Acts 19:1
Outline:
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
A. \\#1:1-3\\ The Introduction
B. \\#1:4-26\\ Jesus’ Departure
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
III. \\#Acts 13:1-28:31\\ God’s Work in Uttermost Parts of the World
A. \\#13:1-14:28\\ The First Missionary Journey
1. \\#13:1-3\\ The Calling
2. \\#13:4\\ Seleucia
3. \\#13:5-12\\ Cyprus
4. \\#13:13\\ Perga in Pamphylia
5. \\#13:14-52\\ Antioch of Pisidia
6. \\#14:1-5\\ Iconium
7. \\#14:6-19\\ Lystra
8. \\#14:21\\ Debra
9. \\#14:22-25\\ Retracing the Journey
10. \\#14:25\\ Attalia
11. \\#14:26-28\\ Antioch of Syria
B. \\#15:1-35\\ Judaism or Grace
1. \\#15:1-3\\ The Issue
2. \\#15:4-29\\ The Council At Jerusalem
3. \\#15:30-35\\ The return to Antioch
C. \\#15:36-18:22\\ Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
1. \\#15:36-40\\ Problems in Preparation
2. \\#15:41\\ Syria and Cilicia
3. \\#16:1-5\\ Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium
4. \\#16:6-9\\ "they had gone throughout"
5. \\#16:11-40\\ On to Philippi
6. \\#17:1-9\\ Thessalonica
7. \\#17:10-14\\ Berea
8. \\#17:15-34\\ Athens
9. \\#18:1-18\\ Corinth
10. \\#18:19-21\\ Ephesus
11. \\#18:22\\ Caesarea
D. \\#Acts 18:23-21:17\\ Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
1. \\#18:23\\ Galatia and Phrygia
2. \\#18:24-28\\ Apollos in Ephesus
3. \\#19:1-23\\ Paul Returned to Ephesus
I. \\#Acts 19:1-23\\ Paul Returned to Ephesus Ephesians Map
A. \\#1-7\\ The Completed Gospel
1. \\#1\\ "Paul …came to Ephesus"
a. In \\#Acts 18:19-21\\, Paul had stopped there briefly
on the last leg of his second missionary journey.
The latter part of that chapter kept us up on Aquila
and Priscilla who had stayed there. Paul returned to
Ephesus by land as soon as possible.
b. The city was referred to as "The Light of Asia." It
had a population of more than 300,000. It was the
fourth largest city in the world after Rome,
Alexander in Egypt, and Syria in Antioch.
http://www.biblelandhistory.com/turkey/ephesus.html
2. \\#2-7\\ "finding certain disciples" - Paul found 12 men
\\#7\\ who, like Apollos \\#18:25\\, knew only as much
as John the Baptist had revealed \\#19:3\\.
a. Knowing and believing what John preached was sufficent
until Jesus came; but once Jesus died and rose, this
knowledge was lacking.
b. \\#4\\ Paul preached to them the gospel of Jesus’
coming.
c. \\#5\\ "they were baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus" - Which they accepted and believed upon.
d. \\#6\\ "Paul had laid his hands upon them" - And after
they were saved, God filled them with the Holy Ghost.
B. \\#8-12\\ A Summary of Paul’s Ministry
1. \\#8\\ "he went into the synagogue" - It was Paul’s habit
to witness to the Jews first.
2. "for the space of three months"
a. I still wonder if Paul worked exclusively with the
Jews first, attempting to have no offense by his
association with the Gentiles.
b. This seems to be one of the longest periods that Paul
was able to minister to the Jews before they turned
against him.
c. \\#9\\ "divers were hardened …believed not …spake
evil of ‘that way’" - But in time, the choice of the
Jews was clear, especially when they began to speak
evil of "that way," Jesus and the way to heaven.
3. So Paul…
a. "departed" - Paul turned away from the Jews as they
had turned away from Jesus. That would not mean
that Paul never spoke to Jews about Jesus, just that
it was not his main ministry anymore.
b. "and separated the disciples" - Apparently, Paul
divided the group of preachers who were with him,
leaving some to continue to minister to the Jews
while the others joined him in ministering to the
Gentiles.
c. "disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus." - We
have no additional information on Tyrannus. As to
the school, it may have been a place of education or
of philosophy.
d. \\#10\\ "continued by the space of two years"
(1) Paul had spend 18 months in Corinth, but now
Ephesus became his longest recorded stay.
(2) \\#Acts 20:31\\ Paul will say that he ministered
in Ephesus "the space of three years," most
of which would have to be at the beginning of
his third missionary journey.
(3) "all they which dwelt in Asia heard …both
Jews and Greeks" - Not only did Ephesus have
people from around the world coming to it,
but I imagine that Paul sent the disciples
out from there in all directions to share the
word of Jesus.
e. \\#11-12\\ "God wrought special miracles"
(1) \\#11\\ Paul was not only the main speaker but
apparently the main miracle worker, giving proof
that his message was true.
(2) \\#12\\ "handkerchiefs and aprons" - The power to
heal was so great, that cloth items touched by
Paul gave healing.
