Acts:19

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* And it happened , while Apollos was at Corinth , that Paul , having passed through the upper regions , came to Ephesus . And finding some disciples * he said to them , "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed ?" So they said to him , "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit ." * And he said to them , "Into what then were you baptized ?" So they said , "Into John 's baptism ." * Then Paul said , "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance , saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him , that is , on Christ Jesus ." * When they heard this , they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus . * And when Paul had laid hands on them , the Holy Spirit came upon them , and they spoke with tongues and prophesied . * Now the men were about twelve in all . * And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months , reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God . * But when some were hardened and did not believe , but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude , he departed from them and withdrew the disciples , reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus . * And this continued for two years , so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus , both Jews and Greeks . * Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul , * so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick , and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them . * Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits , saying , "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches ." * Also there were seven sons of Sceva , a Jewish chief priest , who did so . * And the evil spirit answered and said , "Jesus I know , and Paul I know ; but who are you ?" * Then 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 . * This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus ; and fear fell on them all , and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified . * And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds . * Also , many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all . And they counted up the value of them , and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver . * So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed . * When these things were accomplished , Paul purposed 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 ." * So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him , Timothy and Erastus , but he himself stayed in Asia for a time . * And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way . * For a certain man named Demetrius , a silversmith , who made silver shrines of Diana , brought no small profit to the craftsmen . * He called them together with the workers of similar occupation , and said : "Men , you know that we have our prosperity by this trade . * Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus , but throughout almost all Asia , this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people , saying that they are not gods which are made with hands . * So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute , but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed , whom all Asia and the world worship ." * Now when they heard this , they were full of wrath and cried out , saying , "Great is Diana of the Ephesians !" * So the whole city was filled with confusion , and rushed into the theater with one accord , having seized Gaius and Aristarchus , Macedonians , Paul 's travel companions . * And when Paul wanted to go in to the people , the disciples would not allow him . * Then some of the officials of Asia , who were his friends , sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater . * Some therefore cried one thing and some another , for the assembly was confused , and most of them did not know why they had come together . * And they drew Alexander out of the multitude , the Jews putting him forward . And Alexander motioned with his hand , and wanted to make his defense to the people . * But when they found out that he was a Jew , all with one voice cried out for about two hours , "Great is Diana of the Ephesians !" * And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd , he said : "Men of Ephesus , what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana , and of the image which fell down from Zeus ? * Therefore , since these things cannot be denied , you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly . * For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess . * Therefore , if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone , the courts are open and there are proconsuls . Let them bring charges against one another . * But if you have any other inquiry to make , it shall be determined in the lawful assembly . * For we are in danger of being called in question for today 's uproar , there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering ." * And when he had said these things , he dismissed the assembly .

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