Coachlight Bible Study - Acts
Chapter 19:8-41
Paul's
Return Trip To Ephesis
Psalms
34:19 Many are the afflictions of the
righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Ephesus was a great city in Asia. It was famous
for a temple built there to Diana,
which was one of the wonders of the world at that time.
Paul left Acquila and Priscilla in Corinth on his
first trip, while he went back to
Jerusalem for a feast. The evidence of
their contribution to the ministry was demonstrated in their teaching more
perfectly a disciple of John the Baptist named Apollos.
Paul having gone through the country of Galatia and
Phrygia, passing through the upper
coasts through Pontus and Bithynia laying to the north, finily returned to Ephesus.
Paul came to Ephesis to preach the gospel while
Apollos was at Corinth. While Apollos
was watering there, Paul was planting
at Ephesis. Paul was not upset that
Apollos was building on his foundation.
In fact, Paul rejoiced in it, and went
on to the new work at Ephesus. While
some had tried to cause a problem between them - Yet Paul had no jeolousy
toward him.
1 Corinthians
1:12 Now this I say, that every one of
you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
We will learn how Paul taught the people, his method
and intentions, and see miracles performed.
We will read of the result when
unbelievers try the same miracles - a revival breaks out - and when they try to
use the disciples in a gladiator spectacle, the Lord uses a secular townclerk
to dismis the uproar
Remember last week we left Paul as he arrived in
Ephesis, and met twelve disciples of John the Baptist. Paul asked them if they had received the
Holy Ghost since they believed. They
then replied that they had not heard of the Holy Ghost. Paul then layed hands
on them and prayed. The disciples spoke
in tongues and prophesied.
I. Paul Preaches Three Months In The Synagogue. (Acts 19:8)
A. As usual,
Paul begins his preaching in the synagogue
B. He Spoke
boldly - A lesson on how to teach
1.He spoke of
the things concerning the Kingdom of God
2. Paul's idea
of the Kingdom is seen in Acts 20:28
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to
all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
C. How He Taught - Paul disputed with - Our word dialogue
comes from
1256 dialegomai dialegomai dee-al-eg’-om-ahee
middle voice
from 1223 and 3004; TDNT-2:93,155;
v
AV-dispute 6,
reason with 2, reason 2, preach unto 1, preach 1, speak 1; 13
1) to think
different things with one’s self, mingle thought with thought
1a) to ponder,
revolve in mind
2) to converse,
discourse with one, argue, discuss
D. Paul's Intention - He spoke with intention
to persuade
3982 peiyw peitho pi’-tho
a primary verb; TDNT-6:1,818; v
AV-persuade 22, trust 8, obey 7, have
confidence 6, believe 3, be confident 2, misc 7; 55
1) persuade
1a) to persuade,
i.e. to induce one by words to believe
1b) to make friends
of, to win one’s favour, gain one’s good will, or to seek to win one, strive to
please one
1c) to
tranquillise
1d) to persuade
unto i.e. move or induce one to persuasion to do something
2) be persuaded
2a) to be
persuaded, to suffer one’s self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: to
have faith: in a thing
2a1) to believe
2a2) to be
persuaded of a thing concerning a person
E. In a letter
to the Corinthians, Paul described this way of persuading:
2 Corinthians
5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of
the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also
are made manifest in your consciences.
II. Paul Teaches In Tyrannus's School (Acts 19:9-10)
A. The Jews were
hardened in heart
1. They did not
believe
2. They spoke evil
of the Gospel
B. Paul Departed
From the Jews
C. Paul
separated the Congregations - Jews and Gentiles
D. Taught Daily
in the School of Tyrannus
1. For Two Years
2. All Asia
heard The Word - Jews and Gentiles
III. Miracles
Performed at Ephesis By Paul (Acts 19:11-12)
A. God Confirmed
Paul's Work With Miracles
1. We have not
read of any miracle in Paul's ministry since the casting of the evil spirit out
of the damsel at Philippi
2. There were
evidently many miracles, however at Corinth
2 Corinthians
12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle
were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty
deeds.
B.Healing cloths
from Paul's body given to the sick
C. Healing
Cloths resulted In:
1. Sick healed
2. Evil spirits
cast out
IV. Seven Son's of
Sceva Try and Perform Same Type of Miracles- (Acts 19:13-16)
A. Confusion
made by Satan's Servants
1. Vagabond Jews
2. Exortists
3. Took the
occation of Paul's preaching to make money
B. They were
seven sons of Sceva
1. A Jew
2. A Chief
Priest -house of Aaron
C.Called over
them that were posessed by evil spirits
D. Attempted to
talk to the spirits in the name of Jesus that Paul preached, not knowing Jesus
E. And the evil
spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
F. The possessed
man then lept on them
1. Overcame them
2. Prevailed
against them
G. They Fled out
of the house
1. Naked -
clothes pulled off their backs
2. Wounded -
their heads broken
H. The Psalmist
writes of these kind:
Psalms
50:16 But unto the wicked God saith,
What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?
Psalms
50:17 Seeing thou hatest instruction,
and castest my words behind thee.
V. Revival Continues - (Acts 19:17-20)
A. Was known
throughout the area - even in Ephesus
1. Fear fell on
them
2. The name of
Jesus was magnified
B. Results of
revival - Others of Satan's servants were converted
1. Many that
believed confessed and showed their deeds
2. Many of the
curious arts burned their books - equal to 50,000 pieces of silver
3. The Word Grew
Mightily and Prevailed
VI. Timothy and Erastus Sent To Macedonia - (Acts 19:21-22)
A. Paul wanted
to visit the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, especially of Philippi and
Corinth, the chief cities of those provinces,
to edify them
B. Paul also
wanted to go to Jerusalem to salute the church and give report
C. Paul also
wanted to go to Rome
Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart
unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
D. Paul sent
Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia and he stayed in Asia Minor
1. To get them
ready for Paul's visit
2. Get a
collection for the poor in Jerusalem
E. Paul
evidently decided to go himself after writing the first Epistle to the
Corinthians:
1 Corinthians
4:17 For this cause have I sent unto
you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring
you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in
every church.
1 Corinthians
4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if
the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but
the power.
F. For now, Paul
remains in Asia planting churchs
VII. Demetrius Causes An Uproar - (Acts 19:23-27)
A. A complaint
against Paul - gathering of Silversmiths
1. Drawing
people away from the worship of Diana
2. Demetrius
made his living by making shrines to Diana
3. Demetrius
said Paul taught all over Asia that gods made by hands are false
B. Their trade was in danger - They made shrines for Diana
C. Diana and the
temple would be despised
1. Her
magnificence would be destroyed
2. All Asia
Minor worshipped Diana
D. They cried
out,"Great is Diana of the Ephesians."
VIII. Silversmiths Take Paul's Companions Into The
Amphitheatre - (Acts 19:28-29)
A. The entire
city was full of confusion
B. Took Paul's
companions into the theatre
1. Guias
2. Aristarchus
D. According to
Robertson's Word Pictures
{Into the
theatre} (eiv to yeatron). A place for seeing (yeaomai) spectacles,
originally for dramatic representation (Thucydides, Herodotus),
then for the spectators, then
for the spectacle or show:
1 Corinthians
4:9 For I think that God hath set forth
us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a
spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. {us…: or, us the last
apostles, as} {spectacle: Gr. theatre}
The theatre
(amphitheatre) at Ephesus can still be traced in the ruins (Wood, _Ephesus_) and shows that it was of enormous
size capable of seating fifty-six thousand persons (some estimate it only
24,500). It was the place for large public gatherings of any sort out of doors
like our football and baseball parks. In particular, gladiatorial shows were held in these theatres.
{Having seized
Gaius and Aristarchus men of Macedonia} (sunarpasantev gaion
kai aristarcon makedonav). They wanted some victims for this
"gladiatorial" show. These two men were "Paul’s companions in
travel" (sunekdhmouv paulou), together (sun) with Paul in
being abroad, away from home or people
(ek-dhmouv, late word, in the
N.T. only here and II Corinthians 8:19). How the mob got hold of Gaius and
Aristarchus we do not know.
2 Corinthians
1:9 But we had the sentence of death in
ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the
dead: {sentence: or, answer}
VII. Paul Forbidden to Enter The Theatre - (Acts 16:30-31)
A. Diana's
masters saw that they would make no more money from her
B. Brought Paul
& Silas before the magistrates
C. Accused them
of troubling the city - being Jews
1. Teaching
customs that are not lawful to Romans
2. Teaching
observances that are not lawful to Romans
3. Romans did
not like their subjects changing their gods
VIII. Croud Brings Out Alexander - (Acts 19:32-34)
Evidently some
of the Jews grew afraid that the mob would turn on the Jews as well as on the
Christians. Paul was a Jew and so was Aristarchus, one of the prisoners. The Jews were as strongly opposed to
idolatry as were the Christians.
Alexandria had
already disgraceful scenes of Jew-baiting and there was real peril now in
Ephesus with this wild mob. So Alexander was pushed forward as the champion to
defend the Jews to the excited mob. He may be the same Alexander the
coppersmith who did Paul much evil
2 Timothy
4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me
much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
IX. The Townclerk Dismisses The Assembly - (Acts 19:35-41)
A. These men are
not
1. Robbers of
churchs
2. Blasphemers
of Diana
B. Everyone
knows that Ephesians worship Diana
1. This can not
be spoken against
2. You ought to
be quiet
3. You ought to
do nothing rashly
C. If the
complaint is of a private injury, go through the courts
1. If the
silversmiths are grieved - let justice be done
2. Not Mob rule
D. If the
complaint is of a public grievance,
relating to the constitution, it
must be handled, by a convention of
the states
E. The assembly
was dismissed - when he had shown the absurdity of the riot and the
consequences
F. See how God
protects his people.
1. Perhaps this
town-clerk was no friend at all to Paul,
nor to the gospel he preached,
yet his human prudence is made to serve the divine purpose.
2. God delivers
his people
Psalms
34:19 Many are the afflictions of the
righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.