18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. 13 He was an eloquent speaker, 14 well-versed 15 in the scriptures.
19:1 While 16 Apollos was in Corinth, 17 Paul went through the inland 18 regions 19 and came to Ephesus. 20 He 21 found some disciples there 22 19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” 23 They replied, 24 “No, we have not even 25 heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 19:3 So Paul 26 said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. 27 19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, 28 that is, in Jesus.” 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, 19:6 and when Paul placed 29 his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came 30 upon them, and they began to speak 31 in tongues and to prophesy. 32 19:7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.) 33
19:8 So Paul 34 entered 35 the synagogue 36 and spoke out fearlessly 37 for three months, addressing 38 and convincing 39 them about the kingdom of God. 40 19:9 But when 41 some were stubborn 42 and refused to believe, reviling 43 the Way 44 before the congregation, he left 45 them and took the disciples with him, 46 addressing 47 them every day 48 in the lecture hall 49 of Tyrannus. 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, 50 both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. 51
19:11 God was performing extraordinary 52 miracles by Paul’s hands, 19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body 53 were brought 54 to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 55 19:13 But some itinerant 56 Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name 57 of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by 58 evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn 59 you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named 60 Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) 61 19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, 62 “I know about Jesus 63 and I am acquainted with 64 Paul, but who are you?” 65 19:16 Then the man who was possessed by 66 the evil spirit jumped on 67 them and beat them all into submission. 68 He prevailed 69 against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, 70 both Jews and Greeks; fear came over 71 them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. 72 19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, 73 confessing and making their deeds known. 74 19:19 Large numbers 75 of those who had practiced magic 76 collected their books 77 and burned them up in the presence of everyone. 78 When 79 the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. 80 19:20 In this way the word of the Lord 81 continued to grow in power 82 and to prevail. 83
19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, 84 Paul resolved 85 to go to Jerusalem, 86 passing through Macedonia 87 and Achaia. 88 He said, 89 “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 90 19:22 So after sending 91 two of his assistants, 92 Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, 93 he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. 94
19:23 At 95 that time 96 a great disturbance 97 took place concerning the Way. 98 19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines 99 of Artemis, 100 brought a great deal 101 of business 102 to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered 103 these 104 together, along with the workmen in similar trades, 105 and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity 106 comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded 107 and turned away 108 a large crowd, 109 not only in Ephesus 110 but in practically all of the province of Asia, 111 by saying 112 that gods made by hands are not gods at all. 113 19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, 114 but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis 115 will be regarded as nothing, 116 and she whom all the province of Asia 117 and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” 118
19:28 When 119 they heard 120 this they became enraged 121 and began to shout, 122 “Great is Artemis 123 of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The 124 city was filled with the uproar, 125 and the crowd 126 rushed to the theater 127 together, 128 dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 19:30 But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, 129 the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities 130 who were his friends sent 131 a message 132 to him, urging him not to venture 133 into the theater. 19:32 So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together. 134 19:33 Some of the crowd concluded 135 it was about 136 Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. 137 Alexander, gesturing 138 with his hand, was wanting to make a defense 139 before the public assembly. 140 19:34 But when they recognized 141 that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, 142 “Great is Artemis 143 of the Ephesians!” for about two hours. 144 19:35 After the city secretary 145 quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person 146 is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper 147 of the temple of the great Artemis 148 and of her image that fell from heaven? 149 19:36 So because these facts 150 are indisputable, 151 you must keep quiet 152 and not do anything reckless. 153 19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers 154 nor blasphemers of our goddess. 155 19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint 156 against someone, the courts are open 157 and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. 158 19:39 But if you want anything in addition, 159 it will have to be settled 160 in a legal assembly. 161 19:40 For 162 we are in danger of being charged with rioting 163 today, since there is no cause we can give to explain 164 this disorderly gathering.” 165 19:41 After 166 he had said 167 this, 168 he dismissed the assembly. 169
20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging 173 them and saying farewell, 174 he left to go to Macedonia. 175
1:1 From Paul, 176 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
1:1 From Paul, 177 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], 178 the faithful 179 in Christ Jesus.
1:1 From Paul, 180 an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], 181 the faithful 182 in Christ Jesus.