1And it came to pass , that , while Apollos was at Corinth , Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus , and found certain disciples : 2and he said unto them , Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed ? And they said unto him , Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given . 3And he said , Into what then were ye baptized? And they said , Into John ’s baptism. 4And Paul said , John baptized with the baptism of repentance , saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him , that is , on Jesus . 5And when they heard this , they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus . 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them , the Holy Spirit came on them ; and they spake with tongues , and prophesied . 7And they were in all about twelve men .
Paul's Teaching and Miracles
8And he entered into the synagogue , and spake boldly for the space of three months , reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God . 9But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude , he departed from them , and separated the disciples , reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus . 10And this continued for the space of two years ; so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord , both Jews and Greeks . 11And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul : 12insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body handkerchiefs or aprons , and the diseases departed from them , and the evil spirits went out .
The Sons of Sceva
13But certain also of the strolling Jews , exorcists , took upon them to name over them that had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus , saying , I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth . 14And there were seven sons of one Sceva , a Jew , a chief priest, who did this . 15And the evil spirit answered and said unto them , Jesus I know , and Paul I know ; but who are ye ? 16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them , and mastered both of them , and prevailed against them , so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded . 17And this became known to all , both Jews and Greeks , that dwelt at Ephesus ; and fear fell upon them all , and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified . 18Many also of them that had believed came , confessing , and declaring their deeds . 19And not a few of them that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all ; and they counted the price of them , and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed .
The Riot in Ephesus
21Now after these things were ended , 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 . 22And having sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him , Timothy and Erastus , he himself stayed in Asia for a while . 23And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way . 24For a certain man named Demetrius , a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen ; 25whom he gathered together , with the workmen of like occupation , and said , Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth . 26And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus , but almost throughout all Asia , this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people , saying that they are no gods , that are made with hands : 27and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account , and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence whom all Asia and the world worshippeth . 28And when they heard this they were filled with wrath , and cried out , saying , Great is Diana of the Ephesians . 29And the city was filled with the confusion : and they rushed with one accord into the theatre , having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia , Paul ’s companions in travel . 30And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people , the disciples suffered him not . 31And certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends , sent unto him and besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre . 32Some therefore cried one thing , and some another : for the assembly was in confusion ; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together . 33And they brought Alexander out of the multitude , the Jews putting him forward . And Alexander beckoned with the hand , and would have made a defence unto the people . 34But when they perceived that he was a Jew , all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out , Great is Diana of the Ephesians . 35And when the townclerk had quieted the multitude , he saith , Ye men of Ephesus , what man is there who knoweth not that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter ? 36Seeing then that these things cannot be gainsaid, ye ought to be quiet , and to do nothing rash . 37For ye have brought hither these men , who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess . 38If therefore Demetrius , and the craftsmen that are with him , have a matter against any man , the courts are open, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another . 39But if ye seek anything about other matters , it shall be settled in the regular assembly . 40For indeed we are in danger to be accused concerning this day ’s riot , there being no cause for it : and as touching it we shall not be able to give account of this concourse . 41And when he had thus spoken , he dismissed the assembly .