Acts 19:7-22
Paul in Ephesus
8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
13Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15(One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. 19A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
21After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." 22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
St. Paul traveled a lot, especially for the time he was in...Travel was not as easy then as it is today...St. Paul spends three months in an Ephesian synagogue arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God...Ephesus is in modern day west Turkey...Some of the listeners become obstinate and refuse to believe and publicly begin to disrupt "the Way"...
St. Paul, a firm believer in Old Testament Scripture, quotes it often...The Way was God fulfilling Old Testament Scripture with the power and coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ...Jesus died and was resurrected by God...For two years St. Paul teaches in the lecture hall of Tyrannus about Jesus and His resurrection... St. Paul taught about the Holy Spirit...He believed Jesus as the Messiah, and the One, who was to come...
God did extraordinary miracles through St. Paul during these two years...Even handkerchiefs and aprons that touched St. Paul were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them...These followers believed...These miracles assisted the growth of the Way...
Other Jews, who were not followers of the Way, went around driving out evil spirits in the name of LORD Jesus over those who were demon possessed...They would say, in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you (the evil spirit) to come out...During ancient times, the name of God was believed to hold the power of God itself, so only the High Priest could say the name of God in the Holy of Holies in the Temple on the day of Atonement...Since St. Paul was so effective driving out illness and evil, these unbelievers were trying to copy his methods..
One day an evil spirit answered some of those who were trying to drive out evil spirits...The evil spirit said, I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you...Then the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them and beat them, in such a way they ran out of a house bleeding and naked...When this became known to other Jews and Greeks in Ephesus, they feared and held the name of Jesus in high honor...Many who practiced sorcery were afraid, and gave that sorcery lifestyle up and burnt their occult documentation and scrolls...
After this incident, the followers of the Way increased...The word of the LORD quickly spread and grew...
St. Paul was full of energy and the new believers of Ephesians, would become large in number...St. Paul's God given talent and ability was needed to start this new Way and belief in One, many had never heard about just a few years earlier...The ever organized St. Paul plans now on going to Jerusalem, while passing through Macedonia and Achaia, while having his helpers Timothy and Erastus to stay for a while in Macedonia...
St. Paul's strategic thinking and plan about how to get the gospel throughout Asia, is working...