IBS Seminar 15: Acts 18-19: Apostolic Authenticity

Objective: To show how God protects and provides for us when we are faithful to Him.


1. Aquila and Priscilla : Devoted Helpers Acts 18:1-8

2. Gallio : The Word of Assurance Acts 18:9-23

3. Apollos: Defective Theology Acts 18:24-19:7

3.1 Apollos : A Person with an Incomparable Motivation 18:23-36
3.1.1 A Gifted Person 18:24
3.1.2 A Godly Person 18:25
3.1.3 A Gracious Person 18:26
3.1.4 A Gifted Person 18:27
3.1.5 A Great Person 18:28
3.2 Apollos : A Person with an Inadequate Message 18:26-28
3.3 Apollos : A Person with an Incomplete Ministry 19:1-7
3.3.1 Spiritual Conversation 19:1-3
3.3.2 Spontaneous Conversion 19:4-5
3.3.3 Special Confirmation 19:6-7

4. Paul : Apostolic Authenticity Acts 19:8-22
4.1 Animated Preaching 19:8
4.1.1 Where Paul preached.
4.1.2 What Paul preached.
4.1.3 How Paul preached.
Physical Boldness - "spoke boldly"
Intellectual Power - "arguing"
Spiritual Earnestness - "arguing persuasively"
4.2 Antagonistic Perversity 19:9
4.2.1 Its Character:
Obstinate, Wilful, Malicious
4.2.2 Its Consequence:
Departure, Separation, Intensification
4.3 Articulate Persistence 19:10
4.3.1 The Duration - two whole years
4.3.2 The Influence - to the whole province.
4.4 Apostolic Power 19:11-12
4.4.1 "Remarkable Miracles"
4.4.2 Miracles not Magic
4.4.3 Authentic Apostolic Power Encounters
4.5. Abnormal Pretence 19:13-16

4.5.1 The Remarkable Action 19:13-14
4.5.2 The Sobering Effect 19:15-16
4.6. Awe Inspiring Proof 19:17-19
4.6.1 Conviction 19:17
4.6.2 Confession 19:18
4.6.3 Consecration 19:19
4.7 Advancing Progress 19:20
4.7.1 Growth - widespread
4.7.2 Influence - the Word grew in power

5. Diana and Demetrius Acts 19:21-41
5.1 Ancient Tradition
5.2 Influential Tradition
5.3 Prosperous Tradition
5.4 Powerful Tradition
5.5 Degrading Tradition


A man was shovelling snow from his driveway when two boys carrying snow shovels approached him. "Shovel your snow, Mister?" one of them asked. "Only two dollars!" Puzzled, the man replied, "Can't you see that I'm doing it myself?" "Sure," said the enterprising lad; "that's why we asked. We get most of our business from people who are half through and feel like quitting!" Dr. Raymond Edman used to say to the students at Wheaton College, "It's always too soon to quit!" Corinth, with its 200,000 people, would not be the easiest city in which to start a church, and yet that's where Paul went after leaving Athens. And he went alone! The going was tough, but the apostle did not give up. Corinth's reputation for wickedness was known all over the Roman Empire. (Rom. 1:18-32 was written in Corinth!) Thanks to its location, the city was a center for both trade and travel. Money and vice, along with strange philosophies and new religions, came to Corinth and found a home there. Corinth was the capital of Achaia and one of the two most important cities Paul visited. The other was Ephesus.
When God opens doors, the enemy tries to close them, and there are times when we close the doors on ourselves because we get discouraged and quit. As Paul ministered in Corinth, the Lord gave him just the encouragements that he needed to keep him going, and these same encouragements are available to us today.

1. Aquila and Priscilla : Devoted Helpers Acts 18:1-8

Paul came to Corinth following his ministry to the philosophers in Greece; and he determined to magnify Jesus Christ and the Cross, to depend on the Holy Spirit, and to present the Gospel in simplicity (1 Cor. 2:1-5). There were many philosophers and itinerant teachers in Corinth, preying on the ignorant and superstitious population; and Paul's message and ministry could easily be misunderstood.

One way Paul separated himself from the "religious hucksters" was by supporting himself as a tentmaker. By the providence of God, he met a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla ("Prisca," 2 Tim. 4:19), who were workers in leather as was Paul. Jewish rabbis did not accept money from their students but earned their way by practicing a trade. All Jewish boys were expected to learn a trade, no matter what profession they might enter. "He who does not teach his son to work, teaches him to steal!" said the rabbis; so Saul of Tarsus learned to make leather tents and to support himself in his ministry (see Acts 18:3; 1 Cor. 9:6-15; 2 Cor. 11:6-10).

Were Aquila and Priscilla Christian believers at that time? We don't know for certain, but it's likely that they were. Perhaps they were even founding members of the church in Rome. We do know that this dedicated couple served most faithfully and even risked their lives for Paul (Rom. 16:3-4). They assisted him in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-28) where they even hosted a church in their home (1 Cor. 16:19). Aquila and Priscilla were an important part of Paul's "team" and he thanked God for them. They are a good example of how "lay ministers" can help to further the work of the Lord. Every pastor and missionary thanks God for people like Aquila and Priscilla, people with hands, hearts, and homes dedicated to the work of the Lord.

Paul lived and worked with Aquila and Priscilla, but on the Sabbath days witnessed boldly in the synagogue. After all, that was why he had come to Corinth. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia (Acts 17:14-15; 18:5), they brought financial aid (2 Cor. 11:9), and this enabled Paul to devote his full time to the preaching of the Gospel. What a joy it must have been for Paul to see his friends and to hear from them the good news of the steadfastness of the Christians in the churches they had planted together (1 Thes. 3).

Everyone agrees that Paul was a great Christian and a great missionary evangelist, but how much would Paul have accomplished alone? Friends like Aquila and Priscilla, Silas and Timothy, and the generous believers in Macedonia, made it possible for Paul to serve the Lord effectively. His Christian friends, new and old, encouraged him at a time when he needed it the most.

Of course, this reminds us that we should encourage our friends in the work of the Lord. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "God evidently does not intend us all to be rich or powerful or great, but He does intend us all to be friends." "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" is the way Paul expressed it (Gal. 6:2). Humanly speaking, there would have been no church in Corinth were it not for the devotion and service of many different people.

Read Acts 18:6-8. Whenever God is blessing a ministry, you can expect increased opposition as well as increased opportunities. "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Cor. 16:9, nkjv). After all, the enemy gets angry when we invade his territory and liberate his slaves. As in Thessalonica and Berea (Acts 17:5-13), the unbelieving Jews who rejected the Word stirred up trouble for Paul and his friends (see 1 Thes. 2:14-16). Such opposition is usually proof that God is at work, and this ought to encourage us. Spurgeon used to say that the devil never kicks a dead horse!

Jewish opposition had forced Paul to leave Thessalonica and Berea, but in Corinth, it only made him determined to stay there and get the job done. It is always too soon to quit! Like the undaunted Christopher Columbus, Paul could write in his journal, "Today we sailed on!"

Two interesting Old Testament images are found in Acts 18:6. To shake out one's garments was an act of judgment that said, "You have had your opportunity, but now it's over!" Today we might say that we were washing our hands of a situation. (See Neh. 5:13, and compare Acts 13:51 and Matt. 10:14.) While Paul never ceased witnessing to the Jews, his primary calling was to evangelize the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-48; 28:28).

To have blood on your hands means that you bear the responsibility for another's death because you were not faithful to warn him. The image comes from the watchman on the city walls whose task it was to stay alert and warn of coming danger (see Ezek. 3:17-21; 33:1-9). But to have blood on your head means that you are to blame for your own judgment. You had the opportunity to be saved, but you turned it down (see Josh. 2:19). Paul's hands were clean (Acts 20:26) because he had been faithful to declare the message of the Gospel. The Jews had their own blood on their own heads because they rejected God's truth.

At just the right time, God brought another friend into Paul's lifeGentile, God-fearing Titus Justus. Some Bible students think his full name was Gaius Titus Justus and that he was the "Gaius my host" referred to in Romans 16:23. The connection between Gaius and Crispus in Acts 18:7-8 and 1 Corinthians 1:14 is certainly significant.

Paul departed from the synagogue and began using the house of Titus Justus as his preaching station, right next to the synagogue! This was certainly a wise decision on Paul's part, because it gave him continued contact with the Jews and Gentile proselytes; and as a result, even the chief ruler of the synagogue was converted! It was the ruler's job to see to it that the synagogue building was cared for and that the services were held in a regular and orderly manner. We have here another instance of an entire family turning to the Lord (Acts 10:24, 44; 16:15, 34). How that must have stirred the Jewish population in Corinth!

To walk by faith means to see opportunities even in the midst of opposition. A pessimist sees only the problems; an optimist sees only the potential; but a realist sees the potential in the problems. Paul did not close his eyes to the many dangers and difficulties in the situation at Corinth, but he did look at them from the divine point of view.

Faith simply means obeying God's will in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences. There never was an easy place to serve God; and if there is an easy place, it is possible that something is wrong. Paul reminded Timothy, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12, nkjv).

"Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament," wrote Francis Bacon; "adversity is the blessing of the New." Paul did not allow adversity to keep him from serving God.

2. Gallio : The Word of Assurance Acts 18:9-23

The conversion of Crispus, an important Jewish leader, opened up more opportunities for evangelism and brought more opposition from the enemy! The Jewish community in Corinth was no doubt furious at Paul's success and did everything possible to silence him and get rid of him. Dr. Luke does not give us the details, but we get the impression that between Acts 18:8 and 9, the situation became especially difficult and dangerous. Paul may have been thinking about leaving the city when the Lord came to him and gave him the assurance that he needed.

It is just like our Lord to speak to us when we need Him the most. His tender "Fear not!" can calm the storm in our hearts regardless of the circumstances around us. This is the way He assured Abraham (Gen. 15:1), Isaac (Gen. 26:24), and Jacob (Gen. 46:3), as well as Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20:15-17), Daniel (Dan. 10:12, 19), Mary (Luke 1:30), and Peter (Luke 5:10). The next time you feel alone and defeated, meditate on Hebrews 13:5 and claim by faith the presence of the Lord. He is with you!
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

When he was a young man, the famous British preacher G. Campbell Morgan used to read the Bible each week to two elderly women. One evening, when he finished reading the closing words of Matthew 28, Morgan said to the ladies, "Isn't that a wonderful promise!" and one of them replied, "Young man, that is not a promise - it is a certainty!"

