HANDELINGE 19
Paulus in Efese
1 Terwyl Apollos in Korinte was, het Paulus deur die binneland gereis en in Efese gekom. Daar het hy 'n groepie gelowiges gekry 2 vir wie hy gevra het: “Het julle die Heilige Gees ontvang toe julle gelowig geword het?” “Ons het nog nie eens gehoor of die Heilige Gees al gekom het nie,” het hulle geantwoord.
3 “Watter soort doop het julle dan ontvang?” vra hy toe. “Die doop van Johannes,” antwoord hulle.
4 Daarop sê Paulus: “Johannes het die mense gedoop as hulle hulle bekeer het. Maar hy het vir die volk gesê dat hulle in die Een moet glo wat ná hom kom, dit is in Jesus.”
5 Toe hulle dit hoor, het hulle hulle in die Naam van die Here Jesus laat doop. 6 Paulus het hulle ook die hande opgelê. Toe het die Heilige Gees op hulle gekom, en hulle het ongewone tale of klanke gebruik, en hulle het geprofeteer. 7 Hulle was altesaam omtrent twaalf.
8 Paulus het drie maande lank met vrymoedigheid in die sinagoge geredeneer oor die koninkryk van God en die mense daarvan probeer oortuig. 9 Maar party was koppig en wou hulle nie laat oortuig nie. Hulle het ook in die openbaar die leer van die Here belaglik probeer maak. Toe het Paulus hulle verlaat en die gelowiges afsonderlik geneem en daagliks in die saal van Tirannus besprekings gehou. 10 Dit het twee jaar lank so aangehou, sodat al die inwoners van die provinsie Asië, Jode sowel as Grieke, die woord van die Here gehoor het.
Die seuns van Skeva
11 God het deur Paulus wonderbaarlike dinge gedoen. 12 Selfs doeke of voorskote wat aan sy lyf geraak het, is op siekes gesit en dan het hulle siektes verdwyn; en die bose geeste het uit hulle uitgegaan.
13 Party Jode wat rondgegaan het om bose geeste te besweer, het dit ook gewaag om die Naam van die Here Jesus daarvoor te gebruik. Hulle het gesê: “Ek besweer julle in die Naam van dié Jesus wat deur Paulus verkondig word.” 14 Dit was die sewe seuns van 'n Joodse priesterhoof, Skeva, wat dit gedoen het.
15 Maar een van die bose geeste het vir hulle gesê: “Jesus ken ek, en van Paulus weet ek, maar julle, wie is julle?”
16 Die man met die bose gees spring toe onder hulle in en oorweldig hulle. Hy was te sterk vir hulle, sodat hulle kaal en stukkend geslaan uit daardie huis gevlug het.
17 Al die Jode en Grieke wat in Efese gewoon het, het daarvan te hore gekom. Vrees het hulle almal oorval, en die Naam van die Here Jesus is geprys. 18 Baie van die mense wat gelowig geword het, het ook gekom en al hulle towerpraktyke openlik bely en bekend gemaak. 19 Heelparty van die mense wat toorkunste beoefen het, het hulle boeke gebring en voor almal verbrand. Hulle het die waarde daarvan bereken en gevind dat dit vyftig duisend silwermuntstukke werd was.
20 So het die woord van die Here sy krag getoon en al hoe verder versprei.
Die oproer in Efese
21 Na hierdie gebeurtenisse het Paulus besluit om deur Masedonië en Agaje te reis en na Jerusalem toe te gaan. “Nadat ek daar was,” het hy gesê, “moet ek Rome ook besoek.”
22 Hy het twee van sy helpers, Timoteus en Erastus, vooruit gestuur Masedonië toe, maar self nog 'n tyd lank in die provinsie Asië agtergebly.
23 Juis toe het daar 'n groot opskudding ontstaan oor die leer van die Here. 24 'n Silwersmid met die naam Demetrius het silwerbeelde van die tempel van Artemis gemaak en vir die vakmanne 'n goeie verdienste verskaf. 25 Hy roep hulle en ander mense wat soortgelyke werk doen, toe bymekaar en sê vir hulle: “Mense, julle weet dat ons voorspoed van hierdie werk afhang. 26 Julle sien en hoor self dat hierdie Paulus daarin geslaag het om nie net in Efese vir hom 'n groot aanhang te kry nie, maar ook in byna die hele provinsie Asië. Hy sê dat goed wat met die hand gemaak word, nie gode is nie. 27 Ons bedryf staan in gevaar om 'n slegte naam te kry. En nie net dit nie. Die gevaar is ook dat die tempel van die groot godin Artemis sy betekenis sal verloor en dat sy van haar grootheid berowe sal word, hierdie godin wat in die hele provinsie Asië en oor die hele wêreld vereer word.”
28 By die aanhoor hiervan het hulle woedend geword en geskreeu: “Groot is Artemis van die Efesiërs!”
29 Die oproer het oor die hele stad uitgebrei. Soos een man het die mense na die amfiteater toe gestorm. Hulle het vir Gaius en Aristargos, twee Masedoniërs wat saam met Paulus gereis het, gegryp en saamgesleep.
30 Paulus wou self met die skare gaan praat, maar die gelowiges wou hom dit nie toelaat nie. 31 Ook het party van die hoë amptenare van die provinsie Asië wat goedgesind was teenoor Paulus, vir hom 'n boodskap gestuur om hom te waarsku om nie na die amfiteater toe te gaan nie.
32 Almal het deurmekaar geskreeu, en die hele vergadering was in die war. Die meeste mense het nie geweet hoekom hulle daar bymekaar was nie. 33 Toe die Jode vir Aleksander vorentoe stoot, het party van die mense vir hom gesê wat aan die gang is. Hy het met sy hand gewys dat hy iets vir die volk wil sê. 34 Maar toe hulle merk dat hy 'n Jood is, het hulle almal byna twee uur lank uit een mond aangehou skreeu: “Groot is Artemis van die Efesiërs!”
35 Uiteindelik het die stadsklerk daarin geslaag om die skare tot bedaring te bring. “Efesiërs,” het hy gesê, “watter mens weet nou nie dat die stad van die Efesiërs die beskermer is van die tempel van die groot Artemis en van haar beeld wat uit die hemel geval het nie? 36 Niemand kan dit betwis nie. Bedaar dus en moenie iets oorhaastigs doen nie. 37 Julle het hierdie mans hierheen gebring alhoewel hulle nie die tempel berowe of ons godin belaster het nie. 38 Die hofsittings word gehou, en daar is regters. As Demetrius en sy vakmanne 'n klag teen iemand het, laat hulle mekaar daar gaan aankla. 39 En as julle verder wil gaan, moet die saak op 'n wettige volksvergadering behandel word, 40 want ons loop gevaar om van opstand aangekla te word oor die dinge wat vandag hier gebeur het. Daar is geen rede vir hierdie oploop nie, en ons sal dit nie kan verantwoord nie.” Deur dit te sê, het hy die byeenkoms uitmekaar laat gaan.
Acts 19
1 WHILE APOLLOS was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper inland districts and came down to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.2 And he asked them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [on Jesus as the Christ]? And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.3 And he asked, Into what [baptism] then were you baptized? They said, Into John’s baptism.4 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, continually telling the people that they should believe in the One Who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus [having a conviction full of joyful trust that He is Christ, the Messiah, and being obedient to Him].5 On hearing this they were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus.6 And as Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke in [foreign, unknown] tongues (languages) and prophesied.7 There were about twelve of them in all.8 And he went into the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, persuading and arguing and pleading about the kingdom of God.9 But when some became more and more stubborn (hardened and unbelieving), discrediting and reviling and speaking evil of the Way [of the Lord] before the congregation, he separated himself from them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding daily discussions in the lecture room of Tyrannus from about ten o’clock till three .10 This continued for two years, so that all the inhabitants of [the province of] Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, heard the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].11 And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,12 So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.13 Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches!14 Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this.15 But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded.17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified.18 Many also of those who were now believers came making full confession and thoroughly exposing their [former deceptive and evil] practices.19 And many of those who had practiced curious, magical arts collected their books and [throwing them, book after book, on the pile] burned them in the sight of everybody. When they counted the value of them, they found it amounted to 50,000 pieces of silver (about $9,300).20 Thus the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] grew and spread and intensified, prevailing mightily.21 Now after these events Paul determined in the [Holy] Spirit that he would travel through Macedonia and Achaia (most of Greece) and go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must visit Rome also.22 And having sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself stayed on in [the province of] Asia for a while.23 But as time went on, there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way [of the Lord].24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [the goddess] Artemis [Diana], brought no small income to his craftsmen.25 These he called together, along with the workmen of similar trades, and said, Men, you are acquainted with the facts and understand that from this business we derive our wealth and livelihood.26 Now you notice and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost all over [the province of] Asia this Paul has persuaded and induced people to believe his teaching and has alienated a considerable company of them, saying that gods that are made with human hands are not really gods at all.27 Now there is danger not merely that this trade of ours may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may come into disrepute and count for nothing, and that her glorious magnificence may be degraded and fall into contempt--she whom all [the province of] Asia and the wide world worship.28 As they listened to this, they were filled with rage and they continued to shout, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!29 Then the city was filled with confusion; and they rushed together into the amphitheater, dragging along with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were fellow travelers with Paul.30 Paul wished to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would not permit him to do it.31 Even some of the Asiarchs (political or religious officials in Asia) who were his friends also sent to him and warned him not to risk venturing into the theater.32 Now some shouted one thing and some another, for the gathering was in a tumult and most of them did not know why they had come together.33 Some of the crowd called upon Alexander [to speak], since the Jews had pushed and urged him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, wishing to make a defense and [planning] to apologize to the people.34 But as soon as they saw him and recognized that he was a Jew, a shout went up from them as the voice of one man, as for about two hours they cried, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!35 And when the town clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the sacred stone [image of her] that fell from the sky?36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet (keep yourselves in check) and do nothing rashly.37 For you have brought these men here, who are [guilty of] neither temple robberies nor blasphemous speech about our goddess.38 Now then, if Demetrius and his fellow tradesmen who are with him have a grievance against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are [available]; let them bring charges against one another [legally].39 But if you require anything further about this or about other matters , it must be decided and cleared up in the regular assembly.40 For we are in danger of being called to render an account and of being accused of rioting because of [this commotion] today, there being no reason that we can offer to justify this disorder.41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.