NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 60
A cts 1 9 : 5
2016
5 As soon as they heard this, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the
Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke
in other ctongues* and prophesied. 7 There
were about twelve men in all.
8 Then Paul went to the synagogue and
preached boldly for the next three months,
arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of
God. 9 But some became stubborn, rejecting
his message and publicly speaking against
the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took
the believers with him. Then he held daily
discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10 This went on for the next two years, so that
people throughout the province of Asia—
both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of
the Lord.
11 God gave Paul the power to perform
unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs
or aprons that had merely touched his
skin were placed on sick people, they were
healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were
expelled.
13 A group of Jews was traveling from town
to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to
use the name of the Lord Jesus in their in
cantation, saying, “I command you in the
name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come
out!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest,
were doing this. 15 But one time when they
tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus,
and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then
the man with the evil spirit leaped on them,
overpowered them, and attacked them with
such violence that they fled from the house,
naked and battered.
17 The story of what happened spread
quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and
Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on
the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was
greatly honored. 18 Many who became be
lievers confessed their sinful practices. 19 A
number of them who had been practicing
sorcery brought their incantation books and
burned them at a public bonfire. The value
of the books was several million dollars.*
20 So the message about the Lord spread
widely and had a powerful effect.
21 Afterward Paul felt compelled by the
Spirit* to go over to Macedonia and Achaia
before going to Jerusalem. “And after that,”
he said, “I must go on to Rome!” 22 He sent his
two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to
Maced
onia while he stayed awhile longer in
the province of Asia.
The Riot in Ephesus
23 About that time, serious trouble devel
oped in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It
began with Demetrius, a silversmith who
had a large business manufacturing silver
shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.* He
kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called them
together, along with others employed in sim
ilar trades, and addressed them as follows:
19:5
Acts 8:12, 16; 10:48
Gal 3:27
19:6
Acts 2:4; 10:44, 46
c glo-ssa (1100)
Rom
14:11
19:8
Acts 28:23
19:10
Acts 20:31
19:11
Mark 16:20
19:12
Acts 5:1516
19:13
Matt 12:27
Mark 9:38
Luke 9:49
19:15
Mark 1:24, 34
Luke 4:34, 41
19:17
Acts 5:5, 11
19:19
Deut 18:1014
19:20
Acts 6:7; 12:24
19:21
Acts 23:11
Rom 15:25
1 Cor 16:5
19:22
Rom 16:23
2 Tim 4:20
19:23
2 Cor 1:8
19:24
Acts 16:16
19:6 Or in other languages. 19:19 Greek 50,000 pieces of silver, each of which was the equivalent of a day’s wage. 19:21 Or
decided in his spirit. 19:24 Artemis is otherwise known as Diana.
19:6 When Paul laid his hands on them
they received the Holy Spirit, spoke in
other tongues and prophesied, thereby
experiencing the same filling with God’s
power and presence that the disciples
had received on the day of Pentecost
(2:4, 11).
19:10 Paul probably wrote 1 Corinthians
during this time (see 1 Corinthians Intro
duction, “Date and Occasion of Writing”).
19:1112 Paul, like other Christian
evangelists (3:111; 4:22; 5:1216; 6:8;
8:67, 13; 9:3342), performed unusual
miracles. • evil spirits were expelled: As
Jesus and Peter had done (cp. 5:16; Mark
1:2134; Luke 4:3137).
19:1316 Paul’s effectiveness is con
trasted with the impotence of the travel
ing Jewish exorcists, who used the name
of Jesus as though it were magical but
did not have a relationship with him or
the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit
(cp. Matt 12:27; Mark 9:3839; Luke
9:4950; 11:19).
19:1719 The contrast between Paul
and the Jewish exorcists was not lost
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
on the people of Ephesus, Jews and
Greeks alike. The resulting fear caused
the inhabitants to honor and respect
the name of the Lord Jesus. It led many
to confess and forsake their sinful practices, including sorcery.
19:20 Luke’s summary of the success of
the Good News in Ephesus is short but
pungent (cp. 2:4347; 5:14; 6:7; 9:31;
12:24; 16:5; see Rom 1:16). When the
Christian faith overcame problems of
internal dissension, idolatry, and pagan
practices, it spread widely and grew
rapidly.
19:2122 felt compelled by the Spirit:
No doubt Paul was troubled by what
he had heard about the situation in
Corinth (see 1 Corinthians Introduction).
Instead of going immediately himself,
he sent . . . Timothy, who was carrying
a letter, 1 Corinthians, from Paul to the
Corinthians (1 Cor 4:17; 16:1011). Paul
himself did go over to Macedonia and
Achaia not long afterward (Acts 20:13).
• “I must go on to Rome!”: Perhaps com
pelled by his proven strategy (see note
on 16:8), Paul wanted to proclaim the
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
Good News in the most significant city
in the world.
19:2341 The patron deity of Ephesus
was the Greek goddess Artemis. Her
birthplace was believed to be Ephesus,
so Ephesus was the official guardian of
the temple. Twice annually, elaborate
festivals were held in her honor with ath
letic, musical, and theatrical celebrations
that included singing Great is Artemis of
the Ephesians! The temple of Artemis at
Ephesus was one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world. Conversions to
Christianity clearly damaged the worship
of Artemis and the associated economic
activity, but it became clear that Paul and
his associates had committed no crime.
19:23 the Way: See note on 9:2.
19:2434 Demetrius, a silversmith
whose business was threatened by Paul’s
proclaiming faith in one God, whipped
up a major riot against him.
19:24 Silver coins and shrines carrying
the image of Artemis were minted in
Ephesus; statuettes of the goddess were
used in civic processions and are still
sold there today.
POETRY & WISDOM
