ACTS 19. PAUL COMES BACK TO EPHESUS Paul’s third missionary journey began with his return to the assemblies of believers gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the area we call Turkey today. That would include Cilicia, Galatia, Pisidia, and Phrygia, where work had been done on his first missionary journey. He had returned there on the second journey and then went back again. There were so-called “teachers” who had come after he had been there and were creating confusion relating to the message of the Gospel, and it was leading to false doctrine. His journey would have been one thousand miles before he got to Ephesus, but it was important not to let the saints think he had forgotten them.
When there are doctrinal problems that arise in an assembly of God’s people, written letters are usually able to clarify the problem and give scriptural answers. Still, the impact of a personal face-to-face interaction with an able teacher is of great importance. It opens the door to a dialogue with individual believers rather than the monologue of a written letter. Each assembly is unique; each is an autonomous congregation composed of born-again believers who often have characteristics just found in that place. It is important for them to hear again the things they heard at the beginning of the work, and it is especially impacting if it is from those from whom they heard the word of God taught at first.
Paul knew that even though there may be a lot of instructors, there are not many fathers. Therefore, he did not take the direct route to Ephesus but the higher route that led inland through the interior. In that way, he would go to Tarsus, where he lived in his youth. Then he went on to Derbe and Lystra, two assemblies where he preached several years before and from where Timothy came from. Iconium, Antioch in Pisida, Laodicea, and other assemblies of the Lord’s people would have heard again the truth of God from one who brought them the Gospel in the first place. He would have reviewed the truths of the Gospel, which false teachers were contradicting, and the instructions concerning personal and church life, which are essential for a strong testimony for the Lord, would have been retaught.
Apollos was at Ephesus while Paul was on the road in the interior, teaching and preaching from place to place. That part of the second journey would have taken him quite a lot of time. In this long journey, he would have faced the dangers he wrote about to the Corinthians in 2nd Corinthians chapter eleven. They had begun to demean him and the work he had done, so he felt compelled to tell them of the dangers he faced from crossing rivers, from bandits, from the Jews and Gentiles who were opposed to the Gospel. There were hazards to the work of the Lord that he and those who were with him experienced in the cities and country—other dangers he had experienced at sea and also from counterfeit believers. The motivation behind this was his love for Christ and those saved by grace and his concern for their spiritual growth and welfare.
The servants of the Lord who are engaged in missionary activities, which involves traveling to places difficult to reach, means there are dangers to face. Not all parts of the world have roads that are easy to travel on, and there often are people who resent those who preach the Gospel and will try to stop travelers from going further. The hearts of unbelievers are still opposed, as much as ever, against the work of God. More and more, Christianity is being made a target of opposition by religions and atheists in many countries. Even in this country, there are those who evangelism an intolerant work that needs to be stopped. Those who preach the Gospel find many more restrictions to public preaching than were here a few decades ago.
Apollos had learned much during his time in Ephesus, as he took the place of a learner and teacher. He learned the truth of God “more accurately” from Priscilla and Aquila and had been with the believers there long enough that they could write a letter of commendation for him to the church at Corinth. He “watered” the seed that Paul had “planted,” and God “gave the increase. Paul had done a great service to the work of the Lord when he brought Aquila and Priscilla with him to Ephesus some years before when he went there first.
To guide people in the way of service for the Lord is one of the most important things we can do for the Lord’s people. Soul-winning is fundamental to the Gospel work, as is teaching the saints to observe “all things” the Lord commanded after being saved. Never underestimate the importance of passing on the truth of God to believers individually. Some may not be inclined to take your interest and concern for them seriously, but at least allow them to respond to your questions and answer them.
The guiding hand of God brought Apollos into contact with just the right people who were well-taught in the scriptures and basic Christianity. By God's grace, those two disciples of the Lord were able to teach Apollos what he had not heard before and what he needed to hear. Humility is characteristic of those God’s uses in His word, and the scholarly, fervent, eloquent man from the universities of Alexandria was willing to learn from those who had a practical, first-hand knowledge of Christianity. They had experienced what they taught, and Apollos wisely took what they taught him to heart.
Not every deeply spiritual person can publicly articulate God's truth in a way that the listeners easily understand. Each believer is wise to know and practice his own gifts, and then he can encourage and promote those gifts that God has given others. There is a place in the work of the Lord for every spiritually inclined brother and sister, but it is God who indicates how and where it is to be used. Never allow jealousy a place in our hearts when we know others are more gifted in certain ways than we are. Be thankful to God for those people He has chosen to be public spokesmen for the assembly and give them whole-hearted support. Let us keep doing what God has given us to accomplish for Him, and the sower and reaper will rejoice together in the future.
