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Acts Chapter Nineteen

                             

I. Content of the Chapter

 

Paul Preached in Ephesus

I. Believers in Ephesus received the correction from Paul and the Holy Spirit came upon them (v.1-7).

II. Paul preached from the synagogue to the school (v.8-9).

III. He preached the word of the Lord widely two years with his mouth and hands (v.10-12).

IV. The heretical men impersonated him and they were overpowered them and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified (v.13-17).

V. Many people came confessing and burnt their magician books and the word of the Lord grew mightily (v.18-20).

VI. Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia, to go to Jerusalem and he sent Timothy into Macedonia first (v.21-22).

VII. Demetrius, a silversmith, incited the workers of similar occupation to reject Paul’s preaching (v.23-27).

VIII. The whole city of Ephesus was filled with confusion and they gathered and rushed into the theater (v.28-34).

IX. The crowd was quieted and dismissed by the city clerk (v.35-41).

 

II. Verse by Verse commentary

 

Acts. 19:1 “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples

   YLT: “And it came to pass, in Apollos' being in Corinth, Paul having gone through the upper parts, came to Ephesus, and having found certain disciples,”

   Meaning of Words: Ephesus”: admirable, throw out, fulfill the will.

   Literal Meaning: while Apollos was at Corinth” Apollos arrived in Ephesus when Paul was not in Ephesus and was about to end his second journey (Acts. 18:21, 24). Apollos went to Corinth when Paul returned to Ephesus (Acts. 18:27). However, they met each other after all and respected each other (1Cor. 16:12).

  “Having passed through the upper regions” “The upper regions” refers to the inland of Galatia and Phrygia (Acts. 16:6; 18:23) instead of the regions of Pamphylia and Lycia that were close to the Mediterranean Sea (Acts. 14: 24). We do not know whether Paul had gone to the northern part of Galatia because it was not written. If he had gone to the northern part of Galatia, it must take place in this journey.

  “Came to Ephesus” “Ephesus” was the provincial capital and it was in the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea which was in the east of the Mediterranean Sea. It was the chief city of the Roman Empire. It was the important commercial city because it was in the transportation link of the Mediterranean Sea through which the commodities were sent to various places from abroad. There was the temple of Diana which was called one of the Seven Wonders of the World there. The whole temple was built by marble and it was splendid because it had 127 marble columns which were all twenty meters high. The city of Ephesus was also called the city that kept temples and worshipping idols and magic were prevalent there. Many strangers came to Ephesus to worship Diana and therefore many people made a living by the temple of Diana. The business of those who made silver shrines of Diana was especially prosperous.

  And finding some disciples” The word “disciples” refers to “Christians” in other scriptures (Acts. 6:1, 2, 7; 9:1, 10, 19, 25, 26, 38; 11:26, 29; 13:52; 14:20, 22, 28; 15:10; 16:1; 18:23, 27) and therefore it is no exception here. The disciples here may be the fruits that Apollos bore when he had not fully understood the truth in the beginning and therefore their knowledge of salvation was not complete (See v.3; Acts. 18:25-26).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Paul rushed about to preach the gospel and experienced hardships. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things (Rom. 10:15)!

2) The original meaning of “Ephesus” teaches us that, first we should have the admirable state and aim and devote ourselves to them and then we are able to fulfill the will perfectly.

3) Before men have completely understood the truth of the Bible, they could also be “the disciples” of the Lord because men become the Lord’s disciples according to the pure faith instead of doctrines and knowledge.

 

Acts. 19:2 “he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’”

   YLT: “he said unto them, `The Holy Spirit did ye receive -- having believed?' and they said unto him, `But we did not even hear whether there is any Holy Spirit;'”

   Literal Meaning: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” According to the original structure of this verse, “believe” and “receive” have the same tense, showing that “believing in the Lord” and “receiving the Holy Spirit” happen simultaneously and “receiving the Holy Spirit” is not a gift that one receives after he has “believed in the Lord”. It shows that what Paul asked here is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit instead of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit.

The purpose that Paul asked this question is not to figure out whether they have been saved but to judge whether they have sufficient knowledge of the truth of salvation. After they had made up the missed lesson, Paul was able to speak to believers in Ephesus when he wrote the Book of Ephesians later, “you…believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance” (Eph. 1:13-14). The greatest assurance of believers of the New Testament that they enjoy the salvation lies in their awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

  We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” Though they had heard the Lord Jesus (it includes His birth, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension) and therefore they believed in Him, they did not understand that those who had believed in the Lord had to receive the Holy Spirit.

    Though the Holy Spirit can not be seen by eyes, be heard by ears, or be touched by hands, He can be felt by those who have received Him (John. 3:8). Nevertheless, the assurance that men receive the Holy Spirit by faith is not according to the signs and miracles that are manifested upon them by the Holy Spirit or men’s inner uncommon sense but according to the teaching of the word of God (the Bible). 

