| Acts 19 | |
|---|---|
 Acts 18:27–19:6 onrecto side inPapyrus 38, written about AD 250. | |
| Book | Acts of the Apostles |
| Category | Church history |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 5 |
Acts 19 is the nineteenth chapter of theActs of the Apostles in theNew Testament of theChristianBible. It records part of the third missionary journey ofPaul, focussing on his time spent inEphesus. The author of the book containing this chapter isanonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed thatLuke composed this book as well as theGospel of Luke.[1]
The original text was written inKoine Greek. Thischapter is divided into 41 verses.
Some earlymanuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
This chapter mentions the following places (in the order of appearance):
This part of the third missionary journey of Paul took place in ca. AD 53–55.[2]
This section covers Paul's long stay in Ephesus, lasting 3 years,[3] where he encountered "some disciples" ofJohn the Baptist and confronted the influence of magic and occult in that city.[4]
The "upper coasts" (wording of theKing James Version) or "upper regions" (New King James Version), are thought to have been inland areas to the east ofEphesus. TheEnglish Standard Version refers to "the inland country".[6]Henry Alford suggests that Paul travelled through "the eastern parts ofAsia Minor, beyond theriver Halys" (now the Kizilirmak River).[7]
"Believeon him" is the translation used by theKing James Version andNew King James Version. The more natural phrase "believein him" is used by theNew American Standard Bible.[9]
Loveday Alexander notes that Luke's emphasis onGod as the worker of miracles is not typical of his narrative: he sees it as important to appreciate that Paul's spiritual power does not come from himself but is a direct divine endorsement of his mission".[11]Methodist writerJoseph Benson suggests that as Paul stayed longer in Ephesus than elsewhere on his journeys, the miracles wrought through him would have stood out both in number and in wonder.[12]
Sceva (Ancient Greek:Σκευᾶς,romanized: Skeuas) was a Jew called a "chief priest" (Greek:ιουδαιου αρχιερεως). Some scholars note that it was not uncommon for some members of theZadokite clan to take on an unofficial high-priestly role, which may explain this moniker.[14] However, it is more likely that he was an itinerant exorcist based on the use of the Greek term (Ancient Greek:περιερχομένων,romanized: perierchomenōn) "going from place to place" inActs 19:13.[15]
In this verse, it is recorded that he had seven sons who attempted to exorcise a demon from a man in Ephesus by using the name of Jesus as an invocation. This practice is similar to the Jewish practice, originating in theTestament of Solomon, of invoking Angels to cast out demons.[15] Sorcery and exorcism are mentioned several times in Acts:Simon Magus andElymas Bar-Jesus, and divination is illustrated by the girl atPhilippi. "She was regarded as spirit-possessed, and it was the spirit who was addressed and expelled by Paul inActs 16:16–18".[16]
This evil spirit had heard of both Jesus and Paul, but not of the seven sons of Sceva, which soon received 'such a beating' from the spirit 'that they ran' (Acts 19:16); theologianConrad Gempf argues that this shows that power over evil spirits does not work in a mechanical way in thename of Jesus, but because one knows Jesus and, more importantly, is known by him.[18]
Paul has already intended to have his trip to Jerusalem followed with a trip to Rome.[18]
The amount of money in the scroll-burning incident (verse 19) must have stirred many people, whose livelihood (that is dependent on the selling of religious objects) is threatened by the successful growth of the Christian church, and now is bolstering a serious opposition.[18]
Reference to Christian belief as "the Way" was already made inActs 9:2. "The expression "the way" had evidently become a well-known one among Christians".[22]
