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. 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 were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way
before the multitude, 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 by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even
handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the
evil spirits went out. 13 But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took
on themselves to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the
Lord Jesus, saying, “We adjure 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, and
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 the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand
pieces of silver.*1 20 So the word of the
Lord was growing and becoming mighty.
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 Having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy
and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. 23 About that time
there arose no small stir concerning the Way. 24 For a certain man named
Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no
little business to the craftsmen, 25 whom he gathered together, with the
workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this
business we have our wealth. 26 You see and hear, that not at Ephesus
alone, but almost throughout all 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 this our trade 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 with 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 didn’t allow
him. 31 Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and
begged him not to venture into the theater. 32 Some therefore cried one
thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them
didn’t know why they had come together. 33 They brought Alexander out of
the multitude, the Jews putting 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 with one voice for a time of about two hours
cried out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, 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 concerning this day’s riot, there
being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn’t be able to give an account of this
commotion.” 41 When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
1 The 50,000 pieces of silver here probably referred to
50,000 drachmas. If so, the value of the burned books was equivalent to about
160 man-years of wages for agricultural laborers
World English Bible - Public Domain