   Controversial Clarification: Some Bible exegetes held that the twelve disciples (See v.7) were the disciples of John the Baptist (See v.3) instead of Christians. And it was no wonder they had not received the Holy Spirit or even heard the existence of the Holy Spirit. And therefore they had not been saved. This opinion was wrong and the reasons were as follows: 1) Paul did not correct their faith, in other words, their faith was out of question; 2) if they had not been saved, Paul was preaching that men could be born from above by baptism. However, men are born above by the inner faith instead of the outer behavior of baptism; 3) men’s being saved is not according to their knowledge of the Holy Spirit, in other words, men experience the work of the Holy Spirit first and then know Him; 4) what they had not received referred to the Holy Spirit that “came” upon them instead of the Holy Spirit that dwelled in them; when they believed in the Lord, they had been born by the Spirit and received the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, however, they had not experienced the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit just as what believers had experienced on the Pentecost (See v.6); 5) we cannot say that men do not have the Holy Spirit because they do not have the assurance that the Holy Spirit come upon them. The Holy Spirit dwells in men when they believe and receive the Lord; 6) the Spirit’s dwelling in men is not gained by baptism or being laying hands on; 7) if we say that only those who have experienced that the Spirit came upon them and had the proof of speaking with a tongue and prophecies are counted that they have saved, it is against the truth of “justification by faith” in the New Testament. And probably today many so-called Christians have not been saved; 8) in Christians’ spiritual experience, most of them know the coming of the Spirit, speaking with a language, prophesying and etc after they have been saved.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Preachers should do what they can to know the real conditions of believers and then they are able to give them the necessary spiritual help.

2) Christians should not be careless in faith. If there is something wrong in the foundation of faith, we cannot run well in the way.

3) In the Spiritual conflicts, the building up of truth is indispensable (Eph. 6:14); once there is a break in truth, we may be broken through by Satan and the overcall collapse will be brought in.

4) Nobody is able to believe in the Lord Jesus without the reception of the Holy Spirit because we believe in the Lord Jesus by the Spirit (1Cor. 12:3).

5) The Holy Spirit “now” dwells in believers and works in the church; the Holy Spirit is the embodiment of Jesus Christ. By the Spirit, we are able to enjoy all the riches of Christ.

 

Acts. 19:3 “And he said to them, Into what then were you baptized? So they said, Into John's baptism.’”

   YLT: “and he said unto them, `To what, then, were ye baptized?' and they said, `To John's baptism.'”

   Literal Meaning: Into what then were you baptized?” Paul asked this question and it does not mean that “baptism” and “receiving the Holy Spirit” are absolutely related to “the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit”. He wanted to ask them whether they had the correct knowledge of salvation by their way of baptism.

  Into John's baptism” “John’s baptism” stresses on the negative dealing. It shows that one has ended the sin that he has abandoned God in the past by immersing himself in water and therefore it is also called “the baptism of repentance” (See v.4).

    These disciples may be the fruits that Apollos bore when he had not understood the way of God completely, however, it does mean that they only believed in John the Baptist and did not believe in the Lord Jesus because Apollos also spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord” (Acts. 18:25).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) If men’s knowledge of truth is lacked, though it is not so serious that they cannot be saved, it will influence their condition how they run in the heavenly way after they have been saved. And therefore teachings of truth are extremely importantly.

2) If preachers want to understand the conditions of believers, they should know how to catch hold of the main points, just as doctors inquire patients, and then they will find out the defects fast.

 

Acts. 19:4 “Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’”

   YLT: “And Paul said, `John, indeed, did baptize with a baptism of reformation, saying to the people that in him who is coming after him they should believe -- that is, in the Christ -- Jesus;'”

   Literal Meaning: John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance” John baptized men and he emphasized that men had sins because their minds were far away from God and against Him. And therefore they had to “repent”------turn their minds to God.

  “Saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus” What John did was of enlightenment and preparation. It made men feel the need of the gospel and brought men believe on Jesus Christ who would come after him (Matt. 3:11); only when men believe His blood-shedding death of redemption on the cross will their sins be remitted (Heb. 9:22).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) We should learn the skill in helping others from Paul: use explanation instead of criticism------he did not criticize that “John’s baptism” was good-for-nothing but affirmed its function and then led men to pursue the further step.

2) It is the first step of religious life to come to understand that one is sinful. However, if he ends there or wants to improve it by himself, the end shall be sad.

 

Acts. 19:5 “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

   YLT: “and they, having heard, were baptized -- to the name of the Lord Jesus,”

   Literal Meaning: they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” “were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” could also be translated as “were baptized, to the name of the Lord Jesus”. Name represents the reality of a person and the name of the Lord Jesus represents the reality of Jesus Christ. Men’s being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus is men’s being brought into the Lord and to have the mysteriously spiritual union with Christ so that men are able to use His mighty name and walk in His name.

    This verse again proves that these disciples were Christians because those who have been baptized must have believed in the Lord Jesus and have received Him as their own Savior, otherwise men are not qualified to be baptized in the name of the Lord. It is the only written case in the Bible that men received baptism again. The baptism of repentance brings men to turn to Christ and the baptism in the name of the Lord makes men enjoy the riches in the Lord practically and be partakers of the body of Christ. The gifts of the Holy Spirit (See v.6) are related to the body of Christ (1Cor. 12). And therefore men have to partake in His body by baptism (1Cor. 12:13) and then they could receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 12:27-28).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The baptism that we receive when we are ignorant (e.g. babies) and have not repented or been saved is not effective and we should receive the baptism again when are clear.