I imagine Aquila and Priscilla were thrilled and thankful when Apollos stood to preach the word of God in the way God wanted and correctly, as they had instructed him. When he departed for Corinth, they would have been grateful for the part they had been privileged to play in seeing one of the Lord’s servants go to another field. He was fully furnished to give the whole truth of God in the way God intended. When Paul arrived in Ephesus after having been away for a long time, the couple would have been glad to tell him of another man of God who could “rightly divide the word of truth” and was now gone to Corinth to help in the work there.
Ephesus was a large city, so it is no wonder Apollos and others involved in establishing believers there hadn’t come across the twelve disciples of John the Baptist. Perhaps they had been earlier influenced by Apollos before he learned the whole counsel of God. Paul was a soul-winner, and he wasn’t long in finding those who had believed John the Baptist’s message of repentance toward God and baptism as a sign of their repentance. They “believed,” but they didn’t believe in Jesus. They believed in John’s call to repentance and prophecy concerning the coming Messiah. Still, they had not believed in Jesus as the Messiah and their personal Savior, nor had they heard of the Holy Spirit and His indwelling of those who believe in Christ.
John’s baptism was to acknowledge themselves as a sinner publicly. It was like a New Year’s resolution, in which a person commits to change. It had nothing to do with having their sins blotted out, as Peter had preached after the Lord ascended into heaven. Over twenty years of living without understanding the Gospel of the grace of God and trying to overcome sin on their own must have been hard. A believer’s baptism is a public confession that one has personally put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. They testify by identifying themselves as having died when Christ died, been buried, and then raised to walk in “newness of life” by being immersed in water as a symbol of death, burial, and resurrection.
When Paul asked those men, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he did not affirm that they were Christians. They weren’t. They didn’t know anything about Christianity. Their knowledge of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ was less than that of Apollos. They knew the reality of guilt because of sin, and that was all. Paul would have told them of the coming of the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God to put away the sin of the world, as John had said. Then he would have told them of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection and of Him being the Messiah John had preached about. He would have told them of the coming of the Holy Spirit years before to indwell those who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. When they understood and believed in the Lord Jesus, they, too, were baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. That was the last time we read of the miraculous speaking in tongues that hadn’t been learned. When they accepted the redemptive work of Christ for them, they were rebaptized (the only account of this in the Book of Acts). The baptism of John was not believer’s baptism. Believers identify themselves with the risen Christ in their baptism and commit themselves to walk in the newness of life as evidence of their union with Him when they are baptized.
There are many people who say they have “believed and been baptized,” but there is no evidence of the Holy Spirit giving new birth and indwelling them with spiritual power. If there is no evidence of God at work in a person’s life, there is no reason to believe they have been saved by God’s grace, no matter what they say they have believed or even if they have been baptized. It is the power of the Holy Spirit, evident in the lives of God’s people, that moves those who watch believers to think they are not just full of hot air. People who observe those professing to be Christians expect to see their lives as a testimony to the truths they preach. We call it “Practice what you preach.” If God’s will is not being done in the lives of those professing to be saved, they do not have the Holy Spirit within them. They are not saved.
Words give information. Reality is seen when words and deeds are both seen and are consistent with each other. Truth corresponds to a statement with a fact. That cannot be hidden. All true believers need to grow spiritually, and that will become evident. Apollos had the ability and insight, as well as an accurate knowledge of the ministry of Christ, but not of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection and what it means to those who believe in Him. He needed further instruction to grow in his understanding of “the faith,” the body of truth that is the message of God to us.
Doctrinal errors cannot and must not be ignored. When Paul spoke with the twelve men baptized with John’s baptism, he recognized their faith was not in the right person. Their faith was deficient because it was based only on teaching, not on a person, especially not on the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
The truth of God is communicated by the hearing of faith, not by experiences of feelings. Even so, knowing the truth of God does not save a person. The truth of the word of God brings us to understand and accept what Christ has done for us. When an individual comes to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, the Spirit of God is there to give new life, and He guides those who believe in the Person of the Lord Jesus to let Him take control and possess us. Paul said it profoundly and simply in a few words; “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Teachers and preachers can only help others understand what they understand themselves. The Holy Spirit uses human instruments to the degree they have learned the truth of God themselves.
The missionaries who go to other places in the world and teach people of other cultures and religions the truth of God begin with the fundamentals of the faith. When we start there, we are on the common ground of right and wrong in every person, whether they want to admit it. That is what makes humans unique in God’s creation. From the starting point of simple spiritual knowledge and discernment, the Spirit of God moves the whole process of spiritual illumination forward. That leads to a person putting their faith in Christ and onward in spiritual life and growth.
Acts 19:8-10. The Work Continues Paul still had access to the synagogue as he persuasively taught the truths of the kingdom of God and “reasoned” with the Jews. That indicates that he did preach the word of God and engaged in dialogue with those who wanted to discuss the scriptures. The Jews believed the scriptures and had placed their hopes in a future kingdom that their Messiah would bring under His leadership. But they did not want to accept that the kingdom of God is merely a physical kingdom, such as in meat and drink. Righteousness, peace, and joy in the power of the Holy Spirit made some of them become harder against the Gospel and unwilling to obey the truth of being born again to enter the kingdom. Their unbelief led to an obstinate attitude and refusal to believe the Gospel, so they began to openly oppose those who had become believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
For three months, Paul could reason with the Jews in the synagogue. Still, as the opposition to him in the synagogue increased, he could use the school of Tyrannus when it wasn’t being used – likely in the afternoon or evening. For two years, he was able to use that venue, which was a profitable time to teach the new disciples. In addition to using the school for teaching and preaching, Paul and those with him could reach Jews and Greeks in that whole area of the province of Asia.
In a new work, an open door in one place often opens opportunities in other nearby areas. In His infinite wisdom, God closes one door and opens another, or maybe even two or three that had never entered our mind as a place that would accept the truth of God. We should never be dogmatic and say those people are too far gone to be saved. God can turn the most depraved people by His grace into effective servants in His kingdom. Some people will accept those who preach the Gospel in their community despite all the bad things going on there, and other places that seem much more honorable and religious are straightly shut up to the word of God being preached there.
Acts19:11-20. The Power of God and the power of Satan God is not limited in displaying His power. Ephesus was a stronghold of Satan where he promoted superstition, sorcery, incantations, exorcisms, and other kinds of occultic practices. The mind of the natural man is fascinated by those things which cannot be explained. Consequently, many people are inclined to try things forbidden by the law of God. Strangely, in the Jewish Talmud, there are many places where mysterious things of magic are written about. When our Lord Jesus Christ was here, likely as a result of those false teachings, there was a lot of demonic activity among the Jews. On many occasions, the Lord Jesus Christ cast demons out of demon-possessed people.
People of the world generally reject the plain teaching of the word of God. That includes those things which are strictly forbidden. People are attracted to that which God forbids; in the same way, Eve was willing to do what was wrong when the subtle power of the devil led her to yield to temptation and led Adam to do what he knew was wrong deliberately. The power of Satan is continually working against the power of God. The power of God leads to light, life, truth, holiness, and satisfaction that lasts forever. The power of Satan leads people into moral and spiritual darkness, into the gloom of spirit and despair, even after the deception of the pleasures of sin for a season has been tried to the full. Ultimately, the enemy of God and man will lead those who follow him to the lake of fire.
In Ephesus, “God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.” God used this evidence of His power in remarkable ways to expose the evil power of Satan, which was rampant among the people who lived there. Whether Sceva was a self-proclaimed Jewish “chief priest” is not stated, but his seven sons were tools of the devil. They stepped so far out of the bounds of satanic power when they used the name “Jesus” to copy Paul’s divinely given authority that the demons attacked them and left them injured and openly shamed.
To carelessly use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ makes a person guilty and exposed to the righteous judgment of God. To try to mix allegiance to Christ and fascination with the world and the powers of darkness for any reason leaves one in opposition to divine authority. In a future day, some people will say in Thy name we prophesied, cast out demons, and did wonderful works, but the Lord will say, “Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity!”
The outcome of this open conflict between the power of God and the power of Satan was that “The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified!” As a result of the power of God at work in the lives of many people who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, sinful and useless books worth thousands of dollars were burned at Ephesus. Those books likely would contain formulas, written incantations to charm diseases and pain, and magical statements that people used then, such as crystals, Ouija boards, tarot cards, and other forms of satanic deception today. The public demonstration at that bonfire would have testified to the changed minds, hearts, and lives of believers in Christ as the “word of God grew mightily and prevailed.”
Those who belong to the Lord need to stay far removed from anything that is contrary to the word of God. His word is light, and the light of truth exposes the darkness and all its evil for what it truly is. Evil days and practices common to unbelievers often create opportunities for those whom God has sent into the world with the Gospel to reach out to others. Life-changing effects on those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and whom God saves are a compelling reason for those uncertain about life, death, and what happens to them after death to listen to and believe the Gospel.
Paul’s testimony was lived before the people day after day. He was in fellowship with the Lord when he preached the Gospel openly, and the results of the Gospel could be seen in those who heard and believed it. God worked through His word, and no money was involved or asked of anyone. Sadly, the signs that people point to today as evidence of their success in “ministry” are the numbers who attend and how much money they collect to “keep this ministry going.” God’s servants do not need signs, nor do they need to be popular with the people. They just are to be obedient servants doing the Master’s will and work in His way, and He takes care of them in His own chosen way.
The victories of the word of God brought about a big bonfire of occultic books worth thousands of dollars. It changed the lives of people who turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. The victories of spiritual success do not come because those who preached the Gospel then or now robbed temples or held meetings to denounce false religions. Victory is evident when the affection of new believers for the living God is real. “We love Him because He first loved us.” Love for imaginary gods or idols of whatever kind they may be does not change the nature of those who profess to love those things. As new life in a plant becomes evident, and that which is like dead leaves falls off, so new spiritual life in a person causes that which characterizes those who are dead in trespasses and sins to drop those vestiges of spiritual deadness.
Opposition against the word of God was personified by Demetrius, who had to acknowledge the success of the preaching of the apostles throughout Asia. The victories of the word and work of God are seen in what is positive and obvious in people's lives, not in negative denunciations of all that is wrong. That would take all our time and would produce nothing positive. Fellowship with God and new life lived for God is not stopped by the confusion caused by sin.
That opposition began with a conference to determine what action could be taken against that which was good, to try to make it appear bad. That led to more confusion in thoughtful people, so Demetrius had rioters who liked to fight and join the fracas, not even knowing what it was all about. The futility of that kind of opposition is emphasized by noise, confusion, lies, and physical demonstrations. For those against whom such agitation is directed, we need to learn just to be quiet and let the foolishness of men take its foolish course. After a while, when there is no retaliation, those who want to fight give it all up because there is no one to fight against.
The real danger comes with subtlety in a different form of opposition after the noise ceases and the people of God think the opposition is over. In Ephesus, the town clerk agreed with the Christians in a sense. In situations like this, an assembly is in danger of and prone to leave their “first love.” When love for the Lord has cooled off by acceptance by the world, the church is in its greatest danger. When the church is persecuted, it is pure and powerful. It does not “blend well” with all that is sinful going on around us. When it is patronized, it is in peril of being paralyzed. When people are shouting against the truth, it may make us uncomfortable, but when people cozy up to the truth, there is serious danger.
Compromising the fundamentals of the Gospel and “the faith” as it is in Christ Jesus leads to apathy and complacency. When God becomes popular with sinners, and the people of God think they are making strides ahead, that is the same as trying to mix light with darkness. If that attitude continues, the work of God in a place will likely stop completely.
Acts 19:21-41. Riot against THE WAY. This point in the book of Acts marks a change in the account of Paul’s ministry. He had come to the place where he said, “I must also see Rome.” There were kings and those in authority to whom he had been called to preach the Gospel and with whom he had not yet connected. He did not want to see Rome on a sightseeing visit but with the commitment of one who had a mission that he had not yet fully completed.
There are differing opinions on whether the Spirit of God or Paul’s own spirit brought about this change of focus from evangelization in regions beyond to a personal concern for “his brethren” and his “kinsmen after the flesh.” Whatever was behind this change of direction to decide to go to Jerusalem, we can be confident that even if we make a mistake, God can use that for His own purposes. As long as it is not of the world, the flesh, or the devil, He can make all things work together for good, to those who love God. A heart that burns with compassion for loved ones and longs for their salvation is hard to condemn, even if it seems out of character and at the wrong time.
Making plans is not wrong, even though our plans often have to be changed for one reason or another. The important thing is that whenever we make plans, they need to be consistent with the word of God and our practice of the will of God. As an assurance of Paul’s intention to go to the assemblies in Macedonia, he sent Timothy and Erastus ahead. At the same time, he concluded the work that he needed to do in Asia. There are some things that only we can do ourselves. It would be unfair to expect others to try to pick up what we have left undone. The variety of gifts God has given doesn’t give us the right to avoid what we know we can do and perhaps do it best rather than expect others to do what they cannot do.
We need to remember that even though we may have comparative peace in the work of the Lord, when the Gospel is preached, and souls are saved, Satan will oppose us in one way or another. It may be with subtility or with open animosity. In Ephesus, there were times of religious gatherings to honor the false deities and gods represented by their idols. The silver shrines to the goddess Diana were a source of lucrative income for Demetrius and those who made the idols. In the middle of all the color and ceremony of idol-worshipping crowds were the saints of God, praying, progressing in the word of God, and furthering the work of the kingdom of God.
The victories of the word of God when it is freely preached, and the results are obvious, expose the covetous nature of man’s religion and the religious hucksters. Those always asking for money to support “what they are doing” should be questioned about their motives and messages. The Gospel is the message of “the gift of God,” we can come to God without money and price. The proof of the message being preached, being the truth of God, is that people's lives and destinies are changed. Paul was living proof of the message of the Gospel that he preached, being the truth of God.
SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP