Acts 19

1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way through the inland regions and came down to Ephesus. There he came upon some disciples 2and asked them, “When you came to believe, did you receive the Holy Spirit?” They told him, “No. We never even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3Paul asked, “Then into what were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they answered. 4Paul said, “The baptism John performed marked people’s repentance, and he told the people to believe in the one who would come after him, namely Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6Then as Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them. They began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7In all, the men numbered about twelve.

8Paul went into the synagogue, and for three months he spoke there without fear, debating and trying to win people over about the kingdom of God. 9Some, though, hardened themselves and refused to be persuaded, and they spoke against the Way in front of the gathering. Paul then withdrew from them, taking the disciples apart with him, and each day he held discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This carried on for two years, with the result that all the people of the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.

11God worked miracles of no common kind through Paul’s hands, 12so that people would even take cloths and work aprons that had touched his skin to those who were ill. Their sicknesses left them, and the evil spirits came out. 13There were also some Jewish exorcists who traveled from town to town, and they tried calling on the name of the Lord Jesus over people who had evil spirits. “I charge you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches,” they would say. 14A Jewish high priest named Sceva had seven sons who were doing this. 15The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I am acquainted with Paul. But you, who are you?” 16Then the man who had the evil spirit threw himself on them. He mastered every one of them and was too strong for them, so that they fled from that house stripped of their clothes and covered with wounds. 17Everyone in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, came to hear of this. Fear took hold of them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was more and more honored. 18Many who had believed began coming forward to confess and to disclose their practices. 19A good number of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them where everyone could see. When the value of the books was added up, it came to 50,000 silver coins. 20So with great power the word of the Lord kept growing and gaining strength.

21After these events, Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go on to Jerusalem. “Once I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.” 22Paul sent Timothy and Erastus, two of the men who assisted him, on to Macedonia, but he remained in the province of Asia for some time longer.

23Around that time a serious uproar broke out over the Way. 24There was a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, and he provided plenty of work for the craftsmen. 25He gathered them, and the workers in trades like theirs, and told them, “Men, you know well that our wealth comes from this work. 26You also see and hear what this Paul is doing. Not only in Ephesus, but across nearly the whole of Asia, he has won over a large crowd and drawn them away by telling them that anything made with hands is no god. 27It is not only that our trade risks being despised. The temple of the great goddess Artemis may come to count for nothing, and she, the goddess whom all Asia and the whole world worship, may soon be pulled down from her greatness.”

28On hearing this they flew into a rage, and they kept shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29Confusion spread through the city, and with one impulse the people stormed into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who traveled with Paul. 30Paul was ready to go in and face the assembled people, but the disciples kept him from doing so. 31Some of the Asiarchs, too, who were his friends, sent word to him and pleaded with him not to put himself at risk in the theater. 32Meanwhile people shouted all kinds of things, some one thing and some another. The assembly was in chaos, and most of them had no idea what had brought them there. 33Some of the crowd told Alexander what to say, since the Jews had pushed him forward, and Alexander signaled with his hand, intending to speak in his own defense to the people. 34But as soon as they realized he was a Jew, they all joined in one shout, and for about two hours they cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35The town clerk managed to quiet the crowd and said, “People of Ephesus, is there anyone at all who does not know that this city of the Ephesians has been entrusted with the temple of the great Artemis and with the image that fell from heaven? 36No one can dispute these facts, so you ought to keep calm and not do anything reckless. 37These men you have dragged here are not temple robbers, and they have not insulted our goddess. 38So if Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a case against anyone, there are court days and there are proconsuls; let the parties bring their charges against each other there. 39Any further matter you raise will be dealt with in the lawful assembly. 40Indeed, today’s events put us in danger of being accused of rebellion. There is no cause we could point to, nothing we could say to explain this disorderly gathering.” With these words he sent the assembly away.