Bible Commentaries
Acts 19

Verse 1

1 Act 19:1. Paul came to Ephesus after Apollos had left that city and gone to Corinth in Greece. (See chapter 18:27, 28.) The disciples he found at Ephesus were evidently the persons whom Apollos had baptized (chapter 18:25).

Verse 2

2 Act 19:2. Paul knew that in those days a baptized believer was entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost (see the comments at chapter 2:38), but he also knew that even their baptism did not automatically bestow that gift until an apostle had laid hands on them (chapter 8:18). He did not know whether that special favor had yet been given to them, hence the question stated in this place. When they told him they had not heard anything about such a subject as the Holy Ghost, it showed that something was wrong.

Verse 3

3 Act 19:3. In answer to his question about their baptism, they told Paul that they had been baptized unto John's baptism. (See chapter 18:25.)

Verse 4

4 Act 19:4. The difference between "John's baptism" and "Christian baptism" is indicated in this verse. When John baptized a man he was required to believe on Christ who was to come. He had not yet come and hence no person could be baptized into His name or by his authority. But John was dead and Christ had come when Apollos was preaching, hence it was unscriptural to use John's baptism. Both baptisms were "for the remission of sins," and both had to be preceded by repentance (Mar 1:4; Act 2:38). But the latter was by the authority of Christ which put the believer into His name.

Verse 5

5 Act 19:5. These were rebaptized and it was into the name of Christ. No person but John could use his baptism, but the ones whom he baptized never had to be baptized again, for they were then prepared for the service of Christ.

Verse 6

7 Act 19:6-7. What happened when Paul laid hands on them, was what he was inquiring about in verse 2. Only those who were baptized with "Christian baptism" were entitled to that gift, and even then it required the hands of an apostle.

Verse 8

8 Act 19:8. Disputing is from the same word as "reasoned" in chapter 17:2. By reasoning on the subject, Paul was able to persuade some in favor of the kingdom of God.

Verse 9

9 Act 19:9. After three months of effort before the general multitudes assembling in the synagogue, the opposition to the truth became such that Paul concluded he could accomplish more by working elsewhere. Separated the disciples means he withdrew with the ones who were truly interested and who were eager to hear more of the truth. School is from the Greek word SCHOLE. Robinson defines it, "leisure, rest, vacation, attention, devotion, study." He then explains it to mean, "A place of learned leisure, where a teacher and his disciples came together and held discussions and disputations." Thayer defines it, "Freedom from labor, leisure; a place where there is leisure for anything, a school." Moffatt renders it, "lecture-room." This "school," then, was a place maintained by Tyrannus, a kind of public auditorium that was open to the public for the free use of any persons who wished to engage in cultural and recreational activities.

Verse 10

0 Act 19:10. This school was frequented by many people of all races and from all over Asia, for in the two years that Paul spent in his teaching there, the word of the Lord was heard throughout that area.

Verse 11

2 Act 19:11-12. Special miracles denotes those that were not commonly performed even in the days of miracles. God is able to accomplish any kind of wonders and by whatever means He wills. As an encouraging support for the work of the apostle in this center of various thought and activity, the Lord saw fit to use the pieces miraculously that had been in contact with the preacher.

Verse 13

3 Act 19:13. Vagabond Jews were some who were wandering around from house to house. An exorcist was a person who expelled demons from men by pronouncing some mysterious sentence, or by commanding the evil spirit by some important name. But even evil characters can be imitated and their work be pretended to be done by mere impostors. The present ones were frauds and pretended to be working through the name of Jesus; and to add weight to their pretense, they used the name of Paul.

Verse 14

4 Act 19:14. Sceva was a high priest, and he had seven sons who were practicing this fraud, attempting to cast out a devil from an unfortunate man.

Verse 15

5 Act 19:15. Jesus I know. This evil spirit was telling the truth, for the devils were originally in heaven and had been cast out because of sin (2Pe 2:4), and it was there that they had their acquaintance with Jesus. That accounts for the statements in Mar 1:24 Mar 1:34. Since these men were frauds the spirit did not recognize them.

Verse 16

6 Act 19:16. Being possessed with a devil did not have the same effect on every person. In the present instance it produced unusual physical strength and activity. Acting through the man in whom the devil was dwelling, it pounced upon these pretenders and they fled from the house in fright and stripped of their clothing.

Verse 17

7 Act 19:17. The word fear is used in the sense of respect in this verse, since it caused the name of the Lord Jesus to be magnified by both Jews and Greeks.

Verse 18

8 Act 19:18. This respectful fear was proved by their confession of evil deeds.

Verse 19

9 Act 19:19. These penitent Jews and Greeks did not stop with mere confessions, for the event about the exorcists convinced them that the business of dealing in trifles was wrong. Curious arts is from PERIERCOS, which is defined by Thayer as things "impertinent and superflous," and he explains it to mean "arts of magic." These were chiefly a system of superstitious performances, and they had their recipes written in books by which they would mislead their victims. When they became penitent over their sinful practices, they proved their sincerity by burning the collection of their evil formulas. Moffatt renders the value of the books to be 2,000 pounds of silver

Verse 20

0 Act 19:20. The word of God grew, because every genuine demonstration of repentance was attributed to the power of that word over the minds of men. The increase of the word means that the number of believers in the word was increased.

