Acts 19 · The Lantern

It happened that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples.

Accordingly, in the Acts of the Apostles, we find that men who had "John's baptism" had not received the Holy Spirit, whom they knew not even by hearing.

Knowing only John's baptism. It is worth asking how, if he knew only John's baptism, he nevertheless possessed the Spirit; for the Spirit was not given in that way. And if those who came after him needed the baptism of Christ, much more would he have needed it. What then is one to say? For he did not simply set both side by side.

These, from among "certain disciples," who did not even know that there is a Holy Spirit, differed greatly from the other disciples, because from the words "that they should believe in Him who was coming after him" it is evident that they did not believe in Christ either. He did not say that the baptism of John was nothing, but that it was incomplete.

He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They said to him, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

He said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."

Paul said, "John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus."

" And so "the baptism of repentance" was dealt with as if it were a candidate for the remission and sanctification shortly about to follow in Christ: for in that John used to preach "baptism for the remission of sins," the declaration was made with reference to future remission; if it be true, (as it is, ) that repentance is antecedent, remission subsequent; and this is "prepar…

From John's baptism he prophesies, and he leads them to understand that this was John's baptism. From this point it is shown that John's baptism was incomplete. For he did not say that it was forgiveness, but that it was of repentance. [AMMONIUS]

John baptized with the baptism of repentance. This baptism, he says, could not grant the remission of sins but could teach only repentance.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Of the existence of the Holy Spirit … we are taught in many passages of Scripture. For instance, David says in the fiftieth psalm, "And take not your Holy Spirit from me," and in Daniel it is said, "The Holy Spirit, who is in you." But in the New Testament we have proofs in abundance, as when the Holy Spirit is related to have descended upon Christ, and when the Lord breathed o…

Did he baptize after a heretic had baptized? Or, if perhaps you dare to say that the friend of the bridegroom was a heretic and was not in the unity of the church, I wish you would write that also. But, if it is complete madness either to think or to say that, then it is the duty of your prudence to reflect on the reason why the apostle Paul baptized after John.

Having heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. A question is frequently discussed, whether those who, perhaps due to ignorance, were baptized by some who were not themselves baptized, yet were of the right faith, ought to be baptized again; which matter, I think, is explained in this chapter.

When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.

Wherefore, then, my brethren, let us struggle with all earnestness, knowing that the contest is [in our case] close at hand, and that many undertake long voyages to strive for a corruptible reward; yet all are not crowned, but those only that have laboured hard and striven gloriously. Let us therefore so strive, that we may all be crowned.

That we must not grieve the Holy Spirit, whom we have received. Paul the apostle to the Ephesians: "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in which ye were sealed in the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemy, be taken away from you."

They did not see the Spirit, because He is invisible; but a certain sensible proof of His presence was offered by the gift of tongues: one spoke in Persian, another in Roman, a third in some other language; and by these outward signs it was evident that the Spirit was speaking in each one.

They were about twelve men in all.

He entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning the Kingdom of God.

But 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.

He warned us, to be sure, at that time (for elsewhere our Discipline is called "the Way" ), that when, set in "the way" of prayer, we go not unto "the Father" with anger.

"But when some were hardened, and believed not," etc. When some of the Ephesians, stubborn-willed, believed not, he separated his disciples from them and discussed daily in Tyrannus's school for two years, performing many miracles, so that his handkerchiefs were laid on sick people and they were restored to their former health.

Luke calls Christ "the Way," of Whom it is also said that He is the way (see John 14:6). Or else he calls "the way" the true faith which Paul preached. And by the words "he separated the disciples," the instruction is given that those who believe in the Son of God should withdraw from those who revile Him.

This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul,

so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the evil spirits went out.

"So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them." Not touched the wearer only and so were healed, but also receiving them, they laid them upon the sick and so healed them.

"handkerchiefs or aprons." I think both are linen-like; but the handkerchiefs are placed upon the head, while the aprons are held in the hands by those unable to wear handkerchiefs, such as those who wear secondary garments or sleaves to wipe away the moistures of the face, for example sweat, spittle, tears, and the like. [AMMONIUS]

So that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried to the sick. Many of us do not know what aprons signify; however, Gregory, who is now the bishop of the Apostolic See, while he was still an archdeacon, answered a friend from Britain who inquired about this among other things, that it is a kind of handkerchief which the Hebrews use on their heads.

