使徒行传 19

保罗在以弗所

1  亚波罗在哥林多的时候，保罗经过了内陆地区，来到以弗所，在那里他遇见几个门徒， 2 问他们：“你们信的时候领受了圣灵没有？”他们说：“没有，我们连什么是圣灵都没有听过。” 3 保罗说：“这样，你们受的是什么洗呢？”他们说：“是受了约翰的洗。” 4 保罗说：“约翰所施的是悔改的洗礼，他告诉百姓当信那在他以后要来的那位，就是耶稣。” 5 他们听见这话以后，就奉主耶稣的名受洗。 6 保罗给他们按手，圣灵就降在他们身上，他们开始说方言t 和说预言。 7 他们约有十二个人。

8  保罗进会堂，一连三个月放胆讲道，辩论上帝国的事，劝导众人。 9 后来，有些人心里刚硬不信，在众人面前毁谤这道；保罗就离开他们，也叫门徒与他们分开，就在推喇奴的讲堂天天辩论。 10 这样有两年之久，使一切住在亚细亚的，无论是犹太人是希腊人，都听见主的道。

士基瓦的儿子们

11 上帝藉保罗的手行了些奇异的神迹， 12 甚至有人从保罗身上拿走手巾或围裙放在病人身上，病就消除了，邪灵也出去了。 13 那时，有几个巡回各处念咒赶鬼的犹太人，擅自利用主耶稣的名，向那些被邪灵所附的人说：“我奉保罗所传的耶稣命令你们出来！” 14 做这事的是犹太祭司长士基瓦的七个儿子。 15 但邪灵回答他们：“耶稣我知道，保罗我也认识，你们却是谁呢？” 16 被邪灵所附的人就扑到他们身上，制伏他们，胜过他们，使他们赤着身子，受了伤，从那房子里逃出去了。 17 凡住在以弗所的，无论是犹太人是希腊人，都知道这件事，也都惧怕；主耶稣的名从此就更被尊为大了。 18 许多已经信的人来承认并公开自己所行的事。 19 又有许多平素行邪术的人把他们的书都拿来，堆积在众人面前焚烧。他们计算书价，得知共值五万块银钱。 20 这样，主的道大大兴旺，而且普遍传开了。

以弗所的暴动

21 这些事过后，保罗心里决定要经过马其顿、亚该亚，就往耶路撒冷去。他说：“我到了那里以后，也必须到罗马去看看。” 22 于是他差遣两个助手提摩太和以拉都往马其顿去，自己暂时留在亚细亚。

23 那时，因这道路而起的骚动不小。 24 有一个银匠，名叫底米丢，是制造亚底米神银龛的，他使从事这手艺的人生意发达。 25 他聚集他们和同行的工人，说：“诸位，你们知道我们是倚靠这生意发财的。 26 你们看到，也听见这保罗不但在以弗所，也几乎在亚细亚全地，引诱迷惑了许多人，说：‘人手所做的不是神明。’ 27 这样，不仅我们这行业陷入被藐视的危险，就是大女神亚底米的庙也要被人轻看，连亚细亚全地和普天下所敬拜的女神的威望也受损害了。”

28 众人听见，就怒气冲冲，喊着说：“大哉，以弗所人的亚底米！” 29 于是满城都骚动起来。众人抓住与保罗同行的马其顿人该犹和亚里达古，齐心冲进剧场。 30 保罗想要进到民众那里，门徒却不许他去。 31 连亚细亚的几位官员，是保罗的朋友，也打发人来劝他不要冒险到剧场里去。 32 聚集的人乱成一团，有的喊这个，有的喊那个，大半不知道为了什么聚集。 33 犹太人把亚历山大推出去，人群中有人怂恿他，他就做手势，要向民众申诉。 34 但他们一认出他是犹太人，大家就异口同声喊着：“大哉，以弗所人的亚底米！”约喊了两小时。 35 城里的书记官安抚了群众后，说：“以弗所人哪，谁不知道以弗所人的城是看守大亚底米的庙和从宙斯那里落下来的像的守护者呢？ 36 既然这些事是驳不倒的，你们就要安静下来，不可妄动。 37 你们把这些人带来，他们并没有偷窃庙中之物，也没有亵渎我们的女神。 38 如果底米丢和他同行的手艺人有控告的事，自有公堂，也有省长，他们可以彼此控告。 39 你们若有别的事请求，可以在合法的集会里解决。 40 今日的扰乱本是无缘无故的，有被控告的危险。这次的骚动，我们也说不出理由来。” 41 他说完这些话，就叫众人散会。

ACTS 19

Paul in Ephesus

1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord's followers.