Jesus had already appeared to Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:1-6; 26:12-18) and also in the temple (Acts 22:17-18). Paul would be encouraged by Him again when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11) and later in Rome (2 Tim. 4:16-17). Our Lord's angel would also appear to Paul in the midst of the storm and give him a word of assurance for the passengers and crew (Acts 27:23-25). One of our Lord's names is "Immanuel - God with us" (Matt. 1:23), and He lives up to His name.

Paul was encouraged not only by the presence of the Lord, but also by His promises. Jesus assured Paul that no one would hurt him and that he would bring many sinners to the Saviour. The statement "I have many people in this city" implies the doctrine of divine election, for "the Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim. 2:19, nkjv). God's church is made up of people who were "chosen . . . in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4; and see Acts 13:48).

Please note that divine sovereignty in election is not a deterrent to human responsibility in evangelism. Quite the opposite is true! Divine election is one of the greatest encouragements to the preaching of the Gospel. Because Paul knew that God already had people set apart for salvation, he stayed where he was and preached the Gospel with faith and courage. Paul's responsibility was to obey the commission; God's responsibility was to save sinners. If salvation depends on sinful man, then all of our efforts are futile; but if "salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9), then we can expect Him to bless His Word and save souls.

"Scripture nowhere dispels the mystery of election," says John Stott "and we should beware of any who try to systematize it too precisely or rigidly. It is not likely that we shall discover a simple solution to a problem which has baffled the best brains of Christendom for centuries."

The important thing is that we accept God's truth and act on it. Paul did not spend his time speculating about divine sovereignty and human responsibility, the way some ivory-tower Christians do today. He got busy and tried to win souls to Christ! You and I do not know who God's elect are, so we take the Gospel to every creature and let God do the rest.

Paul continued in Corinth, knowing that God was with Him and that people would be saved. During those eighteen months of witness, Paul saw many victories in spite of Satan's opposition. The church was not made up of many mighty and noble people (1 Cor. 1:26-31), but of sinners whose lives were transformed by the grace of God (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

Dr. Luke shared only one example of divine protection during Paul's ministry in Corinth (Acts 18:12-17), but it is a significant one. The arrival of a new proconsul gave the unbelieving Jews hope that Rome might declare this new "Christian sect" illegal. They broke the law by attacking Paul and forcing him to go to court. This was not the first time that fanatical Jews had tried to prove that Paul was breaking the Roman law (Acts 16:19-24; 17:6-7).

Being a Roman citizen, Paul was prepared to defend himself; but this turned out to be unnecessary because Gallio defended Paul! The proconsul immediately saw that the real issue was not the application of the Roman law but the interpretation of the Jewish religion, so he refused to try the case!

But that was not the end of the matter. The Greeks who were witnessing the scene got hold of Sosthenes, the man who replaced Crispus as ruler of the synagogue, and beat him right before the eyes of the proconsul! It was certainly a flagrant display of anti-Semitism, but Gallio looked the other way. If this is the same Sosthenes mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:1, then he too got converted; and the Jews had to find another ruler for their synagogue! It would be interesting to know exactly how it happened. Did Paul and some of the believers visit Sosthenes and minister to him? Perhaps his predecessor Crispus helped "wash the wounds" (Acts 16:33) and used this as an opportunity to share the love of Christ.

How strange and wonderful are the providences of God! The Jews tried to force the Roman proconsul to declare the Christian faith illegal, but Gallio ended up doing just the opposite. By refusing to try the case, Gallio made it clear that Rome would not get involved in cases involving Jewish religious disputes. As far as he was concerned, Paul and his disciples had as much right as the Jews to practice their religion and share it with others.

"If God will" (Acts 18:21) was more than a religious slogan with Paul; it was one of the strengths and encouragements of his life and ministry. Knowing and doing God's will is one of the blessings of the Christian life (Acts 22:14). In some of his letters, Paul identified himself as "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God" (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:1). At a most critical time in his life and ministry, Paul found courage in affirming, "The will of the Lord be done!" (Acts 21:14)

After eighteen months of ministry, Paul decided that it was God's will for him to leave Corinth and return to his home church in Antioch. His friends Priscilla and Aquila (note how Luke varies the order of their names) accompanied him to Ephesus and remained there when he departed for Caesarea. Cenchraea was the seaport for Corinth, and there was a Christian congregation there (Rom. 16:1). Here Paul had his head shorn, "for he had a vow." This probably refers to the Nazarite vow described in Numbers 6. Since the Nazarite vow was purely voluntary, Paul was not abandoning grace for law when he undertook it. The vow was not a matter of salvation but of personal devotion to the Lord. He allowed his hair to grow for a specific length of time and then cut it when the vow was completed. He also abstained from using the fruit of the vine in any form.

