Acts 18:23-19:20

English Standard Version

²³ After spending some time there, he departed and ^(A)went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, ^(B)strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus

²⁴ Now a Jew named ^(C)Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, ^(D)competent in the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had been instructed in ^(E)the way of the Lord. And ^(F)being fervent in spirit,^[a] he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only ^(G)the baptism of John. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when ^(H)Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him ^(I)the way of God more accurately. ²⁷ And when he wished to cross to ^(J)Achaia, ^(K)the brothers encouraged him and ^(L)wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, ^(M)he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, ²⁸ for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures ^(N)that the Christ was Jesus.

Paul in Ephesus

19 And it happened that while ^(O)Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed ^(P)through the inland^[b] country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. ² And he said to them, ^(Q)“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, ^(R)we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” ³ And he said, ^(S)“Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into ^(T)John's baptism.” ⁴ And Paul said, ^(U)“John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people ^(V)to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, ^(W)they were baptized in^[c] the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And ^(X)when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and ^(Y)they began speaking in tongues and ^(Z)prophesying. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

⁸ And ^(AA)he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them ^(AB)about the kingdom of God. ^9 (AC)But when some became stubborn and ^(AD)continued in unbelief, speaking evil of ^(AE)the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.^{[d] 10} This continued for ^(AF)two years, so that ^(AG)all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

The Sons of Sceva

¹¹ And ^(AH)God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, ^12 (AI)so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and ^(AJ)the evil spirits came out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish ^(AK)exorcists ^(AL)undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ^(AM)“I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. ¹⁵ But the evil spirit answered them, ^(AN)“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” ¹⁶ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all^[e] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and ^(AO)the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. ¹⁸ Also many of those who were now believers came, ^(AP)confessing and divulging their practices. ¹⁹ And 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. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord ^(AQ)continued to increase and prevail mightily.