Acts 19 · The Lantern

It fortuned whyll Appollo was at Corinthum that Paul passed thorow the vpper costes and came to Ephesus and foude certayne 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.

and sayd vnto them: have ye receaved the holy gost sence ye beleved? And they sayde vnto him: no we have not hearde whether ther be eny holy goost or no.

And he sayd vnto them: wher wt were ye then baptised? And they sayd: with Iohns baptim

Then sayde Paul: Iohn verely bapiised with the baptim of repentaunce sayinge vnto the people that they shuld beleve on him which shuld come after him: that is on Christ Iesus.

" 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 hearde that they were baptised in the name of the lorde Iesu.

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.

And Paul layde his hondes apon them and the holy gost came on them and they spake with tonges 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.

and all the men were aboute.xii.

And he went into the synagoge and behaved him selfe boldely for the space of thre monethes disputynge and gevynge them exhortacions of the kyngdome of God.

When dyvers wexed harde herted and beleved not but spake evyll of the waye and that before the multitude: he departed from them and seperated the disciples. And disputed dayly in ye scole of one called Tyranus.

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.

And this contynued by the space of two yeares: so yt all they which dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the lorde Iesu bothe Iewes and Grekes.

And god wrought no small miracles by the hondes of Paul:

so that from his body were brought vnto the sicke napkyns or partlettes and the diseases departed from the and the evyll spretes went out of them.

"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.

Then certayne of the vagabounde Iewes exorcistes toke apon them to call over them which had evyll spretes the name of the lorde Iesus sayinge: We adiure you by Iesu who Paul preacheth.

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.

And ther were seven sonnes of one Sceva a Iewe and chefe of the prestes which dyd so.

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.

And the evyll sprete answered and sayde: Iesus I knowe and Paul I knowe: but who are ye?

And ye man in who the evyll sprete was ranne on the and overcame the and prevayled agaynst them so that they fledde out of that housse naked and wouded.

And this was knowen to all ye Iewes and Grekes also which dwelt at Ephesus and feare came on them all and they magnified the name of ye lorde Iesus.

And many yt beleved came and confessed and shewed their workes.

Many of the which vsed curious craftes brought their bokes and burned the before all men and they counted the price of the and foude it fifty thousande silverlynges.

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 myghtely grewe ye worde of god and prevayled.

After these thinges were ended Paul purposed in the sprete to passe over Macedonia and Achaia and to goo to Ierusalem saying: After I have bene there I must also se Rome.

So sent he into Macedonia two of the that ministred vnto him Timotheus and Erastus: but he him selfe remayned in Asia for a season.

The same tyme ther arose no lytell a do aboute that waye.

For a certayne man named Demetrius a silvermyth which made silver schrynes for Diana was not a lytell beneficiall vnto the craftes men.

Which he called to geder with the worke men of lyke occupacion and sayd: Syrs ye knowe that by this crafte we have vauntage.

Moreover ye se and heare that not alone at Ephesus but almost thorowe oute all Asia this Paul hath persuaded and turned awaye moche people saying yt they be not goddes which are made wt hondes.

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.

So that not only this oure crafte cometh into parell to be set at nought: but also that ye temple of ye greate goddas Diana shuld be despysed and her magnificence shuld be destroyed which all Asia and the worlde worshippeth.

When they hearde these sayinges they were full of wrathe and cryed out saying: Greate is Diana 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.

And all the cite was on a roore and they russhed in to the comen hall with one assent and caught Gayus and Aristarcus men of Macedonia Pauls companios.

When Paul wolde have entred in vnto the people ye disciples suffered him not.

Certayne also of ye chefe of Asia which were his frendes sent vnto him desyrynge him that he wolde not preace into the comen hall.

Some cryed one thinge and some another and the congregacion was all out of quiet and ye moare parte knewe not wherfore they were come togeder.

Some of the company drue forth Alexander the Iewes thrustynge him forwardes. Alexander beckened with the honde and wolde have geven ye people an answer.

When they knewe ye he was a Iewe ther arose a shoute almost for the space of two houres of all men cryinge greate is Diana of the Ephesians.

When the toune clarcke had ceased the people he sayd: ye men of Ephesus what man is it that knoweth not how that the cite of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddas Diana and of ye ymage which came fro heven.

"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.

Seinge then yt no man sayth here agaynst ye ought to be content and to do nothinge rasshly:

For ye have brought hyther these me whiche are nether robbers of churches nor yet despisers of youre goddes.

Wherfore yf Demetrius and the craftes men which are wt him have eny sayinge to eny man the lawe is open and ther are ruelars let the accuse one another.

Yf ye goo about eny other thinge it maye be determined in a lawfull cogregacion

For we are in ieoperdy to be accused of this dayes busines: for as moche as ther is no cause wherby we maye geve a rekenynge of this concourse of people.

And when he had thus spoken he let the congregacion departe.

Acts19