The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 19
{19:1} It happened that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having
passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain
disciples. {19:2} He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit
when you believed?"
They said to him, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy
Spirit."
{19:3} He said, "Into what then were you baptized?"
They said, "Into John's baptism."
{19:4} 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."
{19:5} When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the
Lord Jesus. {19:6} When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy
Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and
prophesied. {19:7} They were about twelve men in all. {19:8} 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.
{19:9} 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. {19:10} This
continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the
word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
{19:11} God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul, {19:12} so
that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to
the sick, and the evil spirits went out. {19:13} But some of the
itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who
had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "We adjure
you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." {19:14} There were seven sons of one
Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.
{19:15} The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know,
but who are you?" {19:16} 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. {19:17} 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. {19:18} Many
also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their
deeds. {19:19} 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 [1>]fifty thousand pieces of
silver.[<1] {19:20} So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming
mighty.
{19:21} 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."
{19:22} Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him,
Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. {19:23}
About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way. {19:24}
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver
shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,
{19:25} whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like
occupation, and said, "Sirs, you know that by this business we have
our wealth. {19:26} 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.
{19:27} 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."
{19:28} When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried
out, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" {19:29} 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. {19:30} When Paul wanted to enter in to
the people, the disciples didn't allow him. {19:31} Certain also of
the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to
venture into the theater. {19:32} 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. {19:33} 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. {19:34} 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!"
{19:35} 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? {19:36} Seeing then that these
things can't be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.
{19:37} For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers
of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. {19:38} 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. {19:39} But if you seek anything about
other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly. {19:40} 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." {19:41} When he had thus spoken, he
dismissed the assembly.
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Footnotes:
[1] {19:19} 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
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