Verse 21

1 Act 19:21. Purposed in the spirit means that it was Paul's personal plans to accomplish the things stated. While he always intended doing and saying the things that were in harmony with the Holy Spirit, this was not an inspired purpose, for part of it was not carried out as he had purposed. He did actually see Rome, but not until he was taken there as a prisoner (chapter 28:16).

Verse 22

2 Act 19:22. Paul's purpose was to leave Ephesus and go through Macedonia and Achaia (Greece), but he did not intend starting at once, for he wished to spend some more time in the city. Timotheus and Erastus usually traveled with Paul as coworkers, but he released them to go ahead and work in the region of Macedonia while he was still in Asia.

Verse 23

3 Act 19:23. That way is a phrase applying to the Gospel plan, so used because of its preeminence. (See verse 9; chapter 9:2.) The original word for stir is defined, "commotion, stir, tumult" in Thayer's lexicon. It was because of the interference it was making with many of the evils in the community.

Verse 24

4 Act 19:24. Diana was a heathen goddess and a temple was built for her at Ephesus. Demetrius and his fellow workers made a great deal of money by forming shrines, which were small models of the temple, selling them to travelers who wished them for souvenirs.

Verse 25

5 Act 19:25. Demetrius became concerned over the prospect of losing this business and he called a meeting of his partners in the trade.

Verse 26

6 Act 19:26. Demetrius called attention of his fellows to the preaching of Paul, stating that it had extended throughout Asia. The part of Paul's preaching that worried him was that against idolatry, especially the kind that was the work of human hands.

Verse 27

7 Act 19:27. These men were not concerned about the merits of the religious issue, but feared that financial loss would come to them if people were made to believe in the one living God. That is the meaning of the statement, our craft [business or occupation] is in danger. It was the old story of men being more interested in their financial than in their spiritual welfare. Yet they pretended to be concerned about the dignity of the idolatrous goddess, that was worshiped by the world.

Verse 28

8 Act 19:28. The inflamatory speech of Demetrius aroused the mob spirit of these tradesmen, causing them to make a boistrous shout in behalf of the goddess.

Verse 29

9 Act 19:29. The cry spread until it affected the whole city, throwing it into confusion. The excited people let their wrath be exhibited against the associates of Paul. They took them by force into a place where public performances were put on.

Verse 30

0 Act 19:30. Paul wished to appear in this public place to reply to the complaints of the mob. Fearing that he might be harmed by the angry populace, the disciples prevented him from entering the theatre.

Verse 31

1 Act 19:31. Sent unto him denotes that a general state of confusion existed, so that special means had to be used to communicate with Paul.

Verse 32

2 Act 19:32. This state of disorder made it impossible to discern just what the concourse was about or what the issue was.

Verse 33

3 Act 19:33. A riot is regarded by all civilized nations as something worthy of being condemned. The Jews feared that their people would be blamed by the Greeks for the present uprising. They selected this prominent member of their race to speak in their behalf, and he prepared to make an address for that purpose.

Verse 34

4 Act 19:34. This outcry was the opposite of an ovation. It was a disorderly explosion of anger and disrespect against the attempt of a Jew to make a speech in the public theatre of the Greek people. This raving mob was so worked up and tumultuous that it took two hours to get it quieted.

Verse 35

5 Act 19:35. A townclerk was a secretary or public scribe; a man supposed to be informed in matters of law and order. After two hours he was able to get the uproar subdued so that he could speak to the people. His purpose was to state the legal and fair aspects of the situation. He proposed to show that there was no call for such a demonstration in defense of the temple of Diana. That it was common knowledge that the people were devoted worshipers of their goddess, which it was believed had come down from Jupiter, another god of the Greeks.

Verse 36

6 Act 19:36. The reputation of the goddess in the eyes of the Greek people was not even questioned by them, hence there was no reason for being reckless or unnecessarily hasty in acting against Paul and his companions.

Verse 37

7 Act 19:37. The townclerk was not siding with Paul in his teaching, but wished to show his fellow citizens that they were mistreating him and his friends contrary to the principles of human rights. Robbers of churches is from HIEROSULOS which means those who commit sacrilege or who rob temples. Paul had not made any vicious attack on the goddess of the Greeks, but had emphasized the authority of the God of Heaven. But these heathen had correctly concluded that if the God whom Paul preached was the only true one, then all manmade objects of worship were false.

Verse 38

8 Act 19:38. The reasoning of the town-clerk was that provision had been made by the law of the land, whereby all just complaints could be handled. Deputies were men authorized to represent the government in the disputes arising between man and man.

Verse 39

9 Act 19:39. By other matters he meant subjects that were differences of opinion only and not involving any personal misconduct. Lawful assembly means one called by the proper authorities and in accordance with the law.

Verse 40

0 Act 19:40. The townclerk feared that the higher authorities might bring a complaint against the community because of the riot.

Verse 41

1 Act 19:41. The mob was dispersed without further disorder, because the people had been shown the lawlessness of their actions.