2) Believers’ being baptized is not a little thing; the true baptism makes men experience the death and resurrection of the Lord (Rom. 6:3-5) and be unto the name of the Lord Jesus so as to appropriate the riches of His name.

3) Believers are baptized to the name of the Lord Jesus instead of the name of any spiritual group or spiritual giant. And therefore we should not exalt any “organization” or “individual”, lest we offend the sovereignty of Christ.

 

Acts. 19:6 “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

   YLT: “and Paul having laid on them [his] hands, the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were speaking also with tongues, and prophesying,”

   Literal Meaning: And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them” It is one of the several places in which it is written that the Holy Spirit came upon men through men’s laying hands (Acts. 8:16-17). “Laying hands” means union and blessing. Paul, the apostle of the Lord, received believers as the members of the body, representing the body of Christ, so that they partook in the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments (Ps. 133:2).

    Please note that here the Holy Spirit came “upon them” instead of entering “into them”. And therefore the Spirit here refers to the out-pouring Spirit instead of the “indwelling” Spirit. Here He is the Spirit of gifts instead of the Spirit of life.

 Controversial Clarification: the Charismatic Christians always use v.2-6 in this chapter to prove that those who have been saved shall receive the out-pouring and the gifts of the Holy Spirit and be able to speak with tongues and prophesy. However, the Bible is explained wrongly: the “special” works of the Holy Spirit in the early church of the New Testament are explained as the “common” works.

  From the moment that men believe in the Lord Jesus, the Spirit dwells in them (1Cor. 6:19), He testifies in them that they have been saved (Rom. 8:16), He seals them (Eph. 1:13-14) and baptizes them into the body of Christ (1Cor. 12:13); the Holy Spirit guides men in everything (Rom. 8:4-5; Gal. 5:16, 25), teaches men (1John. 2:27), helps men to pray (Rom. 8:26), guides men into all truth (John. 16:13) and renews men (Tit. 3:5). The above-mentioned are the “common” works of the Holy Spirit, however, it does not mean that men won’t fall behind or fall after they have received the Holy Spirit.

  The “special” works of the Holy Spirit are to divide the spiritual gifts to every man severally as he will (1Cor. 12:11) and to give some people the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts. 2:4; 8:17; 10:44; 19:6).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The Holy Spirit “came upon them” until the believers in Ephesus “were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v.5), showing that the Holy Spirit bears witness of the Lord Jesus; every spiritual activity won’t be sealed by the Holy Spirit if it does not magnify the name of the Lord.

2) The Spirit’s coming upon men is related to “laying hands on” and it implies that the Spirit is for the body of Christ; we have to live in the body of Christ (the church) and then we could fully experience the great power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Acts. 19:7 “Now the men were about twelve in all.

   YLT: “and all the men were, as it were, twelve.”

   Literal Meaning: “about” means “around, as if, like, as, as it were” and it is the word that Luke usually used (Luke. 1:56; 3:22, 23; 9:14, 28; 22:41, 44, 59; 23:44; 24:11; Acts. 2:3, 41; 4:4; 5:36; 6:15; 9:18; 10:3).

 

Acts. 19:8 “And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.

   YLT: “And having gone into the synagogue, he was speaking boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading the things concerning the reign of God,”

   Literal Meaning: “spoke boldly” is a word in the original and it means “pouring out all that one wishes to say without reservation”.

  “Reasoning concerning the things of the kingdom of God” “Reasoning” does not mean the one-sided authoritative preaching from the preacher to the audiences but the face-to-face communicative identification and correction. “The things of the kingdom of God” is the central message that Paul preached (Acts. 14:22; 20:25; 28:23, 31). The kingdom of God is that God reigns in life through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17) so that those who have Christ in them as life are subject to the control of God and the kingdom of God is manifested in righteousness, and peace, and joy in Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).

  “And persuading” “persuading” means “convincing”, explaining the truth in order to bring the minds of the other into submission.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) This verse expresses the main points of preaching the gospel: a) “spoke boldly”, without misgiving; b) “for three months”, make steady efforts; c) “reasoning”, explain, identify and correct; d) “the things of the kingdom of God”, focus on the central subject; e) “and persuading”, persuade earnestly and tirelessly.

2) The prohibition of preaching the gospel: a) be shy and afraid of men; b) be impatient; c) do not regard the feelings of the other; d) be unintelligible; e) be rude and immodest.

 

Acts. 19:9 “But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

   YLT: “and when certain were hardened and were disbelieving, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, having departed from them, he did separate the disciples, every day reasoning in the school of a certain Tyrannus.”

   Literal Meaning: when some were hardened and did not believe” Some Bible exegetes held that “being hardened” refers to the rational rejection; “did not believe” is “disobeying” in the original and it refers to the obstinate will.