The statement "I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem" (Acts 18:21) must not be interpreted to mean that Paul and the early Christians felt obligated to observe the Jewish feasts (see Acts 20:16). Being in Jerusalem during the important feasts (in this case, Passover) would give Paul opportunity to meet and witness to key Jewish leaders from throughout the Roman Empire. He would also be able to minister to Christian Jews who returned to their homeland.

Paul taught clearly that the observing of religious feasts was neither a means of salvation nor an essential for sanctification (Gal. 4:1-11). Christians are at liberty to follow their own conscience so long as they do not judge others or cause others to stumble (Rom. 14:1-15:7). Also, keep in mind Paul's personal policy with regard to these matters of Jewish practice (1 Cor. 9:19-23).

Arriving at Caesarea, Paul went up to Jerusalem and greeted the believers there. He then went to Antioch and reported to his home church all that God had done on this second missionary journey. He had been gone from Antioch perhaps two years or more, and the saints were no doubt overjoyed to see him and hear about the work of God among the Gentiles.

3. Apollos: Defective Theology Acts 18:24-19:7
Today in Britain at least life is very depersonalised. We are known for our numbers NHS, NI, Credit cards, we are esteemed for what we contribute to the corporate image of the company the community or the church. Its refreshing to discover that in Jesus, God gets very personal with us. The Lord uses individuals, not organisations it cannot be overstated. People like you and I. That's why these Sunday evenings we are focusing on the people, the individuals whom God used to found the Church of Jesus Christ. Paul had visited the city of Ephesus at the end of his second missionary journey. He had captured the interest of the entire Jewish community. Then Aquila and Priscilla decided to stay there, set up in business, and cultivate the ground for when Paul would return. Now comes Apollos of Alexandria, gifted, eloquent, scholarly, convinced that Jesus was Saviour and Lord. Our passage tonight deals with Apollos the man (the end of chapter 8) and possibly of his initial ministry (the beginning of chapter 9). First lets try and build up a portrait of this man. Apollos was from Alexandria. Alexandria, situated on the Nile delta in Egypt was the second largest city in the Roman Empire. It was famous for its lighthouse on the narrow island of Pharos, for its museum, and above all for its library, which ultimately contained 700.000 volumes. There was a large Jewish colony in the city. By this time we know that they made up one third of the population of the city. It was at Alexandria that the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into the Greek Septuagint version. Alexandria was also the home of the Jewish scholar Philo. He was deeply influenced by Plato, and tried to wed Biblical revelation to platonic ideology. This was the birthplace and training ground for Apollos.

3.1 Apollos A Person with an Incomparable Motivation 18:23-36

3.1.1 A Gifted Person 18:24
The word Logios occuring only here in the entire NT can either mean eloquent or learned. The next phrase implies that he was indeed learned, for it says "he had a thorough knowledge of the scriptures" The word for "thorough" is actually dunatos which means "mighty", the same word used to describe Moses in Acts 7. So somewhere along the line Apollos had been brought into contact with news about Jesus, and he had applied this to his thorough knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures. He had become a believer, and began to use his considerable talents to further the work of the Church. His travels brought him to Ephesus.

3.1.2 A Godly Person 18:25
We must remember that at this time second generation converts like Apollos, who had not been eye witnesses of Jesus life and ministry, did not have the benefit of the full Gospel records either. These may have been written by this time, or portions of them, but these would not yet have been in wide circulation. More likely Apollos would have had relied on stories he had heard and his own reflection on how Jesus had fulfilled the Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament. That was enough to make Apollos eager to tell his fellow Jews. Luke uses the word zeo which means "to boil" to describe his fervour. Yet at the same time Luke tells us that Apollos taught accurately what he knew of Jesus. Apollos was a rare individual able to combine fact with fervour in the service of Christ. His knowledge was however deficient. He knew only about the baptism of John. This suggests perhaps that he was more familiar with the earlier part of Jesus life than the later. Its also possible that the version of the Gospel he had heard came from disciples in the Galilee region rather than Jerusalem itself, where the baptism of Jesus, proclaimed by Peter on the day of Pentecost would have been well known. Nevertheless Apollos arrived in Ephesus full of zeal to fan the flames of revival already smoldering in the city as a result of Paul's visit. Apollos was a gifted person, a godly person.

3.1.3 A Gracious Person 18:26
Apollos had a teachable spirit. Aquila and Priscilla were deeply impressed with him, but they detected a serious flaw in his preaching. Tactfully they made no attempt to correct him in front of everyone at the synagogue. Nor did they try and put him straight over coffee after the service. They had a better way. They invited him home for lunch. I remember vividly one of the first evangelistic conversations I had as a young Christian. After it was over my friend, an older Christian, who'd been with me, took me to one side and said, "Well done, but actually the Holy Spirit is a person, not an it...." I've never forgotten. Perhaps it was at the kitchen table that they led the conversation round to the mornings sermon, told Apollos what a blessing his ministry had been, asked him how he had become a believer, and then gently introduced the question of baptism. Gently and lovingly, they filled in the gaps. He soon grapsed the significance of Christian baptism as an advance on John's baptism of repentance which was a preparation for receiving Christ. No doubt they told him something of themselves and the apostle Paul, and the great work that was being done in Corinth.

