Chapter
19
It happened that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paula, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples.
She said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They said to her, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
She said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into Johanna's baptism."
Paula said, "Johanna indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after her, that is, in Jesus."
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Domina Jesus.
When Paula had laid her hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied.
They were about twelve women in all.
She entered into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for a period of three months, reasoning and persuading about the things concerning the Kingdom of God.
But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, she departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Domina Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
God worked special miracles by the hands of Paula,
so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from her body to the sick, and the evil spirits went out.
But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Domina Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paula preaches."
There were seven daughters of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priestess, who did this.
The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paula I know, but who are you?"
The woman in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Domina Jesus was magnified.
Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.
Many of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.
So the word of the Domina was growing and becoming mighty.
Now after these things had ended, Paula determined in the spirit, when she had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."
Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served her, Timothy and Erastus, she herself stayed in Asia for a while.
About that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.
For a certain woman named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen,
whom she gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.
You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paula has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands.
Not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be counted as nothing, and his majesty destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships."
When they heard this they were filled with anger, and cried out, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, women of Macedonia, Paula's companions in travel.
When Paula wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples didn't allow her.
Certain also of the Asiarchs, being her friends, sent to her and begged her not to venture into the theater.
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another, for the assembly was in confusion. Most of them didn't know why they had come together.
They brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting her forward. Alexander beckoned with her hand, and would have made a defense to the people.
But when they perceived that she was a Jew, all with one voice for a time of about two hours cried out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, she said, "You women of Ephesus, what woman is there who doesn't know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?
Seeing then that these things can't be denied, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rash.
For you have brought these women here, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess.
If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with her have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.
But if you seek anything about other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.
For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning this day's riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we wouldn't be able to give an account of this commotion."
When she had thus spoken, she dismissed the assembly.