  “But spoke evil of the Way before the multitude” “The Way” refers to the gospel.

  “Reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus” “The school of Tyrannus” is the place where Tyrannus, the Greek philosopher or rhetorician, gave lectures and instructed students. Usually he gave lectures in the morning when it was cool. Probably Paul made tents in the morning (See Acts. 20:34-35) and made use of the afternoon when the teacher did not give lectures in the house of Tyrannus and went to the house to preach and discuss the truth.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Though Christians love men, we cannot bear that the Way that we believe is spoken evil by men.

2) “He departed from them and withdrew the disciples” When Christians cannot have the normal testimony of Christians among unbelievers, the best way is to “go out from them” (Is. 52:11). Many times, there is not testimony without departure.

3) Paul spent three month preaching in the synagogue (v.8), however, the moment he saw the wrong condition, he “departed from them” resolutely without any reluctance; Christians should learn to decide what to do.

4) Christians should learn to make use of environments and make the worldly places and implements serve the gospel.

 

Acts. 19:10 “And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

   YLT: “And this happened for two years so that all those dwelling in Asia did hear the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks,”

   Literal Meaning: And this continued for two years” Concerning the “two years” here, “three month” in v.8 and “a time” in v.22, Paul stayed in Ephesus more than two years at least. It was consistent with Paul’s saying of “three years” in the next chapter (Acts. 20:31) because the time less than one year was counted as one year according to the custom of the Jews.

  “So that all who dwelt in Asia” In the last period of Paul’s journey, he changed to stay long in one place and basing in which, he spread the gospel widely to surrounding areas (See Acts. 18:11).

The seven churches (Rev. 1:4, 11) that were mentioned in the Book of Revelation may be established during the two years (See 1Cor. 16:19). According to Paul’s own statement, when he stayed in Ephesus, a great door and effectual was opened unto him, and there were many adversaries (1Cor. 16:9).

  “Heard the word of the Lord Jesus” Paul may use two ways to make people in that area all heard the gospel: 1) not only himself but also those whom he had taught also went out to preach the gospel everywhere; 2) men from various places came to hear Paul preaching and then returned to their own places to preach the gospel and establish the churches.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The Lord’s workers themselves not only preach diligently, but also train believers and make them join the group of preachers and then the great achievement will be gained.

2) Christians should be willing to be instructed and equip ourselves in order to do their bit in the Lord’s works and share the good points of the gospel with men.

 

Acts. 19:11 “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

   YLT: “mighty works also -- not common -- was God working through the hands of Paul,”

   The Background: at that time, the Ephesians were superstitious about false gods and idols (See v.35) and they were easily influenced by signs and miracles. And therefore God worked signs and miracles by the hands of Paul with the background of age and intention. Today in the uncivilized countries and areas, God always worked signs and miracles by the hands of believers.

   Literal Meaning: please note that it is not that Paul worked miracles at his own will but that God worked signs and wonders “by the hands of Paul”. Later even if the fellow-workers of Paul were sick, God did not let Paul heal them by miracles (Pill. 2:27; 1Tim. 5:23; 2Tim. 4:20). It shows that miracles cannot be done randomly by those who have the gifts and men are able to work miracles according to the will of God when they are driven by God.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Most Christians cannot work miracles by their “hands”, however, if we are willing to devote our hands to God. Though everything that God drives us to do seems to be “usual”, it is “unusual” actually.

2) Today, God is still searching for the hands that He could use because the overwhelming majority of believers seem to be willing to listen to the domination of God, and actually they are unwilling to move one finger for the arrangement of God.

 

Acts. 19:12 “so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

   YLT: “so that even unto the ailing were brought from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the sicknesses departed from them; the evil spirits also went forth from them.”

   Meaning of Words: “body”: skin, integument (the medical term).

   Literal Meaning: so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body” “handkerchiefs” may be the piece of cloth that Paul used to wipe the sweat away and it was usually bound to his wrist; “aprons” refers to the leather working apron that he wore before him when he made tents.

   Enlightenment in the Word: If believers truly live for the Lord, therefore those whom he is related to and the things that he uses will be separated by God.

 

Acts. 19:13 “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.’”

   YLT: “And certain of the wandering exorcist Jews, took upon [them] to name over those having the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, `We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul doth preach;'”

   Meaning of Words: “exorcise”: command by the way of curse and threat.

   Literal Meaning: some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists” refer to the Jews who travelled everywhere and made money by exorcism.

  “Took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus” “Taking it upon themselves” means deciding, acting and utilizing on their own without permission.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Whenever God works with His mighty power, Satan is ready to obstruct and oppose by the way of imitation so as to make men be confused about true and false.

2) The name of the Lord Jesus cannot be called or appropriated randomly. If our conditions are wrong, even if we preach, cast out demons and do many wonderful works in the name of the Lord, we won’t be praised by the Lord (Matt. 7:22-23).

3) The name of the Lord Jesus is the greatest inheritance that the Lord gives to the church because He has entrusted Himself to us in His name; if we indeed appropriate the name of the Lord under the “worthy” condition, the Lord Himself will take all the responsibility so that the thing that we declare in the name of the Lord shall be fulfilled.

