New Testament in a Year

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces to get to the city of Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”

They answered him, “No, we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

³ Paul asked them, “What kind of baptism did you have?”

They answered, “John’s baptism.”

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.^[a] John told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.”

⁵ After they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed. ⁷ About twelve men were in the group.

⁸ For three months Paul would go into the synagogue and speak boldly. He had discussions with people to convince them about God’s kingdom. ⁹ But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and had nothing good to say in front of the crowd about the way ⌞of Christ⌟, he left them. He took his disciples and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This continued 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 worked unusual miracles through Paul. ¹² People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them.

¹³ Some Jews used to travel from place to place and force evil spirits out of people. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to force evil spirits out of those who were possessed. These Jews would say, “I order you ⌞to come out⌟ in the name of Jesus, whom Paul talks about.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

¹⁵ But the evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I’m acquainted with Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man possessed by the evil spirit attacked them. He beat them up so badly that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

¹⁷ All the Jews and Greeks living in the city of Ephesus heard about this. All of them were filled with awe for the name of the Lord Jesus and began to speak very highly about it. ¹⁸ Many believers openly admitted their involvement with magical spells and told all the details. ¹⁹ Many of those who were involved in the occult gathered their books and burned them in front of everyone. They added up the cost of these books and found that they were worth 50,000 silver coins. ²⁰ In this powerful way the word of the Lord was spreading and gaining strength.