Acts

The Holy Spirit Received at Ephesus

1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interiorand came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples

2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.

4Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

5On hearing this, they were baptized into 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.

7There were about twelve men in all.

Paul Ministers in Ephesus

8Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

9But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

10This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia,Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.

11God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,

12so that even handkerchiefsand aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.

Seven Sons of Sceva

13Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

15But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.

17This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

18Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.

19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

20So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.

The Riot in Ephesus

21After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spiritto go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”

22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.

23About that time there arose a great disturbanceabout the Way.

24It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much businessto the craftsmen.

25Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.

26And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.

27There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”

28When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

29Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

30Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.

31Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asiasent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre.

32Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there.

33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.

34But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

36Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.

37For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.

38So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.

39But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.

40For we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.”

41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

保罗在以弗所

1亚波罗在哥林多的时候，保罗经过了上边一带地方，就来到以弗所；在那里遇见几个门徒，

2问他们说：「你们信的时候受了圣灵没有？」他们回答说：「没有，也未曾听见有圣灵赐下来。」

3保罗说：「这样，你们受的是什么洗呢？」他们说：「是约翰的洗。」

4保罗说：「约翰所行的是悔改的洗，告诉百姓当信那在他以后要来的，就是耶稣。」

5他们听见这话，就奉主耶稣的名受洗。

6保罗按手在他们头上，圣灵便降在他们身上，他们就说方言，又说预言。

7一共约有十二个人。

8保罗进会堂，放胆讲道，一连三个月，辩论 神国的事，劝化众人。

9后来，有些人心里刚硬不信，在众人面前毁谤这道，保罗就离开他们，也叫门徒与他们分离，便在推喇奴的学房天天辩论。

10这样有两年之久，叫一切住在亚细亚的，无论是犹太人，是希腊人，都听见主的道。

士基瓦的儿子们

11神借保罗的手行了些非常的奇事；

12甚至有人从保罗身上拿手巾或围裙放在病人身上，病就退了，恶鬼也出去了。

13那时，有几个游行各处、念咒赶鬼的犹太人，向那被恶鬼附的人擅自称主耶稣的名，说：「我奉保罗所传的耶稣敕令你们出来！」

14做这事的，有犹太祭司长士基瓦的七个儿子。

15恶鬼回答他们说：「耶稣我认识，保罗我也知道。你们却是谁呢？」

16恶鬼所附的人就跳在他们身上，胜了其中二人，制伏他们，叫他们赤着身子受了伤，从那房子里逃出去了。

17凡住在以弗所的，无论是犹太人，是希腊人，都知道这事，也都惧怕；主耶稣的名从此就尊大了。

18那已经信的，多有人来承认诉说自己所行的事。

19平素行邪术的，也有许多人把书拿来，堆积在众人面前焚烧。他们算计书价，便知道共合五万块钱。

20主的道大大兴旺，而且得胜，就是这样。

以弗所的暴动

21这些事完了，保罗心里定意经过了马其顿、亚该亚，就往耶路撒冷去；又说：「我到了那里以后，也必须往罗马去看看。」

22于是从帮助他的人中打发提摩太、以拉都二人往马其顿去，自己暂时等在亚细亚。

23那时，因为这道起的扰乱不小。

24有一个银匠，名叫底米丢，是制造亚底米神银龛的，他使这样手艺人生意发达。

25他聚集他们和同行的工人，说：「众位，你们知道我们是倚靠这生意发财。

26这保罗不但在以弗所，也几乎在亚细亚全地，引诱迷惑许多人，说：『人手所做的，不是神。』这是你们所看见所听见的。

27这样，不独我们这事业被人藐视，就是大女神亚底米的庙也要被人轻忽，连亚细亚全地和普天下所敬拜的大女神之威荣也要消灭了。」

28众人听见，就怒气填胸，喊着说：「大哉，以弗所人的亚底米啊！」

29满城都轰动起来。众人拿住与保罗同行的马其顿人该犹和亚里达古，齐心拥进戏园里去。

30保罗想要进去，到百姓那里，门徒却不许他去。

31还有亚细亚几位首领，是保罗的朋友，打发人来劝他，不要冒险到戏园里去。

32聚集的人纷纷乱乱，有喊叫这个的，有喊叫那个的；大半不知道是为什么聚集。

33有人把亚历山大从众人中带出来，犹太人推他往前，亚历山大就摆手，要向百姓分诉；

34只因他们认出他是犹太人，就大家同声喊着说：「大哉！以弗所人的亚底米啊。」如此约有两小时。

35那城里的书记安抚了众人，就说：「以弗所人哪，谁不知道以弗所人的城是看守大亚底米的庙和从宙斯那里落下来的像呢？

36这事既是驳不倒的，你们就当安静，不可造次。

37你们把这些人带来，他们并没有偷窃庙中之物，也没有谤 我们的女神。

38若是底米丢和他同行的人有控告人的事，自有放告的日子，也有方伯可以彼此对告。

39你们若问别的事，就可以照常例聚集断定。

40今日的扰乱本是无缘无故，我们难免被查问。论到这样聚众，我们也说不出所以然来。」

41说了这话，便叫众人散去。