3.1.4 A Gifted Person 18:27
It was not only a lovely custom but a way of ensuring orthodoxy that one Church fellowship would send letters of commendation with a believer to assist him in their work. The fact that Apollos could have been given such a letter of commendation by the "brothers", shows that some had already been saved at Ephesus. It would have been surprising if the joint labours of Aquila, Priscilla and Apollos had not borne fruit. So Apollos moved on the Corinth where he had a remarkable influence, and where his eloquence was warmly appreciated as we learn from Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians.

3.1.5 A Great Person 18:28
The word Luke uses to describe Apollos is the same used of the way the Jews accused Jesus before Herod. Its one of Luke's medical words. It means vigorously, intensely, with sheer strength and zeal. Apollos made a great impact on the Jewish community in Corinth. There was nothing secretive or private about his witness. His preaching was open and public. The word the Holy Spirit employs for "proving" occurs only here. It is an intensive form of the word "convict", meaning to confute, or refute with the purpose of putting the convicted person to shame. The Jews may have driven Paul out of town, so the Holy Spirit sent Apollos in to bring the same truths in a different way with a different personality. That is always God's way. No one not even Paul was indispensible. An older, wiser minister told me once, "Don't kid yourself that you are God's gift to your church. You go for a limited time, for a specific task, for particular people." Abraham Lincoln's presidential acceptance speech...

Humility is the sign of a great man. Apollos was a gifted, godly, gracious, guided, great man first and foremost because he was sold out to Jesus. He had given his life to Jesus. But enthusiasm was not enough as we have seen. Apollos may have been a man with an incomparable motivation, but he was also,

3.2 Apollos : A Person with an Inadequate Message 18:26-28
Luke is both discreet and tactful in recording that after dinner chat which Aquila and Priscilla had with Apollos. What is clear however is that Apollos was a learner. Read 18:27

Fact and Fervour must go together. Thats why we must take Bible study seriously. It should be our life long ambition, to become what Paul urges upon young Timothy, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

The best way to understand what had happened to Apollos, and make sense of what follows is to have in your mind a pond into which you throw a stone. What happens? As the stone hits the water the impact sends a ripple in the shape of a circle to grow larger and larger and further and further from the point of contact. Then if a larger stone is throne into the water at the same point an even larger ripple is created which soon swamps the earlier one. Thats the best way to understand the impact of the disciples of John the Baptist gradually spreading out over the Middle East, soon to be followed by the disciples of Jesus. John the Baptist himself said, "He must become greater; I must become less." Thats what we find happening here. Apollos : a person with an incomparable motivation and an inadequate message,

3.3 Apollos : A Person with an Incomplete Ministry 19:1-7
Now before we try and understand these opening verses of chapter 9, let make a few observations about why Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, out of all the testimonies that could have been included about the work at Ephesus, chose to put the story of Apollos next to one about twelve disciples.

1. Both at Ephesus
2. Both knew only of John's Baptism
3. Both deficient grasp of Gospel

Now its tantalising to wonder, knowing how forceful and convincing Apollos' preaching was, even before Aquila and Priscilla explained to him the way of God more accurately, that these twelve disciples were the fruit of his ministry? It is possible. It is also possible that Apollos and the twelve just happened to be in Ephesus at the same time. It doesn't matter. Lets look at the story in more detail.


3.3.1 Spiritual Conversation 19:1-3
When Paul arrived at Ephesus he met up with these twelve men whose understanding of Christianity was much the same as that of Apollos. Paul entered into conversation with them to find out just where they stood in relation to the gospel. Like Apollos they knew only of the baptism of John. Indeed they had never even heard of the Holy Spirit, which seems strange because John the Baptist preached about the Holy Spirit as well as the coming of the Messiah. Paul then asked them a question that has often been quoted out of context by those who hold erroneous views of the Holy Spirit. He said "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" The popular but I believe false teaching you will hear today says as a result of this verse that believers must receive the Holy Spirit after their conversion. This application is not consistent with the context of this story which was unique, for you will never find disciples of John the Baptist today. But it also contradicts those passages which teach the normative Christian initiation process. Passages such as

Romans 8:9 "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.", and I Corinthians 12:13, "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."

The first says quite simply you cannot be a Christian if you do not have the Holy Spirit. In the second Paul speaks of Baptism in the Spirit, as a description of conversion, in the past tense and included everybody in the Church.

When you received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour it was a work of the Holy Spirit. At that very moment you were baptised into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. He came to indwell you, to assure you of your adoption into God's family. You may not have understood what he was doing, you may not even have felt any different, but that's irrelevant. I don't think any of us could describe the delivery room when we were born, or what it felt like to come into the world. We were there, but only later understood what happened. What matters is what happened.

On the basis of verses 2-3 we could not be sure whether these twelve men were already Christians or not. Was it simply that they needed a Bible Study on the Holy Spirit so that they could understand what had happened to them? The answer to that question is given quite clearly in verses 4-5. It was a spiritual conversation and a

3.3.2 Spontaneous Conversion 19:4-5
What was the difference between the Baptism of John and Christian baptism? Paul tells us. John's baptism was a sign of repentance, of preparation for receiving the Messiah. Christian baptism is very different. It is an outward sign that a person has found the Messiah. Has chosen in going beneath the water and coming out again to identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in dying to self and being raised to new life. In Baptism, the washing with water is a beautiful symbol illustrating that sins have been washed away by Jesus. But these twelve clearly understood none of this.

