Acts:19

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* Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth , Paul , after passing through the hinterland , came to Ephesus , where he found a few disciples . * "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed ?" he asked them . "No " said they , "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit ." * "Into what , then , were you baptized ?" he asked . And they said , "Into the baptism of John ." * "John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance ," answered Paul , "telling the people to believe on One who was coming after him , namely , on Jesus ." * When they heard this they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus ; * and after Paul had laid his hands on them , the Holy Spirit came upon them , and they began to speak with tongues , and to prophesy . * They were in all about twelve men . * Then Paul went into the synagogue , and there continued to preach fearlessly for about three months , reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God . * But when some grew hardened and disobedient , and spoke evil of the Way before the crowd , he left them , withdrew the disciples , and continued to hold discussions daily in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus . * This went on for two years , so that all the inhabitants of Asia heard the Lords message , Jews as well as Greeks . * God also wrought extraordinary miracles by the hand of Paul ; * so much so , that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick ; and their diseases departed from them , and the evil spirits went out . * But there were also some strolling Jewish exorcists , who took it upon them to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had evil spirits , saying , "I adjure you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches ." * There were seven sons of one Sceva , a Jewish high priest who used to do this . * But the evil spirit answered , "Jesus I know , and Paul I have heard of , but who are you ?" * And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them , overpowered them and prevailed against them , so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded . * And this became known to all the people of Ephesus , both Jews and Greeks . Awe fell on them all , and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in honor . * Many also of those who became believers used to come to confess and to declare their deeds . * And some of them who had practised magic arts , collected their books , and burned them in the presence of all . And they counted the price of them , and found it to be fifty thousand silver coins . * So mightily the word of the Lord continued to grow and to prevail . * Now after these things were ended , Paul resolved in his spirit to travel through Macedonia and Achaia on his way to Jerusalem . "After I get there ," he said , "I must see Rome , too ." * So he sent two of his assistants , Timothy and Erastus , into Macedonia , while he himself kept back for a time on his way into Asia . * Now just at this time , there arose no small commotion concerning the Way . * There was a man named Demetrius , a silversmith , who made silver shrines of Diana , and brought rich profit to his workmen . * He gathered them together with others of like occupation , and said . "Men , you know that by this business we make our money . * "And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus , but almost throughout all of Asia , this fellow Paul has persuaded and turned away many people , by telling them that they are no gods at all who are made with hands . * "So there is danger not only that our trade come into disrepute , but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be brought into disrepute , and that she herself may even be deposed from her magnificence , she whom all Asia and the world now worships ." * After listening to this they were filled with rage , and cried out again and again , saying , * The city was filled with commotion . They rushed like one man into the theater , dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus , Macedonians , Pauls companions in travel . * When Paul wanted to go in to the people , the disciples would not let him , * and some of the Asiarchs , too , who were his friends , sent word to him repeatedly , entreating him not to venture into the theater . * Now some were shouting one thing , some another , for the assembly was in an uproar , and the majority had no idea why they were come together . * And they brought Alexander out of the crowd , whom the Jews had pushed forward . And Alexander , motioning with his hand , would have made a defense to the people , * but when they saw that he was a Jew they all , with one voice , for about two hours , shouted , * At length the recorder got them quiet . "Men of Ephesus ," he said , "who here does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple - guardian of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter ? * "Since these facts cannot be gainsaid , you ought to be calm and do nothing reckless . * "For you have brought these men here , who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess . * If then Demetrius and his craftsmen have a grievance against any one , the courts are open and there are the proconsuls ; let them accuse one another . * But if you desire anything further , it must be settled in the regular assembly . * For indeed we are in danger of being accused in regard to this days riot , since there is no cause for it , nor shall we be able to give account for this disorderly gathering ." * With these words he dismissed the assembly .

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