Acts 19
Paul in Ephesus
19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.[c] 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21 After all this had happened, Paul decided[d] to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
The Riot in Ephesus
23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia,and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38 If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” 41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
Perhaps the most notably difference between modern churches and the early church is the presence and volume of deliverance ministry. Deliverance was one of the foundations of Jesus’ ministry and continued into the early church. It was not uniquely Christian, Jews would participate in deliverance also. In today’s western society, the idea of demonic possession or influence is no longer as acceptable. To accuse someone of being possessed is seen as semi-abusive and intolerant. There is also a shame attached to deliverance and so deliverance is usually absent from our churches, misdiagnosed and ignored.
In Acts 19 we read a story about seven sons of a Jewish priest who have seen the Christians engaging in deliverance ministry with power. They decide to copy them and use the name of Jesus to try to drive out some demons. However, the demons laugh at them, saying that they do not know them, and then beat them and bizarrely strip their clothes off them. So what do we learn about deliverance in Acts 19?
- Demons are real
You may find this awkward or unenlightened but the Bible is very clear that there are demonic forces at work in the world and that they can attach themselves to people through sin or brokenness and cause massive damage to their lives. They are not simply cultural forces or mental health challenges but speak through people and identify themselves as the demonic. There is a difference between possession and oppression. Many are confused, ensnared and damaged by the influence of darkness upon them.
- Demons know who you are (or not)
Demons were aware of people’s spiritual authority. They knew of Paul but they did not know of the young men who were approaching them, probably looking to make a name for themselves. In the same way, your spiritual activity is noticed and known by both angels and demons. You have a reputation (or not). They know who you are even if you don’t know who they are.
- You can drive out demons
The early church would free people of demonic forces that were oppressing them. The language was always strong: drive out. This implies a confidence and lack of compromise, demanding that the man or woman be left alone. This is still a key ministry for believers today and is needed in so many lives.
- There is power in the name of Jesus - but not in a technique
You can not fake spiritual authority. It is interesting that they copied the prayers of the Christians and they did not work. This was because they did not belong to Jesus. They were not living as part of his kingdom, following his way and sharing his message. Our power comes from Christ and we can speak in his name and with his authority. In another passage Jesus tells his disciples that sometimes it requires prayer and fasting. Our spiritual power and authority comes from our obedience and our connection to him.
Of course, none of this means that we should start going around accusing people of being demon-possessed. Jesus told us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. We should be sharp and awake to the spiritual forces at play in the world around us, realising that people’s actions are not always without influence. We can confront spiritual forces and cast them out without causing unnecessary drama or controversy. However, we must engage in the spiritual battles of our town because there are people around us who desperately need help and we have the power.
