Acts 19:1-20
The Word Grew and Prevailed
1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.
4Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7There were about twelve men in all.
8Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
9But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
11God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
13Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.
17This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
18Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.
19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
20So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.
Berean Standard Bible
In Ephesus, Paul meets disciples who have known only John's baptism. He explains that John pointed people toward Jesus. They are baptized in the Lord's name, and the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Paul teaches boldly in the synagogue, then continues daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus when some publicly malign the Way.
God does extraordinary miracles through Paul, but the power of Jesus is not a formula to borrow. When some Jewish exorcists invoke a name they do not trust, they are overpowered. Fear and respect for Jesus grow. Believers confess their deeds, and people who practiced magic burn their books.
So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.
Paul finds about twelve disciples in Ephesus and asks whether they received the Holy Spirit when they believed. They know only John's baptism, so Paul explains that John pointed people toward the one who would come after him: Jesus. They are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul lays his hands on them, the Holy Spirit comes upon them. They speak in other languages and prophesy.
For three months Paul reasons boldly in the synagogue about God's kingdom. When some become hardened and speak evil of the Way, he withdraws with the disciples and reasons daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This continues for two years, so that all the residents of Asia hear the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
God does extraordinary miracles through Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons that have touched him are carried to the sick, and diseases leave. The seven sons of Sceva try to use Jesus' name as a formula without belonging to him, and the evil spirit answers that it knows Jesus and Paul but not them. The man overpowers them, and the event becomes known throughout Ephesus. Many believers confess their former practices and burn expensive magic books. The word grows and prevails because people are turning from hidden power to the authority of Jesus.
Questions
1 What baptism had the disciples known?
AnswerThey had known the baptism of John.
2 What did Paul explain about John's baptism?
AnswerIt was a baptism of repentance pointing people to Jesus.
3 What happened to the traveling exorcists?
AnswerThe evil spirit overpowered them, leaving them wounded and exposed.
4 What did some believers do with their magic books?
AnswerThey brought them together and burned them publicly.
What This Means for Us
Jesus is not a word we can use while keeping control of our lives. The gospel brings truth into the open, calls for repentance, and changes what we are willing to protect, practice, or pass on.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, make our faith genuine rather than merely familiar language. Give us honesty to confess what needs to change and courage to leave destructive practices behind. Amen.