“Time In Ephesus” Acts 19:1-41 and Acts 20:1-3
This is week 1 of the series “Bound and Determined! – Paul’s Farewell Tour”
Introduction
Paul’s first missionary journey established churches in southeast Asia Minor. In his second, he had intended to build up those churches, but the Holy Spirit led him further afield, across the Aegean Sea into Greece and back home through Ephesus. In his third, Paul got the chance to touch back with many of the churches he’d established his first two trips, and he started a couple of new churches.
The account of Paul’s third missionary journey begins in Acts 18. Paul spent some time at his home church in Syrian Antioch before going northwest over land again and traveling through Galatia and Phrygia in Asia Minor, visiting the churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch—churches he’d established during his first trip (Acts 18:23). Meanwhile, in Ephesus, on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, Priscilla and Aquila met Apollos, an educated and eloquent speaker who enthusiastically spoke of Jesus. Unfortunately, he only knew the story up to John’s baptism. Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside and taught him of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, and Apollos became a powerful Christian teacher, at times rivaling the influence of Paul (Acts 18:24-28; 1 Corinthians 3:4-5).
Apollos traveled to Corinth in Achaia, and Paul arrived at Ephesus where he apparently met some of Apollos’s students (Acts 19:1). These twelve men only knew of John’s baptism unto repentance (see Mark 1:4); they had not been born again by faith in Christ and had not received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2-3). Paul explained the complete gospel to them, pointing them to Jesus Christ as John had done (see Mark 1:7-8). The men were baptized, and Paul laid his hands on them. They immediately received the Spirit and, as a sign of their new life, began speaking in tongues and prophesying (Acts 19:4-7).
Paul spent three months teaching in the synagogue in Ephesus, reasoning from the Jewish Scriptures, but some in his audience not only rejected his message but they became abusive toward “the Way” (Acts 19:8-9). Paul took those who believed and moved from the synagogue to a school owned by a man named Tyrannus. There Paul preached daily to Jews and Greeks for two years (Acts 19:9-10).
Despite the opposition in Ephesus, the Holy Spirit worked mightily through Paul. Luke says that “extraordinary miracles” were being performed (Acts 19:11) as people were being healed and evil spirits were being expelled (Acts 19:12). Trying to get in on Paul’s work, the “Sons of Sceva,” seven traveling Jewish exorcists, tried to expel demons in Jesus’ and Paul’s names (Acts 19:13). The demons responded that they recognized the authority of Jesus and Paul but did not know these men. The demons then attacked the men, beating, stripping, and chasing them out of the house (Acts 19:14-16). After this incident, Jesus’ name was even more respected in Ephesus, Paul saw a great increase in his ministry, and many former magicians burned their magic arts books (Acts 19:17-20).
After his extended stay in Ephesus, Paul realized that the Holy Spirit was leading him to travel on. Continuing his third missionary journey, Paul sent Timothy and Erastus ahead to Macedonia (Acts 19:21-22). But before Paul left, a silversmith named Demetrius, who made shrines of Artemis and resented the decrease in business he’d seen since Paul’s arrival, gathered other workmen and started a riot (Acts 19:23-34). Eventually, the town clerk arrived and dispersed the crowd, telling them that, if they had something against Paul, they should bring him to court (Acts 19:35-41). Paul left town quietly and went across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia where he traveled to Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea to encourage the churches there; then he went to Greece (Achaia) and spent three months there (Acts 20:1-3).
From Gotquestions.org
Message
The introduction, courtesy of Gotquestions.org, sets the stage for us to appreciate Paul’s determination to spread God’s Word and the power and influence of the Holy Spirit in his life. We can flip the title of the series around – rather than “Bound and Determined” – “Determined and Bound.” We will see that played out over the next 13 weeks culminating with the house arrest of Paul in Rome. So, buckle up and get ready to travel with Paul to his final destination. And let’s see what the Holy Spirit has to say to us along the way.