Ephesus
Acts 19:1–41
Throughout Acts, Luke has been showing how the early Christians interacted with Jews, Gentiles sympathetic to Judaism, Greco-Roman pagans, uncivilized idol-worshipers, and even Greek philosophers. For such diverse audiences, the missionaries need to keep adjusting both their evangelizing approaches and their defense against attacks. Paul’s ministry at Ephesus, a city famous for its involvement in magic as well as for its temple of the goddess Artemis, illustrates how the early Christians dealt with magical practices, which they encountered not only among pagans but even among some Jews. They also had to contend with the fact that the Christian message can have political and economic repercussions, leading to hostility and even persecution.
Paul in Ephesus (19:1–12)
1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior of the country and came [down] to Ephesus where he found some disciples. 2He said to them, “Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered him, “We have never even heard that there is a holy Spirit.” 3He said, “How were you baptized?” They replied, “With the baptism of John.” 4Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul laid [his] hands on them, the holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7Altogether there were about twelve men.
8He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly with persuasive arguments about the kingdom of God. 9But when some in their obstinacy and disbelief disparaged the Way before the assembly, he withdrew and took his disciples with him and began to hold daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This continued for two years with the result that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord, Jews and Greeks alike. 11So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul 12that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
OT: Isa 40:3; Mal 3:1
NT: Matt 28:19; Luke 3:4, 16; Acts 1:5; 11:15–16; 13:24–25
Catechism: Holy Spirit and baptism, 798, 1279, 2670
Lectionary: Acts 19:1b–6a: Confirmation Mass (optional)
[19:1–3]
When Paul arrives at Ephesus, he finds a group of disciples, but something seems to be missing. He pinpoints the problem by asking, “Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?” Their surprising answer is that they never even heard that there is a holy Spirit. This rules out the possibility that they could be full-fledged Christians, since Christian initiation entails receiving the Spirit as Jesus’ disciples did at Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4; 8:14–17; 10:44–48). They were baptized only with the baptism of John.
[19:4]
John’s baptism of repentance only prepared the way for Jesus, as the Gospel explains (Luke 3:4). Here Paul reemphasizes the point: John himself had told the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus, who “will baptize you with the holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16).
[19:5]
In response, these disciples are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Luke is not necessarily repeating the actual baptismal formula. Rather, his intent is to emphasize their Christian baptism in distinction from the baptism of John. Being baptized into “the name of the Lord Jesus” means to come into a personal union with Jesus, to belong to him, to follow him as his disciple. The Church today, as throughout Christian tradition, baptizes new believers “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” the Trinitarian formulation at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (Matt 28:19).
[19:6–7]
The Greek text uses a single sentence for the entire sequence of their baptism (instead of the two in the NAB), implying that the rite of baptism, begun in verse 5, was only complete when Paul laid [his] hands on them. The immediate consequence is that the holy Spirit comes upon them, thus continuing to fulfill Jesus’ promise: “John baptized with water, but . . . you will be baptized with the holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5; 11:16). The outward signs of the Spirit’s coming on these disciples are the same as occurred at Pentecost: they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Another hint that the Pentecost event is being repeated is the detail that there were about twelve men, recalling the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. In Scripture the number twelve often symbolizes the people of God (see sidebar).
[19:8]
In Ephesus as in other cities, Paul begins by preaching in the synagogue. For three months he debates skeptical Jews boldly with persuasive arguments about the kingdom of God. Presumably he is declaring that the centuries of Jewish longing for God’s reign (see Isa 24:23; 52:7) have been fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
[19:9]
As often before, the Jewish reaction to Paul’s message is mixed: some in their obstinacy and disbelief resist his teaching. They publicly contradict Paul and disparage the Way, the shorthand term for Christianity (Acts 9:2). Because he can no longer preach there without public opposition, Paul withdraws from the synagogue, taking his new disciples with him. But he quickly finds another venue, just as he did in Corinth (Acts 18:7). Through daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus, he further instructs those who were persuaded by his teaching.
[19:10]
Paul continues his discussions in that lecture hall for two years, thus prolonging his stay in Ephesus even longer than in Corinth. With some hyperbole, Luke reports the sweeping result: not only the people of Ephesus but also all the inhabitants of the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord, Jews and Greeks alike. Paul’s strategy was to use major cities as a base from which new converts could fan out, bringing the gospel to the surrounding areas. Evidence for the influence of Paul’s Ephesian mission upon other Asian cities is found in his references to Miletus, Hieropolis, and Laodicea (Acts 20:15–17; Col 4:13, 16; 2 Tim 4:20), in his Letter to the Colossians, and in the existence of seven churches of Asia to whom the book of Revelation was addressed near the end of the first century (Rev 1:4, 11).