 

Acts. 19:14 “Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

   YLT: “and there were certain -- seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest -- who are doing this thing;”

   Literal Meaning: Sceva, a Jewish chief priest” Sceva was not the chief priest in Judaism at that time and he may be the heretic and call himself the chief priest. It is said that at that time men believed that the Jewish chief priest was able to call the name of Jehovah God which the common people did not dare to call and therefore he had the special power to cast out demons.

 

Acts. 19:15 “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’”

   YLT: “and the evil spirit, answering, said, `Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with; and ye -- who are ye?'”

   Literal Meaning: and Paul I know” it shows that the power of darkness also knows those who are truly of the Lord Jesus.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The evil spirit knows the servants who are truly of God; “what we do” before men must be of “who we are” before God and then what we do will be of spiritual value.

2) Even Satan knows and fears the one who is truly of spiritual.

3) The evil spirit not only knows the spiritual reality------“Jesus I know, and Paul I know”, but also is able to look through the spiritual hypocrisy------“but who are you?” The hypocrisy is forbidden in the spiritual conflict.

4) We should manifest Christ who is in us, otherwise the evil spirits do not fear us even if we have the position of “chief…” (See v.14) in the church.

 

Acts. 19:16 “Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

   YLT: “And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaping upon them, and having overcome them, prevailed against them, so that naked and wounded they did flee out of that house,”

   Literal Meaning: Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them” Please note that “the evil spirit” spoke previously (See v.15) and here “the man in whom the evil spirit was” put it into practice.

  “Overpowered them” Obviously among the seven men (See v.14), only “them” were involved in this case.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) “The evil spirit” speaks first (See v.15) and then “the man in whom the evil spirit was” acted; the world always walk under the domination of the evil spirit unconsciously.

2) Though the evil spirit and the man in whom the evil spirit is are fierce and common people cannot oppose them, they are powerless to Christians because in us dwells Christ who surpasses all power and authority.

 

Acts. 19:17 “This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

   YLT: “and this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who are dwelling at Ephesus, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified,”

   Meaning of Words: “was magnified”: show great.

   Literal Meaning: and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified” Please note that it is not that “the name of Paul” was glorified but that “the name of Jesus”, the Savior of Paul was magnified. 

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The Lord could not only utilize the positive things but also make use of negative things. The Lord always allows the enemy to be in power temporarily and in the result His name is magnified.

2) Once the spiritual hypocrisy is removed, the Lord Himself is exalted.

 

Acts. 19:18 “And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.

   YLT: “many also of those who did believe were coming, confessing and declaring their acts,”

   Literal Meaning: confessing and telling their deeds” is to confess sins publicly that one had committed before he believed in the Lord. “Deeds” refers to practice. In the original it means “the deeds of magic”, i.e. “who had practiced magic” in v.19.

  This verse shows the example of “confessing”: 1) “many who had believed” shows that they were those who believed and had been saved. It shows that confessing is not the prerequisite for one’s being saved; 2) “many” refers to many of believers instead of all believers and it shows that confessing is not the routine procedure that every believer has to do; 3) “confessing and telling their deeds” shows that they bore witness publicly and condemned the wicked deeds that they did in the past. It shows that confessing aims at the past sins before one had believed in the Lord; 4) “their deeds” shows that only themselves are involved and others are not involved. It shows that we should never confess for others. In conclusion, confessing is that the Holy Spirit works in men so that they reprove themselves (John. 16:8) and they confess before the multitudes in order to glorify God. It is the “result” of being saved in stead of the “reason”. It is not what every believer has to do and it is done when one is inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is not the order or the teaching but the result of the working of the Holy Spirit.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Believers should never formalize their confessing; the confession that is not from the inner heart is not only profitless to himself and others but also brings about loss.

2) When believers confess, if the sin of others is involved, we should take care and should not expose others, lest the accidental adverse effect is brought in (e.g. one confessed that he had committed the adultery with someone and the other was ashamed and committed suicide).

 

Acts. 19:19 “Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

   YLT: “and many of those who had practised the curious arts, having brought the books together, were burning [them] before all; and they reckoned together the prices of them, and found [it] five myriads of silverlings;”

   Literal Meaning: many brought their books together” “Books” refers to the rough straw papers and parchments on which the curses and charms are written.

  And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver” “Fifty thousand pieces of silver” was of high value at that time and it was probably the wage of fifty thousand working days (See Matt. 20:2). Men were willing to pay high price to buy these things with curses and charms because they believed that these could remove disasters, heal disease and cast out demons.

  “Confession” is mentioned in the former verse and “dealing with sin” is mentioned in this verse. Concerning the sins that believers committed in the past, we should end them and deal with them; if we only “confess sins” and do not “deal with them”, the sins may still return back and entangle us. This verse shows us the points that we have to pay attention to when dealing with sins: 1) concerning the things that are related to evil and sins (such as idols, paraphernalia of gambling, tools for divination and licentious painting and calligraphy), the best way is to burn them and we should not sell them, lest these things harm others; 2) when burning the evil and wicked things, we’d better bring them to the church and burn them “in the sight of all”. On one hand we could encourage others and on the other we could join forces to overcome the enemy; 3) we should deal with sins regardless of price. Though the things were fifty thousand pieces of silver, we did not grudge. However, we should not be extreme when dealing with sins, for example, we could sell the luxuries; we may not burn the clothes that are not worthy of the Saints and we could alter them if possible.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) We have to deal with sins thoroughly, publicly and completely.