Why did Paul ask about their baptism? Because a persons baptismal experience was as indication of his or her spiritual experience. An un-baptised Christian was a contradiction in terms.

How could they be Christians if they had not been baptised? We perhaps see no tension here but we must remember that in the early Church it was a contradiction to separate belief from baptism. We are not told everything Paul said to them. No doubt he went on to explain what Christian baptism meant for it says, "On hearing this they were baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus." Spiritual conversation, spontaneous conversion and,

3.3.3 Special Confirmation 19:6-7

Why the laying on of hands and the speaking in tongues? They demonstrated visibly and publicly their incorporation into the one Body of Christ. There are three earlier occasions when the Holy Spirit was received apparently after conversion. Acts 2 records how the first Jews receive the Spirit. Acts 8 the first Samaritans, and Acts 10, the first Gentiles. On each occasion it is through the ministry of Peter that this happens. Peter was called in because Jesus had given him the unique authority and responsibility of opening the kingdom of God to the three great ethnic groupings of the day. There was to be one Church not three. This is how we are to understand Jesus giving Peter the keys of the Kingdom. From Acts 10 he disappears from centre stage in Luke's record, as does this procedure for initiating further Jewish, Samaritan or Gentile converts. All except one other group. Ex disciples of John the Baptist who had not heard the full Gospel. These twelve men needed to understand about Christian baptism because in baptism the Gospel is portrayed and Christ identified with. Paul laid hands upon them to symbolise the unity between Ephesus and Jerusalem, of the one Church. How do we know that this is not normative for us today? Because it was never repeated in Acts or the Epistles.

The people who were converted in Ephesus under Paul's ministry all received the gift of the Holy Spirit when they trusted in Jesus. Listen to what he said to them in his letter Ephesians 1:13-14

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory." The norm in Christian experience today is a cluster of four things. Repentance, faith in Jesus, water baptism and the gift of the Spirit. Though the timing of water baptism varies depending on our denomination, the four belong together and are universal in Christian initiation.

4. Paul : Apostolic Authenticity Acts 19:8-22
Paul is back in Ephesus. He had quite an impact for it says in verse 17, "When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honour." Lets consider how this came about.

This passage can be cut up into seven sections.

4.1 Animated Preaching 19:8
4.1.1 Where Paul preached.
Paul went to the synagogue first, the place where he would find people most receptive.

4.1.2 What Paul preached.
Paul preached about the kingdom of God, about Jesus the Messiah King.

4.1.3 How Paul preached.
Physical Boldness - "spoke boldly"
Intellectual Power - "arguing"
Spiritual Earnestness
- "arguing persuasively"
The combination of all three as always was dynamite. Animated preaching.

4.2 Anatogonistic Perversity 19:9

We have here both its character and its consequence.

4.2.1 Its Character:
Obstinate, Wilful, Malicious. When people have heard the Gospel and reject Christ they can become very ugly and antagonistic. Its character.

4.2.2 Its Consequence:
Departure - Because of their stubborn opposition Paul upped and left. It was futile to stay when passive rejection had turned to active opposition.
Separation - Paul moved the Church next door so that people had to choose where to worship. It became very clear who were the believers and who were not. Departure, separation and,
Intensification - Instead of meeting weekly in the synagogue, they met daily in the school. Becoming a Christian creates a thirst for the word, the desire for fellowship. Animated preaching, antagonistic perversity,

4.3 Articulate Persistence 19:10
4.3.1 The Duration - two whole years
4.3.2 The Influence - to the whole province. With only word of mouth, this was some feat.

4.4 Apostolic Power 19:11-12
We see here Power over distance, Power over disease, Power over demons. There was nothing dainty or sacred about these handkerchiefs either. These were the sweat bands Paul tied around his head, and the aprons he wore around his waist while he was engaged in his hard labours tent-making. Why chose these? Perhaps the Holy Spirit's way of honouring the symbols of Paul's labour for the Gospel. Liberals tend to be embarrassed by these verses, and usually dismiss them as legendary. Three reasons why they are wrong. These were:

4.4.1 "Remarkable Miracles"
Sicknesses of all kinds were simply healed. Completely, convincingly, indiscriminately. Luke the physician says "the diseases departed" and that was that. Not content to describe these events as mere "miracles" dynameis, Luke adds the adjective tychousas, which means special, remarkable, extraordinary. So even Luke does not regard these as typical even for miracles.

4.4.2 Miracles not Magic.

Luke is very clear to distinguish between the magical practices which the Ephesian believers were soon to renounce as evil.

4.3 Authentic Apostolic Power Encounters
The wisest attitude to these miracles is neither that of the sceptics who declare them as spurious, nor that of the mimics who try to copy them, like some of the American televangelists who for a price, offer to send to the sick handkerchiefs which they have blessed. No, these were unique apostolic credentials. Signs of an Apostle. Of apostolic authority for what Paul, like Peter and James, taught and wrote.


4.5. Abnormal Pretence 19:13-16
4.5.1 The Remarkable Action 19:13-14
It was not unusual for Jewish priests to try and cast out demons. But it was rather unusual for them to use the name of Jesus Christ. Since these men had no personal relationship or understanding of the saving power of Jesus, they dabbled, even throwing in Paul's name thinking that might help. Alexander Smellie says "Where you have the reality, you will have the caricature. The falsetto of miracle is magic; and Ephesus had magicians who tried to imitate Christ's Apostle... They had no formula or talisman except a stolen one. They traded at second hand with another person's Saviour and Lord." The remarkable action,

4.5.2 The Sobering Effect 19:15-16
You've probably seen the evangelistic poster which reads, "If it were a crime to be a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" These verses add a new angle for the Christian. "If you were confronted by an evil spirit, would it recognise you?" Demons recognised these impostors. The story shows the danger in meddling with the supernatural. There is power, saving and healing power in the name of Jesus, but its efficacy is not mechanical, nor can people use it second hand. God used the scheme to defeat Satan and to bring conviction to many still involved in magical arts.

4.6. Awe Inspiring Proof 19:17-19
There are three marks of reality here. The authentic work of God in people's lives has three effects.

4.6.1 Conviction 19:17 "they were all seized with fear"
4.6.2 Confession 19:18 "many who believed now came and openly confessed...." The tense of verse 18 indicates that people kept on coming and coming... kept on openly confessing and confessing...."
4.6.3 Consecration 19:19 "they brought their scrolls together and burned them."

Ephesus was famous for its "Ephesian letters" which were written charms and talismans. These were a little like the papal indulgences that were sold across Europe in the 16th century to raise funds for the building of St Peter's in Rome, and which sparked off the reformation in Luther's life. Old Moors almanac or Russell Grants star charts and Ouija boards would be a contemporary equivalent. For a friend of mine I'll call Tom I knew in Hastings it was the choice between pornographic literature and Jesus Christ. He realised to follow Christ he must destroy the literature. It was that clean break with the past and enabled him to carry on growing as a Christian. That these young believers in Ephesus were willing to burn these letters rather than sell them is clear evidence of the genuineness of their conversion. These new believers knew they must deal with their past and make a clean break with evil. It was a costly business. A drachma was a silver coin worth about a days wage. 50.000 drachmas therefore works out at the annual income of 150 men. They did not count the cost but repented and turned their backs on sin. I wonder whether there is something you must burn or rid yourself of that is holding you back from growing in Christ. When my grandfather died a few years ago I was given his Masonic regalia. I hadn't even known he was one. Much as I wanted to keep momentous of my grandfather I knew I must destroy them.

At Ephesus their dramatic example led to still more conversions. Luke gives a kind of summary in verse 20.

4.7 Advancing Progress 19:20
The effect of God's word was two fold, There was both
4.7.1 Growth - widespread
4.7.2 Influence - the Word grew in power

5. Diana and Demetrius Acts 19:21-41
In Acts 19:21, we have the first mention of Paul's plan to go to Rome. The fulfilling of this plan will be described in the last third of the Book of Acts. Paul would soon write to the saints in Rome and express this desire to them (Rom. 1:13-15; 15:22-29). But first he had to visit the churches in Macedonia and Achaia in order to complete the "love offering" that he was taking for the poor saints in Jerusalem (Acts 24:17; Rom. 15:25-33; 1 Cor. 16:3-7). While he remained in Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:8-9), he sent Timothy to help him finish the job (1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10-11).

It was at this point that Satan attacked again, not as the deceiver (2 Cor. 11:3-4), but as the destroyer (1 Peter 5:8), and the murderer (John 8:44). Satan incited the guild of silversmiths to stage a public protest against Paul and the Gospel. Paul may have been referring to this riot when he wrote, "I have fought with beasts at Ephesus" (1 Cor. 15:32). The enemy had been repeatedly defeated throughout Paul's three years of ministry in Ephesus. It would have been a master stroke on Satan's part to climax that ministry with a city-wide attack that could result in Paul's arrest, or even his death.

5.1 Ancient Tradition
Artemis Greek for Diana in Latin. She was a goddess of classical mythology which predated Greek civilisation. Worship of Diana was the fusion of two great traditions - the Greek virgin mistress protector, the daughter of Zeus, and the fertility mother goddess from Asia Minor. Her temple in Ephesius was spelndid, one of the seven wonders of the world, 424' long, 220' wide, open to the skies between two rows of 127 columnades 60' high.

5.2 Influential Tradition
The fertility cult goddess was very popular. Fertile crops, animals and wives meant financial security and prosperity. Children were the equivelent of a pension in those days. Ephesus was famous trhoughout the world becauswe of its temple to Diana. Souvineer statues of Diana have been found by archaeologists throughout Europe confirming the claim of Demetrius that she was worshipped 'throughout the world'.

5.3 Prosperous Tradition
The silversmiths of Ephesus has cornered an extensive and lucrative market for genuine Diana statues. Their manufacture brought 'no little business' according to Luke. Demetrius is more modest speaking of a "good income". The temple to Diana was also the bank or treasury for a large proportion of the wealth of Western Asia. National prise in the temple was so great that when Alexander the Great offered to donate the entire spoils of his eastern campaign if he might be allowed to inscribe his name on the building, the honour was declined.

5.4 Powerful Tradition
The city retained its independence even under Roman sovereignty. It elected its own magistrate and democratic governing body. The magistrate was the town clerk, mayor and treasurer all rolled into one. Because of the cult of Diana, Ephesus exerted a wide influence within the ancient near east. The cult of Diana has an ancient and distinguished past. It was influential, popular, prosperous and powerful. But it was also,

5.5 Degrading Tradition
If the temple itself was a magnificent monument, the image which it enshrined was primitive and crude. Diana is usually depicted in Western art as a tall beauiful huntress. This is romantic fantasy. In her original form she was a grotesque multi-breasted fertility goddess more like the sculptures of Hinduism. The temple was served by celibate priests led by a high priest and virgin priestesses. Enough of the background.
This was the awesome scene that confronted Paul and the other disciples. Sooner of later it was inevitable that there would be a confrontation between the followers of Jesus and the followers of Diana. Wherever the Gospel is preached in power, it will be opposed by people who make money from superstition and sin. Paul did not arouse the opposition of the silversmiths by picketing the temple of Diana or staging anti-idolatry rallies. All he did was teach the truth daily and send out his converts to witness to the lost people in the city. As more and more people got converted, fewer and fewer customers were available.


"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim. 6:10, nkjv). Demetrius and his silversmiths were promoting idolatry and immorality in order to make a living, while Paul was declaring the true God and pointing people to cleansing and purity through the free grace of God. The silversmiths were really more concerned about their jobs and their income than they were about Diana and her temple, but they were wise enough not to make this known. ~

Benjamin Franklin said that a mob was "a monster with heads enough, but no brains." How sad it is when people permit themselves to be led by a few selfish leaders who know the art of manipulation. Demetrius made use of the two things the Ephesians loved the most: the honor of their city and the greatness of their goddess and her temple. Without the help of radio, TV, or newspaper, he got his propaganda machine going and soon had the whole city in an uproar.

Max Lerner wrote in The Unfinished Country, "Every mob, in its ignorance and blindness and bewilderment, is a League of Frightened Men that seeks reassurance in collective action." It was a "religious mob" that shouted "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" to Pilate, and eventually got its way. Had this Ephesian mob succeeded in its plans, Paul would have been arrested and executed before the law could have stepped in to protect him.

The confused crowd, some 25,000 shouting people, finally filled up the amphitheater; most of them did not know what was happening or why they were there. Since the mob could not find Paul, they seized two of his helpers, Gaius (not the Gaius of Acts 20:4; Rom. 16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14) and Aristarchus (Acts 20:4). Paul wanted to enter the theater - what an opportunity for preaching the Gospel! - but the believers and some of the city leaders wisely counselled him to stay away (Acts 19:30-31).

Before long, race prejudice entered the picture, when a Jew named Alexander tried to address the crowd (Acts 19:33-34). No doubt he wanted to explain to them that the Jews living in Ephesus did not endorse Paul's message or ministry, and, therefore, must not be made scapegoats just to satisfy the crowd. But his very presence only aroused the mob even more, and they shouted for two more hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" The crowd knew that the Jews did not approve of idols and would not honor Diana. The only thing that protected the Jews was the Roman law that gave them freedom of religion.

It was the city clerk who finally got matters under control, and he did it primarily for political reasons. Ephesus was permitted by Rome to exist as a "free city" with its own elected assembly, but the Romans would have rejoiced to find an excuse for removing these privileges (Acts 19:40). The same tactics that the silversmiths used to arouse the mob, the clerk used to quiet and reassure themthe greatness of their city and of their goddess.

Luke records the official statement that the believers were innocent of any crime, either public (Acts 19:37) or private (Acts 19:38). Paul had this same kind of "official approval" in Philippi (Acts 16:35-40) and in Corinth (Acts 18:12-17); and he would receive it again after his arrest in Jerusalem. Throughout the Book of Acts, Luke makes it clear that the persecution of the Christian church was incited by the unbelieving Jews and not by the Romans. If anything, Paul used his Roman citizenship to protect himself, his friends, and the local assemblies.

The crowd was dismissed, and no doubt the people went home congratulating themselves that they had succeeded in defending their great city and their famous goddess. It is doubtful that many of them questioned the truthfulness of their religion or determined to investigate what Paul had been preaching for three years. It is much easier to believe a lie and follow the crowd.

But Ephesus is gone, and so is the world-wide worship of Diana of the Ephesians. The city and the temple are gone, and the silversmiths' guild is gone. Ephesus is a place visited primarily by archeologists and people on Holy Land tours. Yet the Gospel of God's grace and the church of Jesus Christ are still here! We have four inspired letters that were sent to the saints in Ephesus (Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Revelation 2:1-7). The name of Paul is honoured, but the name of Demetrius is forgotten. (Were it not for Paul, we would not have met Demetrius in the first place!). The church ministers by persuasion, not propaganda.

We share God's truth, not man's religious lies. Our motive is love, not anger; and the glory of God, not the praise of men. This is why the church goes on, and we must keep it so.
Let's pray.