C. \\#13-16\\ A Counterfeit Attempt
1. \\#13-14\\ "vagabond Jews, exorcists"
a. \\#13\\ "Vagabond" means these were nomadic Jews, not
living in anyone place for long.
b. "Exorcists" means they were involved in the casting
out of demons. Whether their work had any legitimacy
to it prior to this or not is unknown, but most
believe it did not.
c. \\#14\\ "seven sons" - Their number and family
relationship to each is given. They were brothers.
d. "Sceva, a Jew, chief of the priests" - They were of
the tribe of Levi and their father was a high ranking
priest.
2. \\#14-16\\ "did so"
a. Seeing what Paul could do in Jesus’ name, they
attempted it also.
b. \\#15\\ "the evil spirit answered" - Demons are real,
powerful, purpose-driven, and able to communicate.
c. "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?" - The
power was not in the words spoken but in relationship
with Jesus Christ!
d. \\#16\\ "the man …leaped on them" - And the demon-
possessed man ripped into the seven brothers until
they fled.
D. \\#17-20\\ The Glorification of Jesus
1. \\#17\\ And this was known …fear fell.. Jesus was
magnified" - People figured out that God was involved in
Paul’s ministry.
2. \\#18\\ "And many that believed …shewed their deeds"
Theirs was not a confession in word only but in life’s
practices. How so?
a. \\#19\\ "curious arts" - They brought their occultist
devices and "books" and burned them.
b. The total being "fifty thousand pieces of silver" - A
pieces of silver is thought to have weight around
1/2 an ounce. On July 3, 2015, silver sold at
$15.70 per ounce so that would be worth almost
$400,000.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/smiths-bible-
dictionary/piece-of-silver.html
3. \\#20\\ "So mightily grew the word of God" - The Word of
God’s reached many hearts and changed many lives.
E. \\#21-22\\ Paul’s Future Plans
1. "Paul purposed in his spirit" - Paul had a desire spring
within him.
a. First to pass "through Macedonia and Achaia, …
Jerusalem" - He wanted to finish visiting the cities
from his second missionary journey and then return to
Jerusalem—probably for a feast. Paul was still a
Jew and Jews were commanded to return to Jerusalem
three times each year. Although Paul was not able to
do that, he did not want to neglect for too long his
Jewish worship.
b. "I must also see Rome" - Then Paul wanted to go to
Rome. Paul will make reference to this desire
\\#1Cor 16:5-7, 2Cor 1:26-17, Romans 1:11-13\\.
c. However, Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem will hinder him
coming to Rome, at least in the fashion he had
imagined.
2. \\#22\\ "So he sent into Macedonia two of them" - Paul
sends Timothy and Erastus on ahead, probably carrying the
letter of First Corinthians.
3. "but he himself stayed in Asia for a season" - Yet Paul
stayed awhile longer in Ephesus.
F. \\#23-41\\ The Crisis
1. \\#23\\ "the same time" - At that time, a crisis
developed.
2. \\#24-27\\ "Demetrius, a silversmith" - Demetrius, who
made his income from making idols of Diana, called the
local union together to do something about their
declining profits as people turned from idols to Jesus.
3. \\#28-34\\ "Great is Diana of the Ephesians" - Between the
threat to their income and their religious fervor, a
city-wide ruckus erupted. The results being:
a. \\#29\\ "the whole city was filled with confusion"
The confusion is described again in \\#32\\, saying
that most there did not know why "they were come
together."
b. "Gaius and Aristarus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s
companions in travel" - We meet two more of Paul’s
traveling companions. These two, who were from
across the sea, were caught by the crowd.
c. \\#30-31\\ "Paul would have entered"
(1) And Paul would have gone to attempt to free his
friends and quell the crowd but the other
disciples would not allow him.
(2) \\#31\\ And so did some of "the chief of Asia,
which were his friends."
d. \\#33\\ "And they drew Alexander out of the
multitude, the Jews putting him forward" - It sounds
like the unbelieving Jews pointed Alexander, a
believing Jew, out to the mob.
(1) "would have made his defense" - Who beckoned to
the people to quieten down so that he could
speak.
(2) \\#34\\ "knew he was a Jews" - But when the
crowd knew Alexander was the same nationality
as "Christianity," for so it was still viewed
as by many of the unbelievers, they chanted,
"Great is Diana of the Ephesians" for "two
hours."
4. \\#35-41\\ "when the townclerk had appeased the people"
a. This man held some type of office in the city and
probably worked for most of the two hours to get the
people calmed down.
b. \\#35\\ Common Ground - The man established common
ground, acknowledging:
(1) Everyone "knoweth …that the city …is a
worshipper of… Diana."
(2) He also gave the background of their goddess. It
"fell down from Jupiter." Apparently it was a
meteorite, believed to have come not from the
planet Jupiter but from their chief god named
Jupiter.
c. \\#36\\ Counsel - "be quiet, and to do nothing rash"
d. \\#37-39\\ Complaint
(1) \\#37\\ These men have done nothing serious
against Diana, i.e. they were "not robbers of
churches nor yet blasphemers."
(2) \\#38-39\\ If Demetrius and his friends had a
matter of the law, they should deal with it in a
"lawful assembly."
e. \\#40\\ Consequences - "For we are in danger to be
called in question" - For that type of assembly could
be brought to Rome’s attention. No one wanted to be
noticed by Rome!
f. \\#41\\ "he dismissed the assembly."
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