WeekLy BooK oF Acts 19 1-20

   a paraphrased study

1 - While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul went through the inland country and came to Ephesus. And there he came across some disciples. 2 He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said, “No, we’ve not heard anything about a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he asked, “What then were you baptized into?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” 4 So Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, and told the people to believe in the one who was coming, that is, Jesus.” 5 And upon hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul lay his hands on them (with prayer) the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking in unknown tongues and prophesying. 7 There were twelve men in all. 8 Then Paul entered the synagogue, boldly reasoning and persuading about the kingdom of God for about three months. 9 But when some became contentious in their disbelief, speaking abusively of the Way before the gathering, he left off from them and took the disciples with him. And then he reasoned daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all in the region of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

     11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul. [Extraordinary - tygxánō - hit, hit upon, meet, happen, to strike, hit the mark, i.e. "spot on," "hit the bullseye”, therefore opposite to hamartánō/hamartia - to miss the mark - (which is translated “sin”). (What!? What a word riddle. Opposite of missing the mark ..A perfection of God is as healer!)] 12 Even handkerchiefs and aprons Paul had touched were taken to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon theirselves to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over some who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 And seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I recognize Paul, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped upon them, and overpowered and beat them so they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And awe fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus became even better known. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing their magic arts. 19 And many brought their books together and burned them in the city square. When they counted the value of them, they found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 And so the word of the Lord continued to increase and to prevail mightily.

                         ~*~

     Very Brief Outline of Acts:

Jesus returns to where he was with the Father before his advent/visit (his brief first one).

The Holy Spirit/Presence of God is poured out on the believers who were in Jerusalem on the late Spring holy day of Pentecost. Peter speaks, there are 3000 new believers that day.

The good news message spreads, Peter is invited and goes to a Roman’s house and all believe. The first record of non Hebrew believers (besides likely some on Pentecost).

     Persecution breaks out.. jail. stoning. Pharisee Saul leads the persecution, but on his way to Damascus with papers for arrests, Jesus makes himself seen but is so bright Paul falls to the ground and is blinded. After two days he is healed and is a believer, and soon is called Paul. He wrote many (to most) of the New Testament letters, but spent a few years (it seems to me) exclusively listening to the Lord. He established many ‘churches’ in what’s called three missionary journeys, and met and worked with Mark and Luke, and quite a few others. (Luke wrote this Book of Acts.) His fourth journey is to Rome to trial as a prisoner. There’s a shipwreck on the way.. He wrote many of his letters while in prison and under ‘house’ arrest. ..And yes he was executed because of what he taught, as were all the original disciples turned apostles, except for probably John, who in his later years wrote three short letters and the vision and book of Revelation.

                            🍃