Acts 19:1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 He said, “Into what then were you baptized?”
They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. 7 They were about twelve men in all. 8 He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.
Arriving back in Ephesus, Paul met twelve men who had been baptized years earlier by John the Baptist. They had a solid foundation but, like Apollos, had not heard the Gospel of Christ. Upon hearing the rest of the story about Christ these men were eager to become believers. They were baptized and received the Holy Spirit.
During his first stop in Ephesus, Paul was well received at the synagogue, however, his stay was short because he had a ship to board. Having arrived back in Ephesus, Paul, again, went to the synagogue. This time he spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom. But after three months those opposed to Paul banded together to oppose his teaching.
Acts 19:9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them…
Though they were Jews they were described as disobedient to God’s Word. They had hardened their hearts to the truth. As Christ had warned the Pharisees, The Scriptures testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5:39-40
After leaving the synagogue Paul and his disciples went across town to the secular lecture hall of Tyrannus, where Paul taught for two years.
Acts 19:9…and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
As a result the Gospel message of the forgiveness of sins and assurance of eternal life was heard by all who lived in Asia. In addition to preaching the Word of truth, the Spirit enabled Paul to heal the sick and cast out demons.
Acts 19:11 God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out. 13 But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15 The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” 16 The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds. 19 Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.
Just like Simon the magician tried to buy the power of God from Peter, Acts 8:9-21, so that he could astonish the crowds with miracles like Peter did, the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, tried to cast out evil spirits just like they had witnessed Paul doing. Of course their counterfeit scheme to gain the admiration of the crowd backfired because they were imposters. They were not believers. They did not have the in-dwelling power of Holy Spirit. As a result the evil spirits mocked them, stripped them of their clothes, and beat them up.
God used the presumptive sin of these men to bring glory to His name. Seeing the evil spirits forcefully overcome the sons of the high priest, fear fell on the residents of Ephesus and the name of the Lord was magnified… Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted their price, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.
When you consider that a piece of silver is a day’s wages, fifty thousand pieces of silver equals over 150 years worth of wages. With people becoming believers and destroying their idols and sorcery books, it is easy to guess Satan and his followers were not happy. Trouble was brewing for the dragon’s kingdom of death.
Acts 19:21 Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
After these events the Spirit instructed Paul to travel to Jerusalem by way of Macedonia. In preparation for the trip Paul sent Timothy and Erastus ahead of him. However, before Paul could set out on the journey the merchants and artisans who made their living off of merchandising sorcery and idols had lost so much business as a result of the growing Ephesian Christian community that they formed a mob and were out for Christian blood.
Acts 19:22 Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 23 About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business to the craftsmen, 25 whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth. 26 You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands. 27 Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be counted as nothing and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.”
28 When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” 29 The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel. 30 When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him. 31 Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater. 32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together. 33 They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people. 34 But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”
35 When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? 36 Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning today’s riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion.” 41 When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Ephesus was the home of the temple to Diana, one of the wonders of the ancient world. Demetrius, a silversmith, who made his living selling idols, saw the writing on the wall. Business was slacking off because people who had become Christians were no longer making pilgrimages or buying idols in the worship of Diana. These deplorable Christians and their nonsense about a man who defeated death in his resurrection, had to be silenced.
Two of Paul’s companions were sized and hauled off into the arena. Paul wanted to rush in to defend Gaius and Aristarchus but was prevented from doing so by his friends. Instead the level headed Town Clerk prevailed, warning Demetrius and his mob that if they did things his way they could face retribution for a riot from the Roman Legions. Iron fisted Rome would not tolerate riots or unruly crowds condemning citizens to death. The Clerk suggested instead that they take the matter before the civil courts.
Many years later, perhaps reflecting on the actions of the Clerk, Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy:
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Because of the actions of the Clerk, the Christians in Ephesus were able to live in peace with their unbelieving neighbors. Paul advised that all Christians should pray for the civil leaders, regardless of their politics so that Christians might live in peace as they go about their daily lives and spread the Gospel.
List the civil authorities we should be praying for on a daily basis.
Acts 20:1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those parts, and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece. 3 When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. 4 These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea; Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; Gaius of Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.
As Paul headed toward Jerusalem he continued to stop and visit Churches that he had established as well as taking the time to preach the Gospel. We also see that Paul was accompanied by an increasingly large number of disciples; men who were willing to leave behind homes and careers for the sake of serving in Christ’s Kingdom.
Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and continued his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead. 10 Paul went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.”
11 When he had gone up, and had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed. 12 They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.
Here Luke gives us a little glimpse of a worship service. The believers gathered on Sunday, the first day of the week, and shared a communion meal. Afterward Paul preached a sermon. As he preached into the night Luke tells us that a young man named Eutychus was the first person known to have fallen asleep in Church. Unfortunately Eutychus fell asleep as he sat on the windowsill. He fell three stories down to his death. In what must have been astounding to Doctor Luke, Paul interrupted his sermon and raised the boy to life.
Next, Paul determined to journey to Jerusalem again, intending to arrive in time to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, which Luke had explained, had been fulfilled in the giving of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2 But before leaving the area, while he was in Miletus, Paul sent word for the elders of Ephesus to come and meet with him one final time. Apparently, Paul felt it best that he not personally go to Ephesus given the uproar caused by the mob that opposed him there.
Acts 20:13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard, and came to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Paul had been spending a lot of time visiting Churches that he had established all across the Empire. Notice two things here, first Christianity was spreading like wildfire everywhere. Wherever Paul and his missionary team went people became believers and Churches were established. But second, as Paul visited the Churches he witnessed a disturbing trend. False teachers were beginning to infiltrate the Church spreading destructive teachings. Because of this Paul set up a meeting with the elders at Ephesus before he left for Jerusalem.
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