Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Demons » Sceva's sons exorcise
Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" read more.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised.
Ephesus » Sceva's sons attempt to expel a demon in
Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" read more.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised.
Missionary journeys » Ac 13-14 » Third - with timothy and others
After spending some time there, he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, and well versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Lord's way, and with spiritual fervor he kept speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only about John's baptism. read more.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. When Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who, through God's grace, had believed. He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul passed through the inland districts and came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He then asked, "Then into what were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy. There were about twelve men in all. He went into the synagogue and spoke there boldly for three months, holding discussions and persuading those who heard him about the kingdom of God. But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and slandered the Way in front of the people, Paul left them, taking his disciples away with him, and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord. God continued to do extraordinary miracles through Paul. When handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, their diseases left them and evil spirits went out of them. Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins. In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing. After these things had happened, Paul decided to go through Macedonia and Achaia and then to go on to Jerusalem. "After I have gone there," he told them, "I must also see Rome." Then he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia a while longer. Now about that time a great commotion broke out concerning the Way. By making silver shrines of Artemis, a silversmith named Demetrius provided a large income for skilled workers. He called a meeting of these men and others who were engaged in similar trades and said, "Men, you well know that we get a good income from this business. You also see and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but almost all over Asia, this man Paul has won over and taken away a large crowd by telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. There is a danger not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into disrepute and that she will be robbed of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her." When they heard this, they became furious and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed into the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's fellow travelers from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but the disciples wouldn't let him. Even some officials of the province of Asia who were his friends sent him a message urging him not to risk his life in the theater. Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, since the crowd was confused, and most of them didn't know why they were meeting. Some of the crowd concluded it was because of Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front. So Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people. But when they found out that he was a Jew, they all started to shout in unison for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" When the city recorder had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that this city of Ephesus is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell down from heaven? Since these things cannot be denied, you must be quiet and not do anything reckless. For you have brought these men here, although they neither rob temples nor blaspheme our goddess. So if Demetrius and his workers have a charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They should accuse one another there. But if you want anything else, it must be settled in the regular assembly, because we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, and there is no good reason we can give to justify this commotion." After saying this, he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye to them and left to go to Macedonia. He went through those regions and encouraged the people with everything he had to say. Then he went to Greece and stayed there for three months. When he was about to sail for Syria, a plot was initiated against him by the Jews, so he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater (the son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. These men went on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. After the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and days later we joined them in Troas and stayed there for seven days. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul began to address the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he went on speaking until midnight. Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window, began to sink off into a deep sleep as Paul kept speaking longer and longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, bent over him, took him into his arms, and said, "Stop being alarmed, because he's still alive." Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. He talked with them for a long time, until dawn, and then left. They took the young man away alive and were greatly relieved. We proceeded to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we intended to pick up Paul. He had arranged it this way, since he had planned to travel there on foot. When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. We sailed from there and on the following day arrived off Chios. The next day, we crossed over to Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The day after that, we came to Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in Asia, as he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible. From Miletus he sent messengers to Ephesus to ask the elders of the church to meet with him. When they came to him, he told them, "You know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day I set foot in Asia. I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I never shrank from telling you anything that would help you nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me. But I don't place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. "Now I know that none of you among whom I traveled preaching about the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore declare to you today that I'm not responsible for the blood of any of you, because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God. Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own blood. I know that when I'm gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. Indeed, some of your own men will arise and distort the truth in order to lure the disciples into following them. So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you. "I'm now entrusting you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and secure for you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. I never desired anyone's silver, gold, or clothes. You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who were with me. In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we should help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When Paul had said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. All of them cried and cried as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him affectionately. They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship. When we had torn ourselves away from those brothers, we sailed straight to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. There we found a ship going across to Phoenicia, so we went aboard and sailed on. We came in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on our left, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre because the ship was to unload its cargo there. So we located some disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but when our time there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey. All of them accompanied us with their wives and children out of the city. We knelt on the beach, prayed, and said goodbye to each other. Then we reboarded the ship, and they went back home. When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, greeted the brothers there, and stayed with them for one day. The next day, we left and came to Caesarea. We went to the home of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who could prophesy. After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea. He came to us, took Paul's belt, and tied his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit says, "This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. Then they will hand him over to the gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people who lived there begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. At this Paul replied, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!" When he could not be persuaded otherwise, we remained silent except to say, "May the Lord's will be done." When our time there ended, we got ready to go up to Jerusalem.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. When Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who, through God's grace, had believed. He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul passed through the inland districts and came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He then asked, "Then into what were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy. There were about twelve men in all. He went into the synagogue and spoke there boldly for three months, holding discussions and persuading those who heard him about the kingdom of God. But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and slandered the Way in front of the people, Paul left them, taking his disciples away with him, and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord. God continued to do extraordinary miracles through Paul. When handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, their diseases left them and evil spirits went out of them. Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins. In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing. After these things had happened, Paul decided to go through Macedonia and Achaia and then to go on to Jerusalem. "After I have gone there," he told them, "I must also see Rome." Then he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia a while longer. Now about that time a great commotion broke out concerning the Way. By making silver shrines of Artemis, a silversmith named Demetrius provided a large income for skilled workers. He called a meeting of these men and others who were engaged in similar trades and said, "Men, you well know that we get a good income from this business. You also see and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but almost all over Asia, this man Paul has won over and taken away a large crowd by telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. There is a danger not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into disrepute and that she will be robbed of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her." When they heard this, they became furious and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed into the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's fellow travelers from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but the disciples wouldn't let him. Even some officials of the province of Asia who were his friends sent him a message urging him not to risk his life in the theater. Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, since the crowd was confused, and most of them didn't know why they were meeting. Some of the crowd concluded it was because of Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front. So Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people. But when they found out that he was a Jew, they all started to shout in unison for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" When the city recorder had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that this city of Ephesus is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell down from heaven? Since these things cannot be denied, you must be quiet and not do anything reckless. For you have brought these men here, although they neither rob temples nor blaspheme our goddess. So if Demetrius and his workers have a charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They should accuse one another there. But if you want anything else, it must be settled in the regular assembly, because we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, and there is no good reason we can give to justify this commotion." After saying this, he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye to them and left to go to Macedonia. He went through those regions and encouraged the people with everything he had to say. Then he went to Greece and stayed there for three months. When he was about to sail for Syria, a plot was initiated against him by the Jews, so he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater (the son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. These men went on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. After the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and days later we joined them in Troas and stayed there for seven days. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul began to address the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he went on speaking until midnight. Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window, began to sink off into a deep sleep as Paul kept speaking longer and longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, bent over him, took him into his arms, and said, "Stop being alarmed, because he's still alive." Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. He talked with them for a long time, until dawn, and then left. They took the young man away alive and were greatly relieved. We proceeded to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we intended to pick up Paul. He had arranged it this way, since he had planned to travel there on foot. When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. We sailed from there and on the following day arrived off Chios. The next day, we crossed over to Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The day after that, we came to Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in Asia, as he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible. From Miletus he sent messengers to Ephesus to ask the elders of the church to meet with him. When they came to him, he told them, "You know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day I set foot in Asia. I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I never shrank from telling you anything that would help you nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me. But I don't place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. "Now I know that none of you among whom I traveled preaching about the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore declare to you today that I'm not responsible for the blood of any of you, because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God. Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own blood. I know that when I'm gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. Indeed, some of your own men will arise and distort the truth in order to lure the disciples into following them. So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you. "I'm now entrusting you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and secure for you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. I never desired anyone's silver, gold, or clothes. You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who were with me. In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we should help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When Paul had said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. All of them cried and cried as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him affectionately. They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship. When we had torn ourselves away from those brothers, we sailed straight to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. There we found a ship going across to Phoenicia, so we went aboard and sailed on. We came in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on our left, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre because the ship was to unload its cargo there. So we located some disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but when our time there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey. All of them accompanied us with their wives and children out of the city. We knelt on the beach, prayed, and said goodbye to each other. Then we reboarded the ship, and they went back home. When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, greeted the brothers there, and stayed with them for one day. The next day, we left and came to Caesarea. We went to the home of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who could prophesy. After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea. He came to us, took Paul's belt, and tied his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit says, "This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. Then they will hand him over to the gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people who lived there begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. At this Paul replied, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!" When he could not be persuaded otherwise, we remained silent except to say, "May the Lord's will be done." When our time there ended, we got ready to go up to Jerusalem.
Paul » Rebukes
Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" read more.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins. In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins. In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing.
However, I'll stay on in Ephesus until Pentecost, because a door has opened wide for me to do effective work, although many people are opposing me.
Paul's » First - with barnabas and john mark ac 13-14 » Third - with timothy and others
After spending some time there, he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, and well versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the Lord's way, and with spiritual fervor he kept speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only about John's baptism. read more.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. When Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who, through God's grace, had believed. He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul passed through the inland districts and came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He then asked, "Then into what were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy. There were about twelve men in all. He went into the synagogue and spoke there boldly for three months, holding discussions and persuading those who heard him about the kingdom of God. But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and slandered the Way in front of the people, Paul left them, taking his disciples away with him, and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord. God continued to do extraordinary miracles through Paul. When handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, their diseases left them and evil spirits went out of them. Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins. In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing. After these things had happened, Paul decided to go through Macedonia and Achaia and then to go on to Jerusalem. "After I have gone there," he told them, "I must also see Rome." Then he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia a while longer. Now about that time a great commotion broke out concerning the Way. By making silver shrines of Artemis, a silversmith named Demetrius provided a large income for skilled workers. He called a meeting of these men and others who were engaged in similar trades and said, "Men, you well know that we get a good income from this business. You also see and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but almost all over Asia, this man Paul has won over and taken away a large crowd by telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. There is a danger not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into disrepute and that she will be robbed of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her." When they heard this, they became furious and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed into the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's fellow travelers from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but the disciples wouldn't let him. Even some officials of the province of Asia who were his friends sent him a message urging him not to risk his life in the theater. Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, since the crowd was confused, and most of them didn't know why they were meeting. Some of the crowd concluded it was because of Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front. So Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people. But when they found out that he was a Jew, they all started to shout in unison for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" When the city recorder had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that this city of Ephesus is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell down from heaven? Since these things cannot be denied, you must be quiet and not do anything reckless. For you have brought these men here, although they neither rob temples nor blaspheme our goddess. So if Demetrius and his workers have a charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They should accuse one another there. But if you want anything else, it must be settled in the regular assembly, because we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, and there is no good reason we can give to justify this commotion." After saying this, he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye to them and left to go to Macedonia. He went through those regions and encouraged the people with everything he had to say. Then he went to Greece and stayed there for three months. When he was about to sail for Syria, a plot was initiated against him by the Jews, so he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater (the son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. These men went on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. After the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and days later we joined them in Troas and stayed there for seven days. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul began to address the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he went on speaking until midnight. Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window, began to sink off into a deep sleep as Paul kept speaking longer and longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, bent over him, took him into his arms, and said, "Stop being alarmed, because he's still alive." Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. He talked with them for a long time, until dawn, and then left. They took the young man away alive and were greatly relieved. We proceeded to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we intended to pick up Paul. He had arranged it this way, since he had planned to travel there on foot. When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. We sailed from there and on the following day arrived off Chios. The next day, we crossed over to Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The day after that, we came to Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in Asia, as he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible. From Miletus he sent messengers to Ephesus to ask the elders of the church to meet with him. When they came to him, he told them, "You know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day I set foot in Asia. I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I never shrank from telling you anything that would help you nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me. But I don't place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. "Now I know that none of you among whom I traveled preaching about the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore declare to you today that I'm not responsible for the blood of any of you, because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God. Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own blood. I know that when I'm gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. Indeed, some of your own men will arise and distort the truth in order to lure the disciples into following them. So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you. "I'm now entrusting you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and secure for you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. I never desired anyone's silver, gold, or clothes. You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who were with me. In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we should help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When Paul had said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. All of them cried and cried as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him affectionately. They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship. When we had torn ourselves away from those brothers, we sailed straight to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. There we found a ship going across to Phoenicia, so we went aboard and sailed on. We came in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on our left, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre because the ship was to unload its cargo there. So we located some disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but when our time there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey. All of them accompanied us with their wives and children out of the city. We knelt on the beach, prayed, and said goodbye to each other. Then we reboarded the ship, and they went back home. When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, greeted the brothers there, and stayed with them for one day. The next day, we left and came to Caesarea. We went to the home of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who could prophesy. After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea. He came to us, took Paul's belt, and tied his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit says, "This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. Then they will hand him over to the gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people who lived there begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. At this Paul replied, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!" When he could not be persuaded otherwise, we remained silent except to say, "May the Lord's will be done." When our time there ended, we got ready to go up to Jerusalem.
