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Acts chapter 19

English Standard Version

1And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7There were about twelve men in all.
8And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
21Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
28When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. 30But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? 36Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
New International Version

1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2and asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'
3So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John's baptism,' they replied.
4Paul said, '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 in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.
8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, 'In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.' 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?' 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. 'After I have been there,' he said, 'I must visit Rome also.' 22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
23About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: 'You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."
28When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' 29Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.
32The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!'
35The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: 'Fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. 37You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.' 41After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
New American Standard Bible

1Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2He said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' And they said to him, 'On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.' 3And he said, 'Into what then were you baptized?' And they said, 'Into John’s baptism.' 4Paul said, 'John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7There were about twelve men in all.
8And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, having discussions and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took the disciples away with him, and had discussions daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, 'I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!' 14Now there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this. 15But the evil spirit responded and said to them, 'I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?' 16And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18Also many of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they added up the prices of the books and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord was growing and prevailing mightily.
21Now after these things were finished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.' 22And after he sent into Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23About that time a major disturbance occurred in regard to the Way. 24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing considerable business to the craftsmen; 25he gathered these men together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, 'Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 26You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all. 27Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.'
28When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began shouting, saying, 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' 29The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s Macedonian traveling companions. 30And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. 32So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' 35After quieting the crowd, the town clerk *said, 'Men of Ephesus, what person is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from the sky? 36So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; have them bring charges against one another. 39But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. 40For indeed, we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real reason for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.' 41After saying this he dismissed the assembly.
Christian Standard Bible

1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples
2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? ""No," they told him, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3"Into what then were you baptized? " he asked them."Into John's baptism," they replied.
4Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus."
5When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. 7Now there were about twelve men in all.
8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
11God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul's hands, 12so that even facecloths or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.
13Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches! " 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. 15The evil spirit answered them, "I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul--but who are you? " 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem.
18And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.
21After these events, Paul resolved by the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. "After I've been there," he said, "It is necessary for me to see Rome as well." 22After sending to Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23About that time there was a major disturbance about the Way. 24For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for the craftsmen. 25When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said, "Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. 26You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods. 27Not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin--the very one all of Asia and the world worship."
28When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! " 29So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions. 30Although Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. 31Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to venture into the amphitheater. 32Some were shouting one thing and some another, because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33Some Jews in the crowd gave instructions to Alexander after they pushed him to the front. Motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! "
35When the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, "People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn't know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? 36Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. 37For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our goddess. 38So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39But if you seek anything further, it must be decided in a legal assembly. 40In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disturbance." 41After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.
New Living Translation

1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.
2Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' he asked them. 'No,' they replied, 'we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'
3Then what baptism did you experience?' he asked. And they replied, 'The baptism of John.'
4Paul said, 'John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.'
5As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.
8Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. 9But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia — both Jews and Greeks — heard the word of the Lord.
11God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
13A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, 'I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!' 14Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, 'I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?' 16Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.
17The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. 18Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. 19A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. 20So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.
21Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. 'And after that,' he said, 'I must go on to Rome!' 22He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
23About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.
25He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: 'Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis — this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world — will be robbed of her great prestige!'
28At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' 29Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. 31Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
32Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. 33The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. 34But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!'
35At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. 'Citizens of Ephesus,' he said. 'Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. 36Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. 37You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.
38If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.' 41Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.
King James Version

1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7And all the men were about twelve.
8And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. 9But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. 10And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. 11And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12So 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.
13Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 19Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
21After 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. 22So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. 23And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. 24For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; 25Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 26Moreover 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: 27So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. 28And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 29And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. 30And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. 32Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. 33And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. 34But when they knew 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 appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? 36Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. 37For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 38Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another. 39But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. 40For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse. 41And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

What does Acts chapter 19 mean?

