New Testament in a Year
Paul in Ephesus
19 It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul passed through the inland districts and came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 He then asked, “Then into what were you baptized?”
They answered, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John baptized when they repented, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages[a] and to prophesy. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
8 He went into the synagogue and spoke there boldly for three months, holding discussions and persuading those who heard him[b] about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and slandered the Way in front of the people, Paul[c] left them, taking his disciples away with him, and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.[d] 10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord. 11 God continued to do extraordinary miracles through Paul.[e] 12 When handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, their diseases left them and evil spirits went out of them.
13 Then some Jews who went around trying to drive out demons attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus on those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches!” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.
15 But the evil spirit told them, “Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”
16 Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them, got the better of them, and so violently overpowered all of them that they fled out of the house naked and bruised. 17 When this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks alike, they all became terrified, and the name of the Lord Jesus began to be held in high honor. 18 Many who became believers kept coming to confess and talk about what they had been doing. 19 Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated their value and found them to have been worth 50,000 silver coins.[f] 20 In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing.
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