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained God's way to him more accurately. When Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who, through God's grace, had believed. He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah. It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul passed through the inland districts and came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered him, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." He then asked, "Then into what were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." Then Paul said, "John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy. There were about twelve men in all. He went into the synagogue and spoke there boldly for three months, holding discussions and persuading those who heard him about the kingdom of God. But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and slandered the Way in front of the people, Paul left them, taking his disciples away with him, and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord. God continued to do extraordinary miracles through Paul. When handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, their diseases left them and evil spirits went out of them. Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins. In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing. After these things had happened, Paul decided to go through Macedonia and Achaia and then to go on to Jerusalem. "After I have gone there," he told them, "I must also see Rome." Then he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia a while longer. Now about that time a great commotion broke out concerning the Way. By making silver shrines of Artemis, a silversmith named Demetrius provided a large income for skilled workers. He called a meeting of these men and others who were engaged in similar trades and said, "Men, you well know that we get a good income from this business. You also see and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but almost all over Asia, this man Paul has won over and taken away a large crowd by telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. There is a danger not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into disrepute and that she will be robbed of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her." When they heard this, they became furious and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed into the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's fellow travelers from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but the disciples wouldn't let him. Even some officials of the province of Asia who were his friends sent him a message urging him not to risk his life in the theater. Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, since the crowd was confused, and most of them didn't know why they were meeting. Some of the crowd concluded it was because of Alexander, since the Jews had pushed him to the front. So Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defense before the people. But when they found out that he was a Jew, they all started to shout in unison for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" When the city recorder had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that this city of Ephesus is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell down from heaven? Since these things cannot be denied, you must be quiet and not do anything reckless. For you have brought these men here, although they neither rob temples nor blaspheme our goddess. So if Demetrius and his workers have a charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They should accuse one another there. But if you want anything else, it must be settled in the regular assembly, because we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, and there is no good reason we can give to justify this commotion." After saying this, he dismissed the assembly. When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye to them and left to go to Macedonia. He went through those regions and encouraged the people with everything he had to say. Then he went to Greece and stayed there for three months. When he was about to sail for Syria, a plot was initiated against him by the Jews, so he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater (the son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. These men went on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas. After the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and days later we joined them in Troas and stayed there for seven days. On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul began to address the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he went on speaking until midnight. Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window, began to sink off into a deep sleep as Paul kept speaking longer and longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, bent over him, took him into his arms, and said, "Stop being alarmed, because he's still alive." Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. He talked with them for a long time, until dawn, and then left. They took the young man away alive and were greatly relieved. We proceeded to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we intended to pick up Paul. He had arranged it this way, since he had planned to travel there on foot. When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. We sailed from there and on the following day arrived off Chios. The next day, we crossed over to Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The day after that, we came to Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in Asia, as he was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible. From Miletus he sent messengers to Ephesus to ask the elders of the church to meet with him. When they came to him, he told them, "You know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day I set foot in Asia. I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I never shrank from telling you anything that would help you nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that in town after town the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me. But I don't place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. "Now I know that none of you among whom I traveled preaching about the kingdom will ever see my face again. I therefore declare to you today that I'm not responsible for the blood of any of you, because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God. Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own blood. I know that when I'm gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock. Indeed, some of your own men will arise and distort the truth in order to lure the disciples into following them. So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you. "I'm now entrusting you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and secure for you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. I never desired anyone's silver, gold, or clothes. You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who were with me. In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we should help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" When Paul had said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. All of them cried and cried as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him affectionately. They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship. When we had torn ourselves away from those brothers, we sailed straight to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. There we found a ship going across to Phoenicia, so we went aboard and sailed on. We came in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on our left, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre because the ship was to unload its cargo there. So we located some disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but when our time there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey. All of them accompanied us with their wives and children out of the city. We knelt on the beach, prayed, and said goodbye to each other. Then we reboarded the ship, and they went back home. When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, greeted the brothers there, and stayed with them for one day. The next day, we left and came to Caesarea. We went to the home of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who could prophesy. After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea. He came to us, took Paul's belt, and tied his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit says, "This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. Then they will hand him over to the gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people who lived there begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. At this Paul replied, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!" When he could not be persuaded otherwise, we remained silent except to say, "May the Lord's will be done." When our time there ended, we got ready to go up to Jerusalem.
Sceva » Charlatan » Jewish » Exorcist » Ephesus
Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" read more.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor.
Superstition » Instances of » The ephesians, in their sorceries
Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!" Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?" read more.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins.