Bible ReadingActs 19:1-20 “And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They said, ‘Into John's baptism.’ And Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all. And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”
[00:05:21] [00:06:58] [00:13:46] [00:16:08]Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
[00:04:53]Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
[00:18:10]Deuteronomy 18:10-12 “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.”
[00:18:48]Deuteronomy 12:2-4 “You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way.”
[00:19:37]John 7:17 “If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”
[00:12:54] [00:39:02]Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
[00:15:57]Observation questions- In Acts 19, what different responses to Paul’s preaching show up in Ephesus, and how are those responses described? [00:06:58]
- What details in Acts 19 show that the name of Jesus could not be used like a spiritual formula by the sons of Sceva? [00:14:07]
- After the public defeat of the sons of Sceva, what did many believers in Ephesus do with their practices and their scrolls? [00:14:37]
- In Deuteronomy 18:10-12 and Deuteronomy 12:2-4, what kinds of practices and worship patterns does God clearly forbid?
Interpretation questions- Acts 19 says some people became stubborn and continued in unbelief. What does that reveal about how a person can hear truth clearly and still resist it? [00:07:45]
- John 7:17 says a person who wants to do God’s will will recognize whether the teaching is from God. Why does surrender often come before understanding? [00:11:43]
- The evil spirit said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” What does that moment reveal about the difference between using Jesus’ name and actually belonging to Jesus? [00:15:23]
- The Ephesian believers did not just feel convicted; they publicly burned valuable scrolls. What does that suggest about the kind of repentance that breaks agreement with sin and darkness? [00:22:26]
Application questions- When approaching Scripture, is there any area where the heart is mainly looking for permission to keep something rather than asking, “Lord, what do you want to say?” What might that area be? [00:10:45]
- Are there any old patterns, objects, habits, or spiritual practices still being held onto quietly, even while wanting to follow Jesus? What would it look like to bring those things fully into the light? [00:09:21]
- Jesus is Lord, not a tool, charm, or borrowed phrase. In what ways can a person drift into wanting Jesus mainly for help, power, relief, or blessing without really surrendering to his lordship? [00:08:50]
- God warns his people not to copy pagan ways and rename them as holy. Are there any practices, influences, or “harmless” spiritual things that need a fresh look in light of God’s Word? [00:20:12]
- The Ephesian bonfire cost real money, real comfort, and possibly real livelihood. What act of obedience might feel costly right now, and what makes it hard to let go? [00:23:04]
- True freedom includes repentance, renouncing agreement with darkness, and forgiving others. Is there anything that needs to be renounced, or anyone who needs to be forgiven, so that freedom is not blocked by secrecy or bitterness? [00:30:25]
- Deliverance carries no shame because Jesus exposes bondage in order to free people. If there is an area of oppression, fear, torment, or hidden struggle, what would make it easier to ask for prayer and not stay silent? [00:26:23]
