Acts, Chapter 19
© Copyright 2007 Darroll Evans, all rights reserved

 

Acts 19:1-7
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.

 

The first portion of this first verse actually belongs at the end of Chapter 18.

 

That chapter should have ended with Apollos in Corinth.  Instead, that short phrase is used as a time reference to show that Chapter 19 was taking place during the same time-frame as when Paul went to Ephesus.

 

Chapter 19 should begin in section “b” of the first verse.

 

In the meantime, Paul had traveled to Ephesus.  There, he found a few disciples.  They were in the same spiritual lack of understanding as Apollos was when he met Aquila and Priscilla.

 

Paul asked them, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?”

 

That question is still valid and sadly most “Christians” have not.  They have had no personal experience with the baptism in the Holy Spirit.  Many even fear or out right reject that biblical teaching.  Some denominations reject the Holy Spirit, while in other cases, individual Churches reject Him.

 

Their response was. “We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Ghost.”

 

Sadly, that too is a “today” Christian response.

 

So, Paul asked, “Unto what then were you baptized?”

 

They replied, “John's baptism.”

 

John’s baptism was a regenerational baptism that has been adopted by all true Protestant Churches and a few quasi-Christian Churches.  Such an immersion is, forgive the word, “bogus.” All Churches that practice infant baptism also practice the lie that is regenerational baptism! If John’s baptism was allowed to stand, Paul would have been accepting salvation by works, which is what regenerational baptism declares.

 

We are never baptized in order to be saved.  Instead, we are baptized to indicate our salvation.

 

Some Churches have people come forward to acknowledge Christ Jesus as Lord publicly.  Those who do so are saved before the step out to come. They are NOT saved because they came forward!

 

1 Cor 12:3b no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

 

The teaching that an unregenerate heart can choose righteousness in Christ is FALSE!

 

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

 

Christ chooses us!

 

Any teaching to the contrary is a satanic lie!

 

Free will as it relates to salvation is a denial of the power of God! As It relates to salvation, free will is rooted and grounded in carnal human pride!

 

The most popular claim from “free will advocates” is that God did not create us to be robots, and that point is correct, as far as it goes.

 

We have not come up to the level of being robots.  We are just lumps of clay being molded by the Master Potter.

 

Jer 18:1-6
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

 

Isa 45:9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

 

All that is Old Testament, what about the New?

 

Rom 9:14-22
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

 

Free will is man’s way of proclaiming power over God!

 

One of the great messages of the Old Testament is: Man’s free will does not work.

 

Moses led the children of Israel to freedom and they promised God that they would do what He (God) wanted them to do.

 

Exod 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

 

They failed! And, if you try the same thing, the results will be the same!

 

Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan River into a land flowing with milk and honey.  He asked them to choose.

 

Josh 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

 

Their loyalty to the Lord lasted all of ONE DAY!

 

That is one of the great lessons from the Old Testament!

 

The carnal man cannot truly acknowledge Christ as Lord!  Such an acknowledgement requires the Spirit’s intervention.

 

Unrighteousness will not willingly accept righteousness.  That requires an act of God!

 

Rom 8:5-8

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 

Free will is a carnal!  Those who cling to free will have rejected Christ as Lord of their lives, and that includes many supposed Pastors!

 

Then, Paul told them, “John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling people that they should believe on Him, which should come after him that is, on Christ Jesus.”

 

There is power in the Word!

 

When the men heard that, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

 

AND, after Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Ghost came on them.  And as a result, they spoke with tongues (the heavenly language), and prophesied.

 

They did not just speak in tongues or just prophesy.  The spoke in tongues AND prophesied!

 

That happened to all twelve men.  Twelve is a complete number.

 

Acts 19:8-10
8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

 

Then, Paul went into the local Synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months.  Do you remember when Paul said, “Your blood is on your own heads; I am clean: from this point I will go unto the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6).

 

Paul loved the Hebrew people and knew that they needed Christ.  All those without Christ, regardless of race, are LOST and bound for the Lake of fire!

 

During that 3 month period, Paul spoke persuasively to Jews concerning the Kingdom of God.  However (do you recall what I just wrote about free will and the carnal mind), some were hardened!  They did not harden themselves.  God is Omnipotent! He hardened them!  God did it for the sake of Gentiles.  That is a difficult teaching.

 

Exodus 7:13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

 

Rom 11:11-12
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

 

Acts 2:47b And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

Man may “add” to churches, but God adds to THE CHURCH!