[19:11–12]
Luke emphasizes not only the remarkable success of Paul’s preaching but also the astounding miracles that God worked through him. So extraordinary are these mighty deeds that they impressed even a city that was renowned for its magic practices. When face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, a practice that could easily look like magic to Ephesians, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. In distinction from magic, however, Luke makes clear that it was not the cloths themselves but God who accomplished these healings. This remarkable period of evangelization in Ephesus, marked by an abundance of healings and exorcisms, parallels similar seasons reported by Luke in the ministry of Jesus (Luke 4:40–41; 6:17–19; 7:21–22), of the Twelve (Acts 2:43; 4:29–33), and of Peter (Acts 5:15–16).
Reflection and Application (19:1–12)
If Paul were to visit a typical Catholic parish today, he might be inclined to ask the same question he posed to the disciples in Ephesus: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” In the Church of the New Testament, the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit were visible in charisms of prophecy and tongues (Acts 10:46; 19:6; 1 Cor 12; 14), in bold testimony to the gospel (Acts 4:13, 29–33; Eph 6:18–20), in Spirit-filled praise and worship (Eph 5:18–20), and through signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; 4:30; 5:12; Rom 15:19; Heb 2:4). We twenty-first-century Catholics likewise need to seek and open ourselves to the graces of Pentecost if we are to fulfill our calling to be faithful witnesses in a new evangelization.
Powerful preaching, conversions of large groups of people, and remarkable signs and wonders have been more frequent in Church history than many Catholics realize. We would do well to pray for such preaching, conversions, and signs and wonders in our time.
The use of “face cloths or aprons that touched [Paul’s] skin” provides biblical precedent for what are traditionally called second-class relics—items of clothing or other objects used by a saint and venerated by the faithful, through which, on occasion, God works miraculously (see Catechism 1674–76).
Jewish Exorcists (19:13–20)
13Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14When the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, tried to do this, 15the evil spirit said to them in reply, “Jesus I recognize, Paul I know, but who are you?” 16The person with the evil spirit then sprang at them and subdued them all. He so overpowered them that they fled naked and wounded from that house. 17When this became known to all the Jews and Greeks who lived in Ephesus, fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in great esteem. 18Many of those who had become believers came forward and openly acknowledged their former practices. 19Moreover, a large number of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in public. They calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand silver pieces. 20Thus did the word of the Lord continue to spread with influence and power.
NT: Matt 27:9
Catechism: magic, 2117; exorcism, 1673
[19:13–14]
The following incidents further clarify the distinction between magic and divine signs and wonders. Seeing Paul’s exorcisms, some itinerant Jewish exorcists decide to imitate his obviously effective methods by invoking the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They awkwardly emulate Paul’s commands: “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” This illustrates the fact that to do something in Jesus’ “name” (like the baptisms in v. 5 above) is not merely to recite a formula. It is also to act under his authority in faith and in a personal relationship to him. The commands of these exorcists, including the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, are not grounded in such faith.
[19:15]
The result of their efforts is humorous but makes a point: the evil spirit answers them, “Jesus I recognize, Paul I know, but who are you?” The demonic spirit thus implicitly admits that it would have to obey commands given by Jesus or by those exercising Jesus’ authority, such as Paul. However, because the sons of Sceva have no relationship to Jesus, they have no access to the power of his name. Rather, they are trying to use his name as a kind of magic formula.
[19:16]
In a dramatic turn of events, the single possessed person with the evil spirit leaps at all seven exorcists and so overpowers them that they flee naked and wounded from that house.
[19:17–18]
Reports of their humiliation become known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus. As a result the name of the Lord Jesus is held in great esteem, for it exhibits undeniable power. Even demons evidently hold that name in fear and respect. The sobering example of the misuse of Jesus’ name in magical fashion prompts many of the new Christian converts to renounce the magical practices they had indulged in.
[19:19]
The awe aroused by the affair leads even non-Christians to carry out a voluntary public book burning. The number of these books is underscored by the calculation of their value at the enormous sum of fifty thousand silver pieces. The number is vast in comparison to the thirty silver pieces paid to Judas for betraying Jesus (Matt 27:9).
[19:20]
This anecdote illustrates the powerful impact the gospel is beginning to have in Ephesus. The result of this victory of the name of Jesus over practices of magic is that the word of the Lord continues to spread with influence and power.
Paul’s Plans (19:21–22)
21When this was concluded, Paul made up his mind to travel through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must visit Rome also.” 22Then he sent to Macedonia two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed for a while in the province of Asia.