2) If the job that we make a living before we believe in the Lord is related to the evil spirit or sin, we should deal with it completely and make a clean break with it. If we are reluctant to give it up or still bear it in mind constantly though we have given it up temporarily, we will be entangled by it (See Heb. 12:1).

 

Acts. 19:20 “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

   YLT: “so powerfully was the word of God increasing and prevailing.”

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Today if Christians also deal with the past sins and burn the licentious books, tools and others and it must be helpful to the prevailing of the word of the Lord.

2) Only when believers confess and repent indeed will the word of the Lord prevail in the church.

3) “So” is meaningful: when the sin is out, the Lord comes in, men receive grace and God’s power and authority is greatly manifested.

 

Acts. 19:21 “When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed 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.’”

   YLT: “And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in the Spirit, having gone through Macedonia and Achaia, to go on to Jerusalem, saying -- `After my being there, it behoveth me also to see Rome;'”

   Meaning of Words: “purpose”: put, settle.

   Literal Meaning: to go to Jerusalem” The aim that Paul went to Jerusalem this time was to help the poor Saints there and brought the contribution of the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the city of Jerusalem (Rom. 15:25-26).

  I must also see RomeRome was the capital of the Roman Empire and there were believers there at that time (See Acts. 28:14-15). Paul had a mind to go there to visit them very early (Rom. 1:11-13), however, he went there as a prisoner unexpectedly (Acts. 25:25).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Paul’s view to the churches was quite “macroscopic” and when the church in one place was in difficulty and in need, he encouraged the churches in other places to offer help. Though the churches in various places are administratively independent, the churches connect and communicate with each other in love.

2) Wherever Paul went, he went there with the burden in the Spirit and the mission of the gospel. When believers go out for travel, we’d better seek out the will of God (James. 4:13-15).

 

Acts. 19:22 “So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

   YLT: “and having sent to Macedonia two of those ministering to him -- Timotheus and Erastus -- he himself stayed a time in Asia.”

   Literal Meaning: he sent into Macedonia two…Timothy and Erastus” Who is “Erastus”? Some Bible exegetes held that he was Erastus the chamberlain of the city of Corinth (Rom. 16:24) who was the fruit that Paul bore during the journey of one year and six months in Corinth (Acts. 18:11). He may quit the job after he believed in the Lord and became the assistant of Paul, otherwise he cannot depart from the job over a long period of time and rush about. Later he still returned to his hometown and settled down (2Tim. 4:20). If the above-mentioned surmises are wrong, he may be another Erastus who was not recorded in the Bible.

  “But he himself stayed in Asia for a time” It is surmised that Paul may begin to write the book of Corinthians during this period of time (See 1Cor. 16:8-10).

 

Acts. 19:23 “And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.

   YLT: “And there came, at that time, not a little stir about the way,”

   Literal Meaning: “that time” refers to the time when Paul was about to depart from Ephesus (See Acts. 20:1).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) When the word of the Lord grew mightily (See v.20), the opposition and commotion of the enemy were also “great”. Believers should not become slack when facing the spiritual conflicts.

2) The Lord’s true servants indeed “turn the world upside down” (Acts. 17:6) and wherever they arrive, the power and order of the darkness shall be shaken there and there will arise a great commotion. The spiritual revival in the nineteenth century had great influence and even the cinemas, pubs and brothels were all closed. It shows that the Way performed the function of “the salt and light” towards the society.

 

Acts. 19:24 “For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen.

   YLT: “for a certain one, Demetrius by name, a worker in silver, making silver sanctuaries of Artemis, was bringing to the artificers gain not a little,”

   Meaning of Words: Demetrius” refers to the owner of the Greek grain god Demetry.

   Literal Meaning: who made silver shrines of Diana” “Diana” was the popular female false god in the area of Asia at that time and it had many breasts and symbolized productivity. The superstitious begged it for sons. “Silver shrines” refers to the boxes of putting the idols; the foreign pilgrims went to Ephesus to worship idols and they always liked to buy something like silver shrines back as remembrances.

 

Acts. 19:25 “He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.

   YLT: “whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who did work about such things, he said, `Men, ye know that by this work we have our wealth;”

   Literal Meaning: He called them together with the workers of similar occupation” He joined the workers of similar occupation and took concerted action and it was the essential factor of making greater effort.

  “We have our prosperity by this trade” It shows that they put their interests above truth and righteousness.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The worldly men even know to use the way of “calling together with the workers of similar occupation”, however, the fellow-workers of God always bite and devour one another (Gal. 5:15) and fight and war (James. 4:1-2). The world is better than such workers.

