Acts:19

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* 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 , Since you believe , did you receive the Holy Spirit ? And they said to him , We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit . * So he said to them , Into what then were you immersed ? And they said , Into John ’s immersion . * Then Paul said , John indeed immersed with an immersion 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 immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus . * And when Paul had laid hands on them , the Holy Spirit came on 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 obey , but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude , he departed from them and separated the disciples , reasoning daily in the school of a certain 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 works of power through 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 from 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 command you by 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 am acquainted with ; but who are you ? * Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them , overpowered them and subdued them , so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded . * This became known to all , both 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 everyone . And they counted up the value of them , and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver . * So the Word of the Lord grew mightily and was powerful . * When these things were completed , 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 was no small disturbance about the Way ; * for a certain man named Demetrius , a silversmith , who made silver shrines of Artemis , brought no small profit to the craftsmen . * He assembled them with the workers of similar occupation , and said : Men , you know that we have our wealth 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 Artemis may be despised and her magnificence destroyed , whom all Asia and the world revere . * Now when they heard this , they were full of anger and cried out , saying , Great is Artemis 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 Artemis 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 Artemis , 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 a lawful assembly . * For we are in danger of being accused of insurrection concerning today , there being no reason which we may give to account for this riot . * And when he had said these things , he dismissed the assembly .

---