This section covers Paul's long stay in Ephesus, lasting 3 years, where he encountered "some disciples" of
John the Baptist and confronted the influence of magic and occult in that city.
Verse 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,' The "upper coasts" (wording of the
King James Version) or "upper regions" (
New King James Version), are thought to have been inland areas to the east of
Ephesus. The
English Standard Version refers to "the inland country".
Henry Alford suggests that Paul travelled through "the eastern parts of
Asia Minor, beyond the
river Halys" (now the Kizilirmak River).
Verse 4 :
Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus". "Believe
on him" is the translation used by the
King James Version and
New King James Version. The more natural phrase "believe
in him" is used by the
New American Standard Bible.
Verse 11 :''So remarkable were the miracles worked by God at Paul's hands ...'' Loveday Alexander notes that Luke's emphasis on
God as the worker of miracles is not typical of his narrative: he sees it as important to appreciate that Paul's spiritual power does not come from himself but is a direct divine endorsement of his mission".
Methodist writer
Joseph Benson suggests that as Paul stayed longer in Ephesus than elsewhere on his journeys, the miracles wrought through him would have stood out both in number and in wonder.
Verse 14 :
Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so (i.e. attempted to heal using the name of the Lord Jesus). Sceva () was a Jew called a "chief priest" (). Some scholars note that it was not uncommon for some members of the
Zadokite clan to take on an unofficial high-priestly role, which may explain this moniker. However, it is more likely that he was an itinerant exorcist based on the use of the Greek term () "going from place to place" in . In this verse, it is recorded that he had seven sons who attempted to exorcise a demon from a man in Ephesus by using the name of Jesus as an invocation. This practice is similar to the Jewish practice, originating in the
Testament of Solomon, of invoking Angels to cast out demons.
Verse 15 :
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” This evil spirit had heard of both Jesus and Paul, but not of the seven sons of Sceva, which soon received 'such a beating' from the spirit 'that they ran' (); theologian Conrad Gempf argues that this shows that power over evil spirits does not work in a mechanical way in the
name of Jesus, but because one knows Jesus and, more importantly, is known by him.
Verse 19 :
Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. • "50,000 pieces of silver": or "50,000 drachmas" (1 drachma represents the average wage for a day) representing over 135 years' wages.
Verse 21 :
When these things were accomplished, 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". Paul has already intended to have his trip to Jerusalem followed with a trip to Rome. ==The riot in Ephesus (verses 23–41)==