2) Mammon is indeed the enemy of God (Matt. 6:24). Men always act against God for the sake of money.

 

Acts. 19:26 “Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.

   YLT: “and ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, did turn away a great multitude, saying, that they are not gods who are made by hands;”

   Literal Meaning: but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people” Paul made such great response during the two years in Ephesus and he almost got rid of the superstition of men in the local and surrounding places towards idols and false gods. The Bible vividly describes the effort of Paul’s preaching with a single comment through the month of the Gentiles.

  “They are not gods which are made with hands” It is the best definition of the visible idols. All figures that are engraved, molded, painted or made with hands, no matter they are the characters in the Bible, the spiritual giants and even the images of the Lord Jesus (it is not the real images of the Lord but the images made by men’s imagination) are not God and therefore we should not worship them.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Believers should not esteem the works of men above what is written in the Bible (1Cor. 4:6), lest we worship what are “made with hands” as God unconsciously.

2) Every spiritual book is “made with hands” at most and we could only use them to know God further, however, we should never regard it as the Bible and even above the Bible.

 

Acts. 19:27 “So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.’”

   YLT: “and not only is this department in danger for us of coming into disregard, but also, that of the great goddess Artemis the temple is to be reckoned for nothing, and also her greatness is about to be brought down, whom all Asia and the world doth worship.'”

   Meaning of Words: “the world”: the habitable world.

   Literal Meaning: but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised” “The temple of the great goddess Diana” is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and it was built two kilometers away from the city. Please see the note in v.1.

  “Whom all Asia and the world worship” It indicates that at that time within the border of the province of Asia and the Roman Empire, there were about thirty places worshiping the goddess Diana of Ephesus.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Not only the Gentiles always esteem god apparently and plan for their own interests actually but also Christians suppose that gain is godliness (1Tim. 6:5).

2) When the gospel comes to one place, the pocket of the wicked shall be influenced there.

 

Acts. 19:28 “Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!’”

   YLT: “And they having heard, and having become full of wrath, were crying out, saying, `Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!'”

   Literal Meaning: Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath” All the people lost their minds in this way and they were like beasts and it is no wonder that Paul remembered that he “had fought with beasts at Ephesus” later (1Cor. 15:32).

 

Acts. 19:29 “So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions.

   YLT: “and the whole city was filled with confusion, they rushed also with one accord into the theatre, having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's fellow-travellers.”

   Literal Meaning: having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions” Concerning “Gaius, Macedonian”, some Bible exegetes held that he was Gaius of Derbe in the twentieth chapter (Acts. 20:4) and “Derbe” there was “Doberius” in some Greek versions which was a city in Macedonia and it was not the Derbe in the province of Galatia.

Aristarchus” was a Thessalonian and he later accompanied Paul to Jerusalem (Acts. 20:4) and Rome (Acts. 27:2) and became the fellow-prisoner of Paul (Col. 4:10).

  “And rushed into the theater with one accord” “The theater” was an open theater where the Ephesians watched big events and it could hold about twenty-five thousand people. At that time many open great gatherings were held there.

 

Acts. 19:30 “And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him.

   YLT: “And on Paul's purposing to enter in unto the populace, the disciples were not suffering him,”

   Literal Meaning: to the people” “the people” refers to “deemos” in the original and here it refers to the mobs who gathered in the theater.

  “The disciples would not allow him” Though Paul had the ambition to do something regardless of personal safety for the Lord and fellow-workers, the disciples thought that he did not need to risk the danger.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The Lord’s words also tell us that, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” We have to beware of men (Matt. 10:16-17).

2) We should learn both the utterly fearless attitude from Paul and the cautious attitude from the disciples.

 

Acts. 19:31 “Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater.

   YLT: “and certain also of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, having sent unto him, were entreating him not to venture himself into the theatre.”

   Literal Meaning: some of the officials of Asia” “Officials” were the leaders of the people. They were those who were chosen to make preparations for celebrations and races and they obviously did not approve the uproar.

  “Who were his friends” “Friends” probably shows that they were kind to Paul and were always willing to hear Paul preaching.

 

Acts. 19:32 “Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

   YLT: “Some indeed, therefore, were calling out one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they were come together;”

   Enlightenment in the Word: the world always “follows the herd” and does not know what they talk about. In the church we should not follow others to gather together to stir up trouble but judge all things (1Thess. 5:20-21).

 

Acts. 19:33 “And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people.

   YLT: “and out of the multitude they put forward Alexander -- the Jews thrusting him forward -- and Alexander having beckoned with the hand, wished to make defence to the populace,”

   Literal Meaning: And they drew Alexander out of the multitude” The “Alexander” here may be not a believer but the Jewish leader in the city of Ephesus. He was chosen to represent the Jews to declare to the mobs that the Jews had nothing to do with Christians, lest they be influenced by the uproar. And therefore he was not Alexander the coppersmith who had put away conscience and did Paul much evil (1Tim. 1:20; 2Tim. 4:14).

 

Acts. 19:34 “But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!’”

   YLT: “and having known that he is a Jew, one voice came out of all, for about two hours, crying, `Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!'”

