Acts 19

1It happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus and found some disciples,

2And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John's baptism.”

4And Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him—that is, in Jesus.”

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

6And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

7There were about twelve men in all.

8And entering the synagogue, he spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

9But when some became hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the crowd, he withdrew from them and set apart the disciples, reasoning daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

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

11And God was doing extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,

12so that even handkerchiefs or work aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out.

13But some also of the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

14There were seven sons of a Jewish chief priest named Sceva doing this.

15But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize—but who are you?”

16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and after overpowering both of them, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17And this became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified.

18And many of those who had believed were coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.

19And many of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and were burning them in front of everyone; and they totaled up their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

21After these things were completed, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

22So after sending into Macedonia two of those who were ministering to him—Timothy and Erastus—he himself stayed for a time in Asia.

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

24For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, was providing the craftsmen with no small business.

25After gathering them together, along with the workmen occupied with such things, he said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our prosperity.

26And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable crowd, saying that gods made by hands are not gods.

27And not only is this trade of ours in danger of coming into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and even her majesty—whom all Asia and the world worships—may be brought down.

28When they heard this and became full of wrath, they were crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

29And the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.

30But when Paul wanted to go in among the assembly, the disciples would not let him.

31And even some of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent word to him and urged him not to venture into the theater.

32So then some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

33And from the crowd they brought forward Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the assembly.

34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, one voice arose from them all, crying out for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35But after the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, for what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Artemis and of the image fallen from heaven?”

36Therefore, since these things are undeniable, it is necessary for you to remain calm and to do nothing rash.

37For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.

38If, then, Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, court sessions are being held and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another.

39But if you seek anything further, it will be settled in the lawful assembly.

40For indeed we are in danger of being charged with rioting over what happened today, since there is no cause for it, and we will not be able to give an account for this commotion. And after saying these things, he dismissed the assembly.