Acts 19
by Mark Hudson
Chapter 19 events take place in Ephesus as part of Paul’s third missionary journey. If Athens is the intellectual center of the Mediterranean, Corinth is the commercial capital, then Ephesus is the religious center. Ephesus’ population at this time is close to 500,000. If you lived in Asia Minor, you probably had or hoped to travel to Ephesus. There were three temples dedicated to the worship of the Emperor. The imperial cult was widespread throughout the area but everywhere present in Ephesus. Yet Ephesus was known at the guardian of the temple of Artemis (19:35) or Diana as the Romans called her. In classical mythology Artemis was a virgin huntress, but now, in Ephesus, she is a fertility goddess. The temple in Ephesus was 4 times the size of the Parthenon, holding 25,000 people with more than 100 Ionic pillars 60 feet high supporting a white marble roof. This temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Since Artemis was a fertility god, sex and worship united. Also, magic and sorcery flourished in Ephesus as people bought what were called “Ephesian Letters” to practice magic at home (Stott, p. 294).
Paul’s seems to have a plan for the cities he visited. Paul wants to preach, teach, and establish churches in places where the gospel will spread. He seems to pick places that are cosmopolitan, urban, and where people come and go. Think of a tree that “wants” to establish other trees in the area. If the seed is surrounded by a delicious berry or fruit, maybe an animal might eat the fruit, swallow the seed, and then deposit the seed down the road in a pile of ‘fertilizer.’ Paul is establishing churches in Corinth which included two port cities: Lechaeum on the Corinthian Gulf on the west and Cenchrea on the Saronic Gulf to the east. He spent time in Athens where Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Zeno all had schools. After Athens, the other ancient universities were Tarsus and Alexandria, but Athens was still THE place to be (Stott, p. 293).
Paul is not constantly moving. He spends about two years in Corinth (18:11, 18). He may have stayed for three years in Ephesus ((20:31). He was months in Athens in the Spring of 51. Paul is willing to stop and stay at cities he deems critical for the spread of the gospel. The general pattern is that he goes to the synagogue and preaches, the Jews (mostly) reject the message, so Paul finds a neutral spot and both Jews and Gentiles believe. As people, repent, believe, and are baptized, they join a church.
We gather from reading Acts, that no evangelism is complete without a church being planted. Paul does not just want converts; Paul wants churches that will plant new churches and continue Jesus’ ministry. We won’t always read this grouping of words, but look for repent, believe, baptism and other words that relate to the church like counting the converts, appointing elders, etc. This is a major theme in Acts which may help us evaluate our own church, decide where we spend our money, and what we ourselves are either doing or neglecting. We have an obligation to obey the Lord Jesus and His apostles. This also impacts where our mission dollars should be allocated.
Notice that Paul does not merely proclaim or announce that Jesus is the Christ. But he reasons, persuades, and uses rational arguments. His speaking and his writing reflect this same theme. Recently someone told me about a pastor who started preaching at 13 years of age. My initial question was, “Why didn’t someone stop him?” Preaching is not repeating certain phrases but explaining, responding to objections, and teaching the Bible. This teaching should reflect a mature understanding of Biblical themes and truths, applying those truths to the lives of your listeners. This requires a speaker who is well-versed in the Bible, understands the core truths of the gospel, reinforces the central significance of the sacraments and is both encouraging and convicting. Paul did this because He knew Christ, was born again by Christ, and filled with His Spirit.
Can you imagine the benefit of hearing Paul teach every day? We think in Ephesus, a teacher or philosopher named Tyrannus taught daily in the early morning, stopping as the sun got hot. So, Paul, according to one text, taught from 11 AM to 4PM when, possibly, the hall was the hottest and no use to Tyrannus. Paul is working in the morning, teaching from 11 AM to 4PM and some nights visiting homes (Acts 20:20). Paul worked hard and expected other believers to do the same (20:34-35). From Ephesus, believers are going out and spreading the gospel. But here in chapter 19, Paul is the one staying and teaching. What joy they must have experienced as the listened to the Apostle Paul.
Notice also the miracles were taking place (19:11-12). Those two verses are rather strange. John Stott makes 4 observations about the articles of clothing used in healings. 1. Luke adds an adjective translated as special, remarkable, or extraordinary. Luke does not regard these miracles as typical. 2. Luke does not regard them as magic which the believers of Ephesus renounce in chapters 18-19. 3. These unique miracles point to Paul’s apostolic authority. 4. Demon possession is distinguished from illness, and therefore exorcism from healing (Stott p. 306)
F.F. Bruce notes that Luke traces a number of parallels between Peter and Paul’s ministry. Both heal a lame man early in their ministry (3:2ff; 14:8ff), both exorcize demons (5:16ff; 16:18ff), both have triumphant encounters with sorcerers (8:18ff; 13:6ff), both raise the dead (9:36ff; 20:9ff), both have miraculous escapes from prison (12:7ff; 16:25ff) (F. F. Bruce p. 387, note 13). Both of these men are simply extending the ministry of Christ. The church is the hands, feet, and mouth of Christ. We represent Christ to the world. We point others to Christ. Christ is our model and the end of all we do.
Lord Jesus, we thank You for power of the Holy Spirit in converting, healing, and planting and growing churches. Your power, love, and grace still change lives today. We ask that Your power that was so active in Acts would be experienced in our church. Renew, awaken, and revive us so that our church and we, as individuals, may be filled to overflowing. We want our church and all Bible-believing churches to have fresh experiences of Your grace. We also ask that our church would look to plant a church and that those churches would plants churches. We pray this so that Christ’s kingdom will grow and His name honored and worshipped. In His mighty name, Amen.