But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

And the nature of all these deceits is obscure to those who are without the truth. For they think that those demons profit them when they cease to injure, whereas they have no power except to injure. Some one may perchance say that they are therefore to be worshipped, that they may not injure, since they have the power to injure.

"Some of the roaming Jewish exorcists." This statement shows that they did not, like exorcists believing in Jesus, adjure unclean spirits in the name of the Lord, but were testing them: wherefore also, since they were not faithful, as the evil spirit says, they shortly paid the penalty of their foolishness.

They did not wish to believe, yet desired to cast out demons in the name of Jesus, because these words clearly reveal that these exorcists adjured the unclean spirits in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ not as those who believed in Jesus, but as those who were testing Him.

There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did this.

Neither is every one that prophesies holy, nor every one that casts out devils religious: for even Balaam the son of Beor the prophet did prophesy, though he was himself ungodly; as also did Caiaphas, the falsely-named high priest.

However, there were some seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva, who were doing this. It is better read according to the Greek: However, there was of a certain Sceva. Since even Satan himself transforms into an angel of light (II Cor. XI), he does not fear to color his ministers with the same pretense.

Although the sons of Sceva did this secretly, their powerlessness is exposed. What is worthy of wonder is the circumstance that the evil spirit did not aid in the deception of these exorcists, but rather exposed and revealed their fraud.

The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"

The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.

Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.

For when to an age much more ignorant (than ours) they had disclosed certain well-concealed material substances, and several not well-revealed scientific arts-if it is true that they had laid bare the operations of metallurgy, and had divulged the natural properties of herbs, and had promulgated the powers of enchantments, and had traced out every curious art, even to the inter…

Let those who accuse Christ's disciples of being magicians be refuted by this reading, since it shows clearly that all magic is destroyed by the power of their teaching.

Seeing that these books were no longer of any use for anything, those who had practiced sorcery "burned them before all." So devoted were the Ephesians to idols and magic that they valued books of sorcery very highly as containing the very best things in life.

So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

Now after these things had ended, Paul determined 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."

Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,

whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.

You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands.

Hence neither is it lawful to accuse those who have left all, and have retired for the safety of their life, as if others had been held back by them.

"Moreover 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 be no gods, which are made with hands: so that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also, that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, who…

"By his persuasions he has led astray a considerable number of people." Not by violence, but precisely in this way one ought to persuade. It is sufficient that Paul said "they are not gods." If the falsity of this cult is so easily exposed, then it should have been rejected long ago; but if it has power in itself, then it is impossible to uproot it so quickly.

Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute; but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing, and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence, whom all Asia and the world worships."

When they heard this they were filled with anger, and began to shout, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

"And when they heard, they were filled with wrath, and shouted, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" For each city had its proper gods. They thought to make their voice a barrier against the Divine Spirit. Children indeed, these Greeks! And their feeling was as if by their voice they could reinstate the worship of her, and undo what had taken place!

And they cried out, saying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians. When Demetrius said Diana would perish, they, on the contrary, marvel at her greatness.

They became enraged upon hearing about Artemis and the undermining of their craft, because it is characteristic of the rabble to become agitated and inflamed by any matter, even a trivial one. They had gods in the city; and they assumed a threatening posture, so as to somehow restore respect for the gods by their shouting and to drown out what had happened.

The city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.

When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples did not allow him.

Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.

Some therefore shouted one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them did not know why they had come together.

They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people.

But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours shouted, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, "You men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

"And when the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?" As if the thing were not palpable. With this saying first he extinguished their wrath.

The Diopetes, of the temple of Zeus, that is, the round-shaped one. Or it was likewise called another sanctuary among them. But instead of "temple-keeper" [Νεωκόρον] he says "temple-servant" [ἱερόδουλόν]; to "sweep" is the act of cleansing, from which also temple-keeper, the one who tends the temple, is so called, that is, he who sweeps the temple. [AMMONIUS]

The town clerk answers justly and with reproach; he did not say "what person does not know of Artemis?" but rather "who does not know that our city is a servant of the great goddess Artemis?" So why are you making an uproar, as though this were something unknown? The word "servant" means, properly speaking, an attendant who sweeps or cleanses the temple.

Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.

For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.

If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.

But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.

For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning this day's riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we would not be able to give an account of this commotion."

When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

Acts19