Acts 19 is the story of Paul's three-year stay in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. Paul had visited Ephesus for a very short time at the end of his second missionary journey. He entered the synagogue, as usual, and explained how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah as given in the Jewish Scriptures. The synagogue members wanted him to stay longer and explain more fully, but he wanted to get to Jerusalem, possibly for the Passover. He told them he would return if he could. He sailed from Ephesus to Caesarea Maritima on the coast of Judea, then visited the church in Jerusalem before heading north. After an extended stay in Syrian Antioch, Paul—and presumably unnamed companions—traveled northwest again, into the provinces of Galatia and Phrygia in central modern-day Turkey (Acts 18:19–23). While there, he strengthened the churches he and Barnabas had planted in his first missionary journey (Acts 13:3—14:28) and that he and Silas had visited on his second (Acts 16:1–5).

In Acts 19:1–7, Paul meets twelve men in Ephesus who, like Apollos (Acts 18:24–28), are ardent followers of John the Baptist's teaching of repentance but don't know about the baptism of Jesus. Paul explains that John was the herald of the Messiah—Jesus of Nazareth—and if they are baptized in Jesus' name it means publicly declaring their allegiance to Jesus. Faith brings the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They agree and become the first brought to Christ in Ephesus by Paul.

Acts 19:8–10 is a very short synopsis of Paul's three years (Acts 20:31) in Ephesus. The fact that it can be summarized so quickly suggests Paul's time there is much like his stays in other cities. He first goes to the synagogue where he expounds on his initial message that Jesus is the Messiah. After a while, this time three months, many agree with him, but those who don't harass him and his followers so much they leave. He finds another place to teach the new believers and welcome new-comers, and usually stays until either the Jews drive him out of town, or the Gentiles realize his ministry is costing them money. After the summary, Luke elaborates on two specific consequences of Paul's ministry in Ephesus.

Acts 19:11–20 records the first of these outcomes. Paul's strong witness that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures is validated by the work of the Holy Spirit in him, particularly in his ability to heal physical conditions and exorcise demons. Itinerant Jewish magicians, not unlike Elymas in Cyprus (Acts 13:4–12), notice how powerful Paul is when he invokes the name of Jesus. They attempt to emulate him when faced by a demon-possessed man. The demon is not cowed by the mere mention of Jesus' name without the authority of Jesus. It attacks the magicians, so they run naked and wounded from the house. When the people of Ephesus realize Paul has real power over demons, they burn their books of magic and follow Jesus.

Acts 19:21–27 begins the second situation. Like in Philippi (Acts 16:16–24), Paul faces Gentiles whose livelihoods are threatened by his message. In Ephesus, the silversmiths realize the more people turn away from their worship of Artemis to follow Jesus, the fewer idols they will be able to sell. Demetrius, one such silversmith, points this out to the other artisans in the city, adding—almost as an afterthought—that Ephesus' pre-eminence as the home of the worship of Artemis is at risk.

In Acts 19:28–34, Demetrius's fellow craftsmen respond. They capture two of Paul's companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, and drag them to the local theater. A mob forms, most of them ignorant of what started the confusion. The church members hold Paul back, keeping him from entering the theater, while the mob shouts "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for two hours.

In Acts 19:35–41, the town clerk takes control. He manages to quiet the crowd enough that he can speak reason to the mob. He reminds them that Ephesus will always be known for Artemis worship and that starting a riot is not the proper solution for sophisticated people. If Demetrius has a complaint, he should formally charge the men before the proconsuls at court. The crowd disperses with no further injury.

After the riot, however, Paul decides he needs to leave. He returns to Macedonia, likely visiting the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea that he planted during his second trip (Acts 16:11—17:15), and then spends three months in Corinth. When he discovers he cannot safely sail from Corinth to Syrian Antioch, Paul retraces his steps through Macedonia and Troas and briefly meets with the Ephesian elders in Miletus. During their few hours together, he tells them he is going to Jerusalem where he suspects something tragic will happen; they will not see him again (Acts 20). Indeed, when he arrives in Jerusalem, he is arrested, sent to house-arrest in Caesarea Maritima, and taken to Rome in a harrowing sea voyage. Jesus will later have a message for the Ephesian church. He will say the Ephesians do well at detecting false teachers but have lost their love of Him. The one-time idol worshipers readily turn away from pagan worship but forget the joy of worshiping Christ (Revelation 2:1–7).
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