NT: Luke 9:31; 10:1; Acts 20:22; Rom 16:23; 2 Tim 4:20
[19:21]
When this was concluded, literally, “as these things were fulfilled,” with perhaps a hint of God’s plan being accomplished, Paul made up his mind (or “resolved in the Spirit,” NRSV) to leave Ephesus.
Paul decides to visit his newly founded churches on European soil, in Macedonia and Achaia, before proceeding back to the mother church in Jerusalem. His plan to go to Jerusalem parallels Jesus’ decision to journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), which was a turning point in the Gospel. In God’s plan, arrest and suffering in the holy city is in store for Paul as it had been for Jesus. Paul is imitating the Lord in his passion.
Paul feels constrained by God’s will to visit Rome also (see Acts 23:11, where Jesus will call him to witness there). Acts will end with Paul in Rome under house arrest, but proclaiming Jesus and the kingdom of God “with complete assurance and without hindrance” (28:31).
[19:22]
In preparation for his return to Macedonia, Paul sends two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead of him while he stays for a while in the province of Asia. As an effective team leader, Paul knows how to recruit and deploy capable people who are willing to share in his mission. Timothy was recruited by Paul in the region of Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16:1); with Silas he became one of Paul’s main coworkers. Erastus is mentioned only here in Acts, but Rom 16:23 refers to an Erastus as the city treasurer of Corinth (see also 2 Tim 4:20).
The Riot of the Silversmiths (19:23–40)
23About that time a serious disturbance broke out concerning the Way. 24There was a silversmith named Demetrius who made miniature silver shrines of Artemis and provided no little work for the craftsmen. 25He called a meeting of these and other workers in related crafts and said, “Men, you know well that our prosperity derives from this work. 26As you can now see and hear, not only in Ephesus but throughout most of the province of Asia this Paul has persuaded and misled a great number of people by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all. 27The danger grows, not only that our business will be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be of no account, and that she whom the whole province of Asia and all the world worship will be stripped of her magnificence.”
28When they heard this, they were filled with fury and began to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29The city was filled with confusion, and the people rushed with one accord into the theater, seizing Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians, Paul’s traveling companions. 30Paul wanted to go before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him, 31and even some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him advising him not to venture into the theater. 32Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, others something else; the assembly was in chaos, and most of the people had no idea why they had come together. 33Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, as the Jews pushed him forward, and Alexander signaled with his hand that he wished to explain something to the gathering. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35Finally the town clerk restrained the crowd and said, “You Ephesians, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from the sky? 36Since these things are undeniable, you must calm yourselves and not do anything rash. 37The men you brought here are not temple robbers, nor have they insulted our goddess. 38If Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39If you have anything further to investigate, let the matter be settled in the lawful assembly, 40for, as it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today’s conduct. There is no cause for it. We shall [not] be able to give a reason for this demonstration.” With these words he dismissed the assembly.
NT: Acts 1:11, 16; 2:14; 9:2; 17:22; 18:25–26; 19:9; 24:22
Catechism: idolatry, 2112–14, 2138
In ancient times as today, people appreciate a historian who tells his story in an interesting manner. Luke does not disappoint in this regard. In recounting this event, he reports the advance of the gospel and the confusion of its opponents with style and a touch of humor.
[19:23]
Before Paul has a chance to leave Ephesus for Macedonia, a serious disturbance breaks out concerning the Way. Two typical marks of Lukan style appear in this sentence. The first is his characterization of the trouble as, literally, “not a little disturbance,” an artful understatement. The second is his reference to Christianity as the †Way.
[19:24]
The cause of the commotion is a silversmith named Demetrius, who makes miniature silver shrines of the goddess Artemis, the patroness of Ephesus. Artemis, known in Latin as Diana, was a huntress in Greco-Roman mythology, and she is portrayed in some statues as a mother goddess with multiple breasts. The city boasted a large and famous temple dedicated to her, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Luke again uses understatement in writing that Demetrius provided no little work for the craftsmen. The motive for Demetrius’s objection to the gospel was more economic than religious.
[19:25]
Craftsmen were often organized in guilds. Demetrius calls a meeting of silversmiths and other craftsmen to find a way to eliminate the threat of Paul’s monotheistic preaching. He appeals to the workers’ economic anxieties, reminding them that their prosperity derives from making statues and other items in honor of the goddess Artemis. Luke often highlights economic concerns as a major impediment to following God’s will (Luke 8:33–37; 18:24–25), even functioning as an incentive to persecute anyone who threatens one’s earnings (Acts 16:19).
