Acts 19

1verseWhile Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples.

2verseHe 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.”

3verseHe said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”

4versePaul 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 Christ Jesus.”

5verseWhen they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6verseWhen Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.

7verseThey were about twelve men in all.

8verseHe entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning God’s Kingdom.

9verseBut when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

10verseThis continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

11verseGod worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,

12verseso 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.

13verseBut 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.”

14verseThere were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.

15verseThe evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?”

16verseThe 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.

17verseThis 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.

18verseMany also of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds.

19verseMany 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.

20verseSo the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

21verseNow 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.”

22verseHaving sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

23verseAbout that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way.

24verseFor a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,

25versewhom he gathered together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.

26verseYou 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.

27verseNot only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing and her majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships.”

28verseWhen they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

29verseThe 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.

30verseWhen Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn’t allow him.

31verseCertain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.

32verseSome therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn’t know why they had come together.

33verseThey 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.

34verseBut when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35verseWhen 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 Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

36verseSeeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rash.

37verseFor you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.

38verseIf 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.

39verseBut if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.

40verseFor 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.”

41verseWhen he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.