The Holy Spirit Received at Ephesus
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples. 2 He 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.”
3 He said, “Into what then were you baptized?”
They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul 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 Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. 7 They were about twelve men in all.
Paul Ministers in Ephesus
8 He entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning the Kingdom of God.
9 But when some had become hardened and disobedient, speaking badly about the Way before the crowds, he departed from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 God worked special miracles through the hands of Paul, 12 so 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.
The Sons of Sceva
13 But some of the vagabond Jewish exorcists took upon themselves to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, “We command you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
15 The evil spirit answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” 16 The 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.
17 This 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. 18 Many also of those who had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds. 19 Many 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 50,000 pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.
The Riot in Ephesus
21 Now 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.”
22 He sent two who served him, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, and he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23 About that time there arose a big disturbance concerning the Way, 24 for a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought much business to the craftsmen.
25 He gathered them together, with the workmen of similar occupation and said, “Sirs, you know that we have our wealth from this business. 26 You hear and see that not only in Ephesus, but almost throughout all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands. 27 Not only is there danger that our trade will 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.”
28 When they heard this they were filled with anger and cried out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed in one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.
30 When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples did not allow him. 31 And certain leaders of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him, imploring that he would not venture into the theater.
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 They brought Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews pushing him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand and would have made a defense to the people, 34 but when they perceived that he was a Jew, all of them, with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 When the town clerk had quieted the crowd, 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? 36 Seeing then that these things can’t be denied, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.
38 If 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. 39 But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For indeed we are in danger of being accused, without cause, concerning today’s riot. Concerning this, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this commotion.”
41 When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.