Acts 19:1–12

Paul in Ephesus

¹While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces to get to the city of Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus ²and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” 

They answered him, “No, we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.” 

³Paul asked them, “What kind of baptism did you have?” 

They answered, “John’s baptism.” 

⁴Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.^aJohn told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.” 

⁵After they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed. ⁷About twelve men were in the group. 

⁸For three months Paul would go into the synagogue and speak boldly. He had discussions with people to convince them about God’s kingdom. ⁹But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and had nothing good to say in front of the crowd about the way ⸤of Christ⸥, he left them. He took his disciples and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰This continued for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 

¹¹God worked unusual miracles through Paul. ¹²People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them.