 

Acts. 19:35 “And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

   YLT: “And the public clerk having quieted the multitude, saith, `Men, Ephesians, why, who is the man that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is a devotee of the great goddess Artemis, and of that which fell down from Zeus?”

   Literal Meaning: And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd” “The clerk” refers to the Liaison Officer between the local organs of self-government and the Roman provincial government and he usually acted chairmen of the mass meeting.

  “And of the image which fell down from Zeus” According to the local superstitions, an image of a goddess with many breasts came down from above and it was made by the hands of god in heaven. Actually it was an aerolite which looked like a woman with many breasts.

 

Acts. 19:36 “Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly.

   YLT: “these things, then, not being to be gainsaid, it is necessary for you to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.”

   Literal Meaning: “do nothing rashly” “Do rashly” indicates acting recklessly and offending the law.

 

Acts. 19:37 “For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.

   YLT: “`For ye brought these men, who are neither temple-robbers nor speaking evil of your goddess;”

Acts. 19:38 “Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.

  YLT: “if indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the artificers with him with any one have a matter, court [days] are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.”

   Literal Meaning: there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.” “Proconsuls” are the governors who were sent by the Roman Government to the province of Asia; here the plural word “proconsuls” is used probably because the governor at that time was assassinated (the end of A.D. 54) and the successor had not assumed the post and more than two officials were appointed to act as agents temporarily.

    “Bring charges against one another” It indicates that the private litigation should be sued by the litigant and settled by the governor.

 

Acts. 19:39 “But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly.

   YLT: “`And if ye seek after anything concerning other matters, in the legal assembly it shall be determined;”

   Literal Meaning: it shall be determined in the lawful assembly” It indicates that according to the conventions at that time, the governor always made a round of inspection over every main city and held the mass meeting three times every month in various cities in order to hear the important cases concerning the public.

 

Acts. 19:40 “For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.’”

   YLT: “for we are also in peril of being accused of insurrection in regard to this day, there being no occasion by which we shall be able to give an account of this concourse;'”

   Literal Meaning: we are in danger of being called in question” “Being called in question” indicates the investigation and blame of the Roman Government. At that time the Roman Government permitted the approved mass meetings and did not permit the illegal meetings or uproar.

 

Acts. 19:41 “And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

   YLT: “and these things having said, he dismissed the assembly.”

   Meaning of Words: “the assembly” the congregation that was gathered together.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

The Service of the Whole Person

I. “Having passed through the upper regions” (v.1)------the service of feet.

II. “When Paul had laid hands on…the Holy Spirit came upon them” (v.6)------the service of spirit.

III. “Speaking boldly…reasoning and persuading” (v.8)------the service of month.

IV. “Speaking evil of the Way…he departed from them” (v.9)------the service of head.

V. “God worked…by the hands of Paul” (v.11)------the service of hands.

 

The Tricks that the Enemy Resisted the Truth

I. Making believers lack the complete knowledge of the truth (v.1-4).

II. Making men be hardened and not believe and even speak evil of the Way (v.9).

III. Making men pretend to be believers and take it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus (v.13-14).

IV. Make men rouse the commotion and oppose the Way (v.23-32).

 

The Perfect Gospel

I. Repent and believe on Jesus (v.4).

II. Receive the Holy Spirit (v.2).

III. Be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (v.5).

IV. The Holy Spirit comes upon them (v.6).

V. Heal the sick and cast out evil spirits (v.12).

 

Three Kinds of Baptism

I. The baptism of John------repentance (v.4).

II. The baptism in the name of the Lord------faith (v.5).

III. The baptism of the Holy Spirit------power (v.6).

 

The Description of the “Way”

I. The Way was spoken evil of by unbelievers (v.9).

II. The Way was preached so that all people heard the word of the Lord Jesus (v.10).

III. The word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed (v.20).

IV. There arose a great commotion about the Way (v.23).

 

The Several “Greatness” in Acts. 19

I. God worked “unusual” (i.e. “great”) miracles by the hands of Paul (v.11).

II. The name of the Lord Jesus was “magnified” (v.17).

III. Men paid “great price” (fifty thousand pieces of silver) to deal with sins in order to hallow the Lord (v.19).

IV. The word of the Lord grew “mightily” and prevailed (v.20).

V. There arose a “great” commotion about the Way (v.23).

VI. The superstitious crowd cried out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” (v.34).

 

What the Devil was not Afraid

I. It is not afraid that men take it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus (v.13)------the letter.

II. It is not afraid that men do something “by the Jesus whom Paul preaches” (v.13)------the imitation.

III. It is not afraid of “the son of a Jewish chief priest” (v.14)------the tradition.

IV. It is not afraid of “who are you?” (v.15)------the appearance.

 

The Reason that the World Opposed Christians

I. “We have our prosperity by this trade” (v.25)------the problem of benefits.

II. “In danger of falling into disrepute…be despised” (v.27)------the problem of vanity.

III. “Found out that he was a Jew…” (v.34a)------the problem of race.

IV. “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” (v.34b)------the problem of superstition.

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

   Translated by Sharon Ren