It happened that while
aApollos
was at bCorinth
, Paul
passed
through
the cupper
country
and came
to dEphesus
, and found
some
disciples
.
He said to them, " aDid you receive
the Holy
Spirit
when you believed
?" And they said to him, "No
, bwe have not even
heard
whether
1there is a Holy
Spirit
."
And he said, "Into what
then
were you baptized
?" And they said
, " aInto John's
baptism
."
Paul said
, " aJohn
baptized
with the baptism
of repentance
, telling
the people
bto believe
in Him who was coming
after
him, that is, in Jesus
."
When they heard this, they were abaptized
1in the name
of the Lord
Jesus
.
And when Paul had alaid
his hands
upon them, the Holy
Spirit
came
on them, and they began bspeaking
with tongues
and cprophesying
.
There were in all about
twelve
men
.
And he entered athe synagogue
and continued speaking
out boldly
for three
months
, reasoning
and persuading
them babout
the kingdom
of God
.
But when asome
were becoming
hardened
and disobedient
, speaking
evil
of bthe Way
before
the 1people
, he withdrew
from them and took
away
cthe disciples
, reasoning
daily
in the school
of Tyrannus
.
This took
place
for atwo
years
, so
that all
who lived
in 1 bAsia
heard
cthe word
of the Lord
, both
Jews
and Greeks
.
God was performing
aextraordinary
1miracles
by the hands
of Paul
,
aso that handkerchiefs
or
aprons
were even
carried
from his body
to the sick
, and the diseases
left
them and bthe evil
spirits
went
out.
But also some
of the Jewish
aexorcists
, who went
from place
to place
, attempted
to name
over
those
who had
the evil
spirits
the name
of the Lord
Jesus
, saying
, "I adjure
you by Jesus
whom
Paul
preaches
."
Seven sons
of one
Sceva
, a Jewish
chief
priest
, were doing
this
.
And the evil spirit
answered
and said
to them, "I recognize
Jesus
, and I know
about
Paul
, but who
are you?"
And the man, in whom
was the evil
spirit
, leaped
on them and subdued
all
of them and overpowered
them, so
that they fled
out of that house
naked
and wounded
.
This became
known
to all
, both
Jews
and Greeks
, who lived
in aEphesus
; and fear
fell
upon them all
and the name
of the Lord
Jesus
was being magnified
.
Many also
of those
who had believed
kept coming
, confessing
and disclosing
their practices
.
And many of those
who practiced
magic
brought
their books
together
and began burning
them in the sight
of everyone
; and they counted
up the price
of them and found
it 1fifty
thousand
apieces
of silver
.
So 1 athe word
of the Lord
bwas growing
mightily
and prevailing
.
Now after
these
things
were finished
, Paul
purposed
in the 1Spirit
to ago
to Jerusalem
bafter he had passed
through
cMacedonia
and dAchaia
, saying
, "After
I have been
there
, eI must
also
see
Rome
."
And having sent into aMacedonia
two
of bthose
who ministered
to him, cTimothy
and dErastus
, he himself
stayed
in 1 eAsia
for a while
.
About that time
there occurred
no
small
disturbance
concerning
athe Way
.
For a man named
Demetrius
, a silversmith
, who made
silver
shrines
of 1Artemis
, awas bringing
no
little
2business
to the craftsmen
;
these he gathered
together
with the workmen
of similar
trades, and said
, "Men
, you know
that our prosperity
1depends
upon this
business
.
"You see and hear
that not only
in aEphesus
, but in almost
all
of 1 bAsia
, this
Paul
has persuaded
and turned
away
a considerable
number
of people
, saying
that 2 cgods made
with hands
are no
gods
at all.
"Not only is there danger
that this
trade
of ours
fall
into disrepute
, but also
that the temple
of the great
goddess
1Artemis
be regarded
as worthless
and that she whom
all
of 2 aAsia
and bthe 3world
worship
will even
be dethroned
from her magnificence
."
When they heard this and were filled
with rage
, they began crying
out, saying
, "Great
is 1Artemis
of the aEphesians
!"
The city was filled
with the confusion
, and they rushed
1with one
accord
into the theater
, dragging
along
aGaius
and bAristarchus
, Paul's
traveling
ccompanions
from dMacedonia
.
And when Paul wanted
to go
into the 1assembly
, athe disciples
would not let
him.
Also some
of the 1Asiarchs
who were friends
of his sent
to him and repeatedly urged
him not to 2venture
into the theater
.
aSo then
, some
were shouting
one
thing and some
another
, for the 1assembly
was in confusion
and the majority
did not know
2for what
reason
they had come
together
.
Some of the crowd 1concluded
it was Alexander
, since the Jews
had put
him forward
; and having amotioned
with his hand
, Alexander
was intending
to make
a defense
to the 2assembly
.
But when they recognized that he was a Jew
, a single outcry
arose
from them all
as they shouted
for about
two
hours
, "Great
is 1Artemis
of the Ephesians
!"
After quieting
the crowd
, the town
clerk
*said
, "Men
of aEphesus
, what
man
is there after
all
who
does not know
that the city
of the Ephesians
is guardian
of the temple
of the great
1Artemis
and of the image which
fell
down
from 2heaven
?
"So, since these
are undeniable
facts
, you ought
to keep
calm
and to do
nothing
rash
.
"For you have brought these
men
here who are neither
arobbers
of temples
nor
blasphemers
of our goddess
.
"So then
, if
Demetrius
and the craftsmen
who are with him have
a complaint
against
any
man
, the courts
are in session
and 1 aproconsuls
are available; let them bring
charges
against
one
another
.
"But if you want
anything
beyond
this, it shall be settled
in the 1lawful
2assembly
.
"For indeed we are in danger
of being accused
of a riot
in connection
with today's
events, since there is no
real cause
for it, and in this
connection
we will be unable
to account
for this
disorderly
gathering
."
After saying this
he dismissed
the 1assembly
.