Acts 19–20

Twelve Disciples of John the Baptist

19While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples ^g2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ^h

“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” ⁱ

³“Then what baptism were you baptized with?” he asked them.

“With John’s baptism,” they replied. ^j

⁴Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, ^ktelling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.” ^l

⁵When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶And when Paul had laid his hands on ^mthem, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in other languages and to prophesy. ⁿ⁷Now there were about 12 men in all.

In the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus

⁸Then he entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things of the kingdom of God. ^o9But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ^p10And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, ^qheard the message about the Lord. ^r

Demonism Defeated at Ephesus

¹¹God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, ¹²so that even facecloths or work aprons ^sthat had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. ^t

¹³Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!” ^u14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” ¹⁶Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus ^vwas magnified. ^w18And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, ¹⁹while many of those who had practiced magic ^xcollected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. ²⁰In this way the Lord’s message flourished and prevailed. ^y

The Riot in Ephesus

²¹When these events were over, Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well!” ^z22So after sending two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, ^ato Macedonia, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. ^b

²³During that time there was a major ^cdisturbance about the Way. ^d24For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, ^eprovided a great deal of ^fbusiness for the craftsmen. ²⁵When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said: “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. ²⁶You both see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods! ^g27So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world adore.”

²⁸When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius ^hand Aristarchus, ⁱMacedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. ³⁰Though Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. ³¹Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to take a chance by going ^jinto the amphitheater. ³²Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, ^kbecause the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³Then some of the crowd gave Alexander advice when the Jews pushed him to the front. So motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people. ^l34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a united cry went up from all of them for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵However, when the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “Men of Ephesus! What man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great ^mArtemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? ³⁶Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. ³⁷For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our ⁿgoddess. ³⁸So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ^o39But if you want something else, it must be decided in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting ^pfor what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disorderly gathering.” ⁴¹After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.

Paul in Macedonia

20After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying good-bye, departed to go to Macedonia. ^q2And when he had passed through those areas and exhorted them at length, he came to Greece ³and stayed three months. When he was about to set sail for Syria, a plot was devised against him by the Jews, so a decision was made to go back through Macedonia. ^r4He was accompanied ^sby Sopater son of Pyrrhus ^tfrom Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, ^uand Tychicus ^vand Trophimus ^wfrom Asia. ⁵These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas, ^x6but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread. ^yIn five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

⁷On the first day of the week, we ^zassembled to break bread. ^aPaul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight. ⁸There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, ⁹and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on speaking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for his life is in him!” ^b11After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. ¹²They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³Then we went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. ¹⁴When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and ^cthe day after, we came to Miletus. ^d16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so he would not have to spend time in Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost. ^e

Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸And when they came to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time ^f— ¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews ^g— ²⁰and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. ²¹I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God ^hand faith in our Lord Jesus. ⁱ

²²“And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit, ^jnot knowing what I will encounter there, ^k23except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. ^l24But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course ^mand the ministry ⁿI received from the Lord Jesus, ^oto testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵“And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again—everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. ²⁶Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent ^pof everyone’s blood, ^q27for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God. ^r28Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock ^sthat the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers, ^tto shepherd the church of God, ^uwhich He purchased with His own blood. ^v29I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them. ^w31Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears. ^x

³²“And now ^yI commit you to God and to the message of His grace, ^zwhich is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance ^aamong all who are sanctified. ³³I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. ^b34You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. ^c35In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of…