[19:26]
Demetrius warns the tradesmen of the damage to their livelihood that Paul has already done in Ephesus and throughout the province of Asia. There is a touch of irony in Demetrius’s claim that Paul has persuaded and misled a great number of people with his message that gods made by hands are not gods at all. As the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah was called to do (Isa 43:10–12), Paul has been testifying to the Gentiles the truth that there is only one true God. It is the promoters of idolatry, rather than Paul, who mislead people.
[19:27]
Demetrius warns his fellow craftsmen of a twofold danger. The most immediate and personal is that the business of making idols will be discredited, and thus they will lose their livelihood. Second is a loss of credibility for the temple of the great goddess Artemis, Ephesus’s claim to fame. From their pagan perspective, it is a grave matter if Artemis, whom the whole province of Asia and all the world worship (a common local exaggeration) is stripped of her magnificence.
[19:28–31]
In reaction to this menace, the listeners are filled with fury and begin to shout, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” This provokes citywide confusion as a crowd rushes into the theater (which could seat about 25,000 people) and seizes Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonian traveling companions of Paul. The scene is one of total chaos. Paul hopes to calm the crowd with a speech, but his fellow disciples wisely refuse to let him enter the fray. Noting as he often does Paul’s relationships with influential people, Luke adds that even some of the Asiarchs (Ephesian provincial authorities) who were friends of his sent word to him advising him not to venture into the theater.
[19:32]
The mob scene that follows again contains a touch of humor: some are shouting one thing, others something else. Not only is the assembly in chaos but most of the people have no idea why they had come together. This pagan mob exhibits ignorance and confusion bordering on the farcical.
Fig. 18. Statue of Artemis of Ephesus, the principal goddess of Asia (Acts 19:24–28).
Wknight94/Wikimedia Commons
[19:33–34]
It is not clear who Alexander was, nor why the Jews pushed him forward. He does not seem to have been a Christian. But Jews too were well known for rejecting idolatrous worship, so they may also have felt threatened by this riot against Paul and wanted to make clear to the rioters that Paul did not belong to their Jewish community.
Alexander signals for attention, but the crowd refuses to listen once they realize he is a Jew—an example of anti-Jewish sentiment similar to that expressed in Philippi and Corinth (Acts 16:20–21; 18:17). The mob drowns him out, and their fanaticism is revealed in their shouting in unison, for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
[19:35]
Finally the town clerk manages to calm the crowd. To win their favor, he begins by expressing his agreement with their concern: “Who does not know that Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from the sky?” Pagans venerated meteorites and images of the gods, including that of Artemis, which they claimed had fallen from above. The point of this rhetorical question may be to show how Paul’s declaration that “gods made by hands” are no gods at all (v. 26) does not apply to this sacred stone, which allegedly was not made by hands but came from the sky.
Fig. 19. Ruins of the twenty-thousand seat theater at Ephesus, site of the riot in Acts 19:29–40.
CherryX/Wikimedia Commons
[19:36–37]
The town clerk reassures the crowd that, of course, the importance of the cult and temple of Artemis are undeniable. Therefore, they must calm themselves and avoid doing anything rash, lest they provoke a repressive reaction from the Romans. Having won a hearing, the clerk goes on to mollify the crowd by pointing out that Paul and his companions are not temple robbers. Nor have they insulted our goddess, despite Demetrius’s allegation that Paul said “gods made by hands are not gods at all” (v. 26; see Acts 14:16–17 and 17:23–29 for the nuanced way Paul addresses pagan idolatry).
[19:38–40]
The clerk insists that if the craftsmen have a complaint against Paul and his companions, they should use the legal means available, including bringing them to trial. He urges that any further matters be settled in the lawful assembly, not by mob action, and warns that their conduct puts them in danger of being charged by the Romans with rioting. Thus he dismisses the assembly. Through this narrative, Luke shows the Christians’ innocence of any wrongdoing that would justify the riot against them.
Reflection and Application (19:23–40)
Paul’s struggles in Ephesus illustrate how easily Christian preaching and teaching can provoke fierce reactions. Both then and now, speaking the truth expressed in God’s word sometimes has political or economic repercussions that lead to persecution. For example, a priest working with big-city gangs trafficking in drugs was tolerated as long as he did not interfere with the drug lords’ profits. Once he became a threat to their business, they killed him. Sometimes Christians find protection from mistreatment in laws or fair-minded authorities, as Paul and his companions did in Ephesus. In other circumstances, corrupt authorities or unjust laws not only fail to protect Christian witness but are themselves the cause of oppression. Looking behind such conflicts, Paul explains that “our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Eph 6:12). The strategy he recommends is to “draw your strength from the Lord,” to “put on the armor of God,” and to “pray at every opportunity in the Spirit” (Eph 6:10, 13, 18).
