Djela apostolska 19
Pavlovo treće misijsko putovanje
1 Dok je Apolon bio u Korintu, Pavao proputuje gornje krajeve i dođe u Efez. Ondje nađe nekoliko vjernika.
2 Jeste li primili Svetoga Duha kad ste povjerovali? upita ih.
"Nismo", odgovore. "Nismo čuli ni da Sveti Duh postoji."3 "Kako ste se onda krstili?" upita on.
"Ivanovim krštenjem", odgovore.4 Pavao im reče: "Ivanovo je krštenje bilo u znak obraćenja, volje da se čovjek odvrati od grijeha i da se obrati Bogu. Sam je Ivan govorio narodu da vjeruju u onoga koji za njim dolazi, u Isusa."5 Kad su to čuli, krste se u ime Gospodina Isusa.6 Pavao položi na njih ruke pa na njih siđe Sveti Duh te počnu govoriti drugim jezicima i prorokovati.
7 Bilo ih je svega dvanaestak.
Pavlova služba u Efezu
8 Pavao zatim ode u sinagogu i tri je mjeseca hrabro i uvjerljivo raspravljao o Božjemu kraljevstvu.9 Ali neki okorjeli i nepokorni ljudi klevetali su Put pred mnoštvom. Pavao zato ode iz sinagoge i povede vjernike sa sobom. Počne zatim poučavati u školi nekoga Tirana.
10 To je trajalo dvije godine, dok svi azijski žitelji, i Židovi i Grci, nisu čuli Božju riječ.
11 Bog je Pavlu dao moć da čini neobična čudesa.
12 Ljudi su na bolesnike stavljali rupce ili rublje koje se doticalo Pavlove kože, a njihovi su bolesti nestajale i zlodusi su izlazili iz njih.
13 Zato su neki Židovi koji su putovali od mjesta do mjesta istjerujući zloduhe pokušali zazvati ime Gospodina Isusa. Govorili su: "Izlazite! Zaklinjem vas Isusom kojega Pavao propovijeda!"14 Činila su to sedmorica sinova židovskoga velikog svećenika Skeve.15 Ali zloduh im odgovori: "Isusa i Pavla poznajem, ali tko ste vi?"
16 I čovjek kojega je opsjedao nasrne na njih te ih tako silovito nadjača da su goli i izranjeni pobjegli doma.
17 Za to su doznali svi žitelji Efeza, i Židovi i Grci. Obuzme ih strah te počnu veličati ime Gospodina Isusa.18 Mnogi koji su postali vjernicima ispovijedali su svoja zla djela.19 Bilo ih je mnogo koji su se bavili čarobnjaštvom. Oni donesu knjige koje su uporabljali za to i pred svima ih spale. Procijenjeno je da je spaljeno knjiga u vrijednosti pedeset tisuća srebrnjaka.
20 Tako se Gospodnja riječ širila i jačala.
Pobuna u Efezu
21 Zatim Pavao nakani vratiti se u Jeruzalem preko Makedonije i Ahaje. "Nakon toga će valjati da odem i u Rim", reče on.
22 Pošalje u Makedoniju dvojicu svojih poslužitelja, Timoteja i Erasta, a on se još neko vrijeme zadrži u Maloj Aziji.
23 Ali u to vrijeme u Efezu nastane velika pobuna protiv Puta.24 Potaknuo ju je neki srebrnar Demetrije koji je mnogo zarađivao izrađujući Artemidine hramiće od srebra. Mnogi su obrtnici na tomu zarađivali.
25 On okupi sve obrtnike koji su se time bavili i reče im:
"Ljudi, znate da naše blagostanje ovisi o ovomu poslu.26 A vidite i čujete da je taj Pavao, ne samo u Efezu nego i u svoj Maloj Aziji, pobunio veliko mnoštvo tvrdeći da bogovi načinjeni rukama nisu bogovi.
27 Ne govorim, dakako, samo o tomu da će naš posao doći na zao glas. Brinem se i da će obezvrijediti hram naše velike božice Artemide te da će nestati veličanstva te velike božice koju štuje cijela Mala Azija i sav svijet!"
28 Oni se na to razgnjeve i poviču: "Velika je efeška Artemida!"29 Sav se grad uzbuni. Složno jurnu prema kazalištu vukući za sobom Pavlove suputnike, Makedonce Gaja i Aristarha.30 Pavao htjede ući među narod, ali mu vjernici ne dopuste.
31 Neki njegovi prijatelji, dužnosnici u tom kraju, pošalju mu poruku moleći ga da se ne izlaže pogibelji ulazeći u kazalište.
32 Unutra su svi vikali: jedni jedno, drugi drugo. Vladala je opća zbrka pa mnogi nisu ni znali zašto su ondje.33 Svjetina izgura naprijed nekog Aleksandra jer su ga Židovi onamo gurali. On podigne ruku i pokuša se obratiti narodu.
34 Ali kad su shvatili da je Židov, opet jednoglasno udare vikati dvije ure: "Velika je efeška Artemida! Velika je efeška Artemida!"
35 Na koncu gradski poglavar umiri svjetinu i reče: "Efežani! Svatko zna da je grad Efez čuvar hrama velike Artemide, koje nam je kip pao s neba.36 To je neporecivo. Umirite se stoga. Ne činite ništa nepromišljeno!37 Doveli ste ovamo te ljude, a niti su ukrali što iz hrama niti su hulili našu božicu.38 Imaju li pak Demetrije i obrtnici protiv njih kakvu tužbu, sudovi zasjedaju, a tu su i suci. Neka podnesu tužbu!39 Ima li još kakvih pritužbi, neka se riješe zakonitim putem.40 Bojim se da će nas ovako rimska vlada optužiti za pobunu jer za sav ovaj metež nema nikakva opravdanog razloga."
41 Zatim raspusti skup.
Acts 19
Disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus
1 Whilet Apollos was in Corinth,s Paul went through the inlandt regionst and came to Ephesus.s Het found some disciples theret2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”t They replied,t “No, we have not event heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”3 So Pault said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied.t4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,s that is, in Jesus.”5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus,6 and when Paul placedt his hands on them, the Holy Spirit cames upon them, and they began to speakt in tongues and to prophesy.t
7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.)s
Paul Continues to Minister at Ephesus
8 So Pault enteredt the synagogues and spoke out fearlesslyt for three months, addressingt and convincingt them about the kingdom of God.s9 But whent some were stubbornt and refused to believe, revilingt the Ways before the congregation, he leftt them and took the disciples with him,t addressingt them every dayt in the lecture hallt of Tyrannus.
10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia,ts both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.s
The Seven Sons of Sceva
11 God was performing extraordinaryt miracles by Paul’s hands,12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his bodyt were broughtt to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.t13 But some itinerantt Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the namet of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed byt evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warns you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”14 (Now seven sons of a man namedt Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)s15 But the evil spirit replied to them,t “I know about Jesust and I am acquainted witht Paul, but who are you?”s16 Then the man who was possessed byt the evil spirit jumped ont them and beat them all into submission.t He prevailedt against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus,s both Jews and Greeks; fear came overt them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.t18 Many of those who had believed came forward,t confessing and making their deeds known.ts19 Large numberst of those who had practiced magict collected their bookst and burned them up in the presence of everyone.t Whent the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.t
20 In this way the word of the Lords continued to grow in powert and to prevail.s
A Riot in Ephesus
21 Now after all these things had taken place,t Paul resolvedt to go to Jerusalem,s passing through Macedonias and Achaia.s He said,t “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”ss
22 So after sendingt two of his assistants,t Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia,s he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia.t
23 Att that timet a great disturbancet took place concerning the Way.s24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrinest of Artemis,s brought a great dealt of businesss to the craftsmen.25 He gatheredt theset together, along with the workmen in similar trades,s and said, “Men, you know that our prosperityt comes from this business.26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuadedt and turned awayt a large crowd,t not only in Ephesuss but in practically all of the province of Asia,t by sayingt that gods made by hands are not gods at all.ts
27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute,t but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemiss will be regarded as nothing,t and she whom all the province of Asiat and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.”ts
28 Whent they heardt this they became enragedt and began to shout,t “Great is Artemiss of the Ephesians!”29 Thet city was filled with the uproar,t and the crowdt rushed to the theaters together,t dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.30 But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly,t the disciples would not let him.31 Even some of the provincial authoritiest who were his friends sentt a messaget to him, urging him not to venturet into the theater.32 So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together.t33 Some of the crowd concludedt it was aboutt Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front.t Alexander, gesturingt with his hand, was wanting to make a defenses before the public assembly.t34 But when they recognizedt that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison,t “Great is Artemiss of the Ephesians!” for about two hours.s35 After the city secretaryt quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what persont is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keepert of the temple of the great Artemiss and of her image that fell from heaven?ts36 So because these factst are indisputable,t you must keep quiett and not do anything reckless.t37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robberst nor blasphemers of our goddess.s38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaintt against someone, the courts are opent and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there.t39 But if you want anything in addition,t it will have to be settledt in a legal assembly.t40 Fort we are in danger of being charged with riotingt today, since there is no cause we can give to explaint this disorderly gathering.”t
41 Aftert he had saidt this,t he dismissed the assembly.s