who said that they] were believers.
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he came across some disciples.
2 He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [God’s message]?” They answered, “No, we [(exc) did not]. We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “So when you were baptized, what [were you showing]?” They replied, “[We were showing] that we [(exc)] believed what John [the Baptizer] taught.”
So Paul said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John baptized people who turned away from their sinful behavior. He [also] told the people to believe in the one who would come after he [had come], and that was Jesus.”
Then Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.”
5 So, when those men heard that, they were baptized [to affirm that they believed] [MTY] in the Lord Jesus.
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 After that, Paul placed his hands on their heads [one by one], and the [power of the] Holy Spirit came upon [each of] them. The [Holy Spirit] enabled them to speak in various languages [MTY] [that they had not learned], and they also spoke messages [that the Holy Spirit] revealed to them.
And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
7 There were about twelve men [whom Paul baptized and who received the power of the Holy Spirit].
There were about twelve men in all.
8 For three months after that, Paul entered the Jewish meeting place [in Ephesus on each] Sabbath/Jewish day of rest, and he spoke boldly. He convincingly taught [the people] about how God wanted to rule [MET] [their lives].
Over a period of three months Paul would go into the synagogue and speak boldly, reasoning and persuading the people about the kingdom of God.
9 [A few of the people in the meeting house believed the message about Jesus]. But some of the people would not believe that message and did not want to [continue to] hear it. While many people were listening, they said many bad things about the way [for people to receive eternal life about which Paul was preaching]. So Paul left them and took the believers with him [to meet in another place]. He taught every day in a lecture hall [that a man whose name was] Tyrannus [lectured in/owned].
But some became hardened and refused to believe, speaking evil of the Way in front of the congregation. So Paul left them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the lecture hall of a man named Tyrannus.
10 For two years Paul continued to teach people in that building. In this way, most of [HYP] the Jews and non-Jews who lived in Asia [province] heard the message about the Lord [Jesus].
This continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord Jesus.
11 Also, God gave Paul the power [MTY] to do amazing miracles.
Now God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 [If those who were sick could not come to Paul, handkerchiefs or aprons that Paul had touched would be taken and] placed on the sick people {[others] would take [and place on] the sick people handkerchiefs or aprons that Paul had touched}. As a result, those sick people would become well, and evil spirits that troubled people would leave.
so that even cloths or aprons that had touched his skin were placed upon the sick, and their diseases left them, and evil spirits came out of them.
13 There were also some Jews who traveled around [to] various places, [and] they commanded the evil spirits in those places to depart [from people. Certain ones of those Jews once] tried to command the evil spirits to come out of people by saying “I command you by the authority [MTY] of the Lord Jesus, the man about whom Paul preaches, to come out!”
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits. They would say, “We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
14 There were seven men who were doing that. They were sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew, [who called himself] a chief priest.
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.
15 But [one day as they were doing that], the evil spirit [refused to come out of that person. Instead, he] said to them, “I know Jesus, and I know [that he has authorized] Paul [to expel demons]. (But no one has authorized you [to do anything to me!]/who authorized you [to do anything to me]?) [RHQ]”
But one day an evil spirit responded, “I know Jesus, and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”
16 [After saying that, suddenly] the man who was controlled by the evil spirit jumped on the seven Jewish men, [one after another], knocked all of them down, and beat each of them severely. He tore off their clothes and wounded them, causing them to bleed. So, [greatly frightened, they all] ran out of the house.
Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled from the house naked and wounded.
17 All the people who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and non-Jews, heard what had happened. So they were afraid [MTY]. They honored the Lord Jesus [MTY] [because they realized that he was very powerful].
When this became known to all the Jews and Greeks who dwelt in Ephesus, fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.
18 [At that time], while other believers were listening, many believers confessed the evil things that they had been doing.
Many who had become believers came forward, confessing and disclosing their practices,
19 Several of those who had [previously] practiced sorcery gathered up their scrolls [that told how to work] magic and burned them in a public place. When people added up how much those scrolls had cost, they realized that altogether the amount was 50,000 valuable silver coins.
while many who practiced magical arts brought their books together and began burning them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was added up, the total came to fifty thousand silver coins.
20 As a result, many more people heard [MTY] the message about the Lord [Jesus], and the message powerfully [changed their lives].
In this way the word of the Lord was increasing and prevailing mightily.
21 After those things had happened, Paul decided that he wanted to go to Jerusalem, but he decided that [first] he would visit [the believers in] Macedonia and Achaia [provinces again]. Paul said, “After I have been to Jerusalem, I must also go to Rome.”
After these things had taken place, Paul resolved in his spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go on to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must see Rome also.”
22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia. But Paul stayed a little longer [in Ephesus city], in Asia [province].
So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia for a period of time.
23 [Soon after that], some of the people there tried to make a lot of [LIT] trouble for the people who believed the way [God revealed for us(inc) to receive eternal life].
About that time a great disturbance arose concerning the Way.
24 There was a man there whose name was Demetrius who made little images out of silver. [They were models] of the temple of [a goddess whose name was] Artemis. Demetrius and the other men [who made those little images] earned a lot of [LIT] money [from selling those images].
For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a great deal of business to the craftsmen.
25 Demetrius called a meeting of his workmen and also of others who made the little silver images. He said to them, “Men, you know that we [(inc)] earn a lot of money doing our kind of work.
He gathered these men together, along with those who worked in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our wealth is derived from this business.
26 Also, you know that [this fellow] Paul has persuaded many people who live in Ephesus [to no longer buy the images that we make. Now even the people from] many other towns in our province [no longer want to buy what we make]. This fellow tells people that the gods that we have made [and worship] are not gods [and that we should not worship them].
You also see and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but in nearly all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable crowd, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.
27 [If people continue to listen to him], soon they will ruin our business. Besides, they will no longer think that they should [come to] the temple of Artemis [to worship her. People] all over our Asia [province] and everywhere [HYP] else worship [our great] goddess [Artemis. Soon people] may no longer consider that Artemis is great!”
Not only is there the danger that this trade of ours might come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis might be regarded as nothing, and that her magnificence might be brought down, whom all Asia and the world worship.”
28 All the men there were very angry [at Paul] when they heard what Demetrius said. They began to shout, “The goddess Artemis of us Ephesians is very great!”
When they heard this, they were filled with rage and began crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 Many of the other people in the city heard the shouting and went [and joined the crowd. They also became angry at Paul] and began shouting. [Several of] the people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, two men [from Macedonia] who had been traveling with Paul. [Then the whole crowd of people ran, dragging those men along with them], to the city stadium.
So the whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the amphitheater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions.
30 Paul also wanted to go [to the stadium and speak to] the people, but the other believers would not let him go there.
Although Paul wanted to go into the public assembly, the disciples would not let him.
31 Also, some government officials of that province who were friends of Paul [heard what was happening]. So they sent someone to tell him [urgently] not to go into the stadium.
Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were friends of Paul, sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the amphitheater.
32 The crowd of people [in the stadium] continued shouting. Some shouted one thing, and some shouted something else. But most of them did not even know what the meeting was about!
Now some were shouting one thing, and some were shouting another, for the assembly was confused, and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.
33 One of the [Jews there was named Alexander. Some of] the Jews pushed him to the front of the stadium, [so that he could speak to the crowd of people]. So Alexander motioned with his hands to the crowd, [wanting them to be quiet]. He wanted to tell them that [the Jews] were not responsible [for the riot].
So the Jews put forward Alexander, who was then brought before the crowd. Alexander motioned with his hand, wishing to make a defense to the public assembly.
34 But [many of the non-Jewish people] knew that Alexander was a Jew. [They also knew that the Jews did not worship the goddess Artemis. So the non-Jews there] unitedly [and] repeatedly shouted for about two hours, “Great is [the goddess] Artemis [whom we(inc)] Ephesians [worship]!”
But when they realized he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 Then the city secretary made the crowd stop shouting, and he said to them, “My fellow-citizens, everyone in the world knows [RHQ] that [we(inc) people who live in] Ephesus [city] guard the temple [where we worship] the great [goddess] Artemis. Also, [everyone knows that we(inc) watch over] the [sacred] image [of our goddess] that fell down from heaven!
When the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis and of the image that fell down from Zeus?
36 Of course everyone knows that, and no one can say that these things are not true. So you should be quiet now. Do not suddenly do anything (foolish/that will cause us trouble).
Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash.
37 You [should not] have brought these [two] men [here, because they have not done anything evil]. They have not gone into our temples and taken things [from there]. And they have not spoken evil of our goddess.
For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of your goddess.
38 Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow-workmen want to accuse anyone [about anything bad, they should do it in the right way]. There are courts [that you can go to when you want to accuse someone], and there are judges [there who have been appointed by the government] {[whom the government has appointed]}. You can accuse [anyone there].
So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another.
39 But if you want to ask about something else, [you should ask] for [other officials to] resolve it when [those] officials legally assemble.
But if you seek anything concerning other matters, it must be settled in the lawful assembly.
40 [And this is certainly not a legal meeting! Resolve this legally] because, if [we(inc) do] not, I am afraid [that the governor] will hear about all this noise [that you have made] and will say that we [(inc)] were trying to rebel [against the government]. If he would ask me what you were all shouting about, I would not be able to give him an answer.”
For we are in danger of being charged with rioting in connection with today's events, since there is no reason we can give to account for this disorderly gathering.”
41 That is what the city secretary said [to the crowd]. Then he told them all to go [home. So they left].
And after saying this, he dismissed the assembly.