 

Israel has stumbled, but they have not fallen out of God’s eternal love!

 

Some in the Synagogue “were hardened.”   Due to God hardening their hearts they could not believe.  Instead, they spoke wickedly against the Truth of the Way! So, Paul left them and took the professing Christians both Jews and Gentile converts with him.  Paul taught them through discussion and exhortation at the school of Tyrannus.

 

I have heard a “preacher” of a gospel teach that there is no place in the Bible that tells Christians to “come out” from among sinners.  That preacher is biblically ignorant!  He obviously has never read the Bible!

 

2 Cor 6:14-18
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

 

That is New Testament, Pauline Doctrine, grace-based Bible teaching!

 

Paul remained there for about 2 years.  During that time, all of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) heard the Word of the Lord concerning cross of the Lord Christ Jesus.

 

Acts 19:11-12
11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

 

Also, during that time, God worked many miracles though Paul, healing many who were sick.  The healings were so spectacular that cloths were brought to Paul and when the ill received them, the demonic spirits abandoned their assignments.

 

Acts 19:13-20
13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

 

It was also during that period that some Jewish exorcists (Yes, Jews, during that time, had exorcists.), attempted to use Jesus’ name and authority over demonic spirits. 

 

Jews in that day, even bogus exorcists knew more about spiritual matters than today’s Jewish community.  Most of today’s Jews, including all orthodox Rabbis are spiritually inept! 

 

Those bogus exorcists addressed the demons saying, “We command you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

 

That was a mistake!  Only the chosen of God in Christ have any right to use the name and authority of Christ Jesus.

 

Those men (the seven sons of Sceva) received a response they were ill prepared to deal with.

 

The evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

 

All who “falsely” claim to know Christ would have received the same response.  Unfortunately, some of those who “falsely” claim Christ serve as Pastors in large Churches.

 

At that point, the evil spirit jumped on them like “ugly” on the proverbial ape, and beat them about the face and body.  I would call it a fight, but the “fight” was beaten out of them.

 

The story of that one-sided “battle” was well known to both Jews and Greeks, and fear came to all who would seek to abuse the name of the Lord. As a result, many that falsely believed came, confessed their deeds.

 

Many of those who had given up their idols publicly, but not privately, brought their evil books together, and burned them in front of all men.  The retail price of the books was about fifty thousand pieces of silver (approximately 137 years wages for the average worker in that day).  And, in all that the word of God grew and prevailed.

 

Acts 19:21-41
21 After these things were ended, 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.
22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
39 But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

 

After all that, Paul purposed (in the Spirit) to go to Jerusalem.  He reasoned that he must go to Rome.  I don’t know if Paul had any idea that he would get there the way he did. However, Paul did have confidence that he would go to Rome to preach and teach Christ Jesus. How he got to Rome was not his problem! Christ Jesus would provide the opportunity!

 

Paul did go to Rome guarded by the Roman Army all the way!  When he arrived, Paul lived in a rented house prior to and during his first trial! During that time he taught all who came to him the gospel of Christ Jesus!

 

Paul sent Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia while he stayed in Asia for a season. About that same time a ruckus arose.  A silversmith named Demetrius made silver shrines for worshippers of Diana.  That was the main source of income for him and the area craftsmen.

 

Demetrius called for a meeting of the area silversmiths, and told them, “You all know that it is through this craft that we have our income. Furthermore, you see and heard that Paul has persuaded many to turn away from those that he says are not gods, which is what we made with our hands. As a result, our craft is in danger of destruction.  And, not only is our craft in danger, but also the temple of Diana is likewise in danger.

 

When they heard that they were filled with anger, and shouted, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

 

The whole city was filled with confusion. They mobbed Paul’s companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, and took them to the local theatre (a communal meeting place).

 

Paul’s friends prevented him from going to the theatre. Some said one thing and another said something else.  It was confusing. Many did not know why they were there.

 

Alexander tried to say something, but when they understood that he was a Jew, they prevented him from speaking.

 

Then the town clerk tried to appease them by saying, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there among you that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is where the goddess Diana is worshipped?”

 

“Seeing that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet, and not act irrationally. You have brought these men here, and they are neither robbers of churches (literally temples), nor blasphemers of your goddess. If Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a legal problem, the law is open, and there are magistrates to deal with it.  So, let them bring legal charges.

 

“It should be determined in a lawful court.  There is no logical reason to justify this gathering.”

 

When he had spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

 

Chapter 20

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