Ephesus: the Spirit and the twelve disciples
1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came down to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” “No,” they answered, “we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3“Into what, then, were you baptized?” he asked. “Into John’s baptism,” they said. 4Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was coming after him — that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing 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 spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all. 8Paul went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly there, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some grew stubborn and refused to believe, speaking evil of the Way in front of the assembly, he withdrew from them, took the disciples with him and reasoned daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
The sons of Sceva
11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul’s hands: 12even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his skin were carried to the sick, and their illnesses left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13Some itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were 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 leapt on them, overpowered them all and beat them, so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 17This became known to everyone in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike. Fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and disclosing what they had been doing; 19and a good number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in front of everyone. When the value was added up, it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord spread and grew in power.
The riot of the silversmiths
21When all this had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.” 22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, on to Macedonia, while he himself stayed on for a time in Asia. 23About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought the craftsmen no little business. 25He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “Men, you know that our prosperity comes from this work. 26And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made by hand are not gods at all. 27The danger is not only that our trade will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will count for nothing, and that she will be stripped of the majesty that all Asia and the whole world worship.” 28When they heard this they were filled with rage and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29The city was thrown into confusion, and they rushed as one into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 30Paul wanted to go before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; 31and some of the officials of Asia who were his friends sent word urging him not to venture into the theater. 32Meanwhile some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in chaos and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33Some of the crowd instructed Alexander, whom the Jews pushed forward, and he motioned with his hand, wanting to make a defense before the people. 34But when they realized he was a Jew, one shout went up from them all, and for about two hours they cried, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
The city clerk quiets the crowd
35At last the city clerk quieted the crowd. “Men of Ephesus,” he said, “is there anyone alive who does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell from heaven? 36Since these things cannot be denied, you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash. 37You have brought these men here though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls: let them bring their charges there. 39And if you are after anything further, it must be settled in the lawful assembly. 40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting over today’s events, since there is no cause we could give to account for this commotion.” 41With these words he dismissed the assembly.