2 He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”
“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

3 “Then why were you baptized?” Paul asked.
They answered, “Because of what John taught.”t
4  t Paul replied, “John baptized people so they would turn to God. But he also told them someone else was coming, and they should put their faith in him. Jesus is the one that John was talking about.” 5 After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and they spoke unknown languages and prophesied.

7 There were about twelve men in this group.
8 For three months Paul went to the synagogue and talked bravely with the people about God's kingdom. He tried to win them over, 9 but some of them were stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone they said terrible things about God's Way. Paul left and took the followers with him to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. He spoke there every day

10 for two years, until every Jew and Gentilet in Asia had heard the Lord's message.

The Sons of Sceva

11 God gave Paul the power to work great miracles.

12 People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul's body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All of the sick people were healed, and the evil spirits went out.

13 Some Jewish men started going around trying to force out evil spirits by using the name of the Lord Jesus. They said to the spirits, “Come out in the name of that same Jesus that Paul preaches about!”
14 Seven sons of a high priest named Sceva were doing this, 15 when an evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus! And I have heard about Paul. But who are you?”

16 Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised.
17 When the Jews and Gentilest in Ephesus heard about this, they were so frightened that they praised the name of the Lord Jesus. 18 Many who were followers now started telling everyone about the evil things they had been doing. 19 Some who had been practicing witchcraft even brought their books and burned them in public. These books were worth about 50,000 silver coins.

20 So the Lord's message spread and became even more powerful.

The Riot in Ephesus

21 After all this had happened, Paul decidedt to visit Macedonia and Achaia on his way to Jerusalem. Paul had said, “From there I will go on to Rome.”

22 So he sent his two helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia. But he stayed on in Asia for a while.
23 At that time there was serious trouble because of the Lord's Way.t 24 A silversmith named Demetrius had a business that made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis. Those who worked for him earned a lot of money.

25 Demetrius brought together everyone who was in the same business and said:
Friends, you know we make a good living at this. 26 But you have surely seen and heard how this man Paul is upsetting a lot of people, not only in Ephesus, but almost everywhere in Asia. He claims that the gods we humans make are not really gods at all.

27 Everyone will start saying terrible things about our business. They will stop respecting the temple of the goddess Artemis, who is worshiped in Asia and all over the world. Our great goddess will be forgotten!
28 When the workers heard this, they got angry and started shouting, “Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!”

29 Soon the whole city was in a riot, and some men grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, who had come from Macedonia with Paul. Then everyone in the crowd rushed to the place where the town meetings were held.
30 Paul wanted to go out and speak to the people, but the Lord's followers would not let him.

31 A few of the local officials were friendly to Paul, and they sent someone to warn him not to go.

32 Some of the people in the meeting were shouting one thing, and others were shouting something else. Everyone was completely confused, and most of them did not even know why they were there.
33 Several of the Jewish leaders pushed a man named Alexander to the front of the crowd and started telling him what to say. He motioned with his hand and tried to explain what was going on.

34 But when the crowd saw that he was Jewish, they all shouted for two hours, “Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!”

35 Finally, a town official made the crowd be quiet. Then he said:
People of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that our city is the center for worshiping the great goddess Artemis? Who doesn't know that her image which fell from heaven is right here? 36 No one can deny this, and so you should calm down and not do anything foolish.

37 You have brought men in here who have not robbed temples or spoken against our goddess.
38 If Demetrius and his workers have a case against these men, we have courts and judges. Let them take their complaints there. 39 But if you want to do more than that, the matter will have to be brought before the city council.

40 We could easily be accused of starting a riot today. There is no excuse for it! We cannot even give a reason for this uproar.
41 After saying this, he told the people to leave.