Part 25

019:006 and when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.

019:007 They numbered in all about twelve men.

019:008 Afterwards he went into the synagogue. There for three months he continued to preach fearlessly, explaining in words which carried conviction the truths which concern the Kingdom of God.

019:009 But some grew obstinate in unbelief and spoke evil of the new faith before all the congregation. So Paul left them, and, taking with him those who were disciples, held discussions daily in Tyrannus's lecture-hall.

019:010 This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Lord's Message.

019:011 God also brought about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality.

019:012 Towels or aprons, for instance, which Paul had handled used to be carried to the sick, and they recovered from their ailments, or the evil spirits left them.

019:013 But there were also some wandering Jewish exorcists who undertook to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, "I command you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches."

019:014 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew of high-priestly family, who were doing this.

019:015 "Jesus I know," the evil spirit answered, "and Paul I have heard of, but who are you?"

019:016 And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, over-mastered them both, and treated them with such violence, that they fled from the house stripped of their clothes and wounded.

019:017 All the people of Ephesus, Jews as well as Greeks, came to know of this. There was widespread terror, and they began to hold the name of the Lord Jesus in high honour.

019:018 Many also of those who believed came confessing without reserve what their conduct had been,

019:019 and not a few of those who had practised magical arts brought their books together and burnt them in the presence of all. The total value was reckoned and found to be 50,000 silver coins.

019:020 Thus mightily did the Lord's Message spread and triumph!

019:021 When matters had reached this point, Paul decided in his own mind to travel through Macedonia and Greece, and go to Jerusalem. "After that," he said, "I must also see Rome."

019:022 But he sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself remained for a while in Roman Asia.

019:023 Now just at that time there arose no small commotion about the new faith.

019:024 There was a certain Demetrius, a silversmith, who made miniature silver sanctuaries of Diana, a business which brought great gain to the mechanics in his employ.

019:025 He called his workmen together, and others who were engaged in similar trades, and said to them, "You men well know that our prosperity depends on this business of ours;

019:026 and you see and hear that, not in Ephesus only but throughout almost the whole province of Asia, this fellow Paul has led away a vast number of people by inducing them to believe that they are not gods at all that are made by men's hands.

019:027 There is danger, therefore, not only that this our trade will become of no account, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will fall into utter disrepute, and that before long she will be actually deposed from her majestic rank-- she who is now worshipped by the whole province of Asia; nay, by the whole world."

019:028 After listening to this harangue, they became furiously angry and kept calling out, "Great is the Ephesian Diana!"

019:029 The riot and uproar spread through the whole city, till at last with one accord they rushed into the Theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were fellow travellers with Paul.

019:030 Then Paul would have liked to go in and address the people, but the disciples would not let him do so.

019:031 A few of the public officials, too, who were friendly to him, sent repeated messages entreating him not to venture into the Theatre.

019:032 The people, meanwhile, kept shouting, some one thing and some another; for the assembly was all uproar and confusion, and the greater part had no idea why they had come together.

019:033 Then some of the people crowded round Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward; and Alexander, motioning with his hand to get silence, was prepared to make a defence to the people.