Acts 19:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?"

NIV: One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?"

NASB: But the evil spirit responded and said to them, 'I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?'

CSB: The evil spirit answered them, "I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?"

NLT: But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, 'I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?'

KJV: And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

NKJV: And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

Paul is in Ephesus. As part of his ministry, he is using the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority of Jesus to heal people and expel demons. This shows legitimate power in a city filled with witchcraft and charlatans. Other Jews are there, as well, using the mystery of the invisible God of Judaism to enchant the Gentile residents who suffer under demonic oppression.

The sons of Sceva claim their father is a Jewish high priest. It's unclear if this is true. They, like many other Jews, watch Paul exorcise demons with Jesus' name and attempt to do the same. During Jesus' ministry, He and the disciples met a man using Jesus' name although he wasn't a disciple. The disciples wanted him to stop, but Jesus told them to leave him alone. The man may not have been Jesus' follower, but he had a sincerity that caused no harm to Jesus' mission (Mark 9:38–41).

The sons of Sceva, however, don't seem to realize just using Jesus' name doesn't give the exorcist unlimited power. Even the disciples learned this when they tried to expel the demon from the boy (Mark 9:14–29). The Jewish exorcists are not authorized to use the name of Jesus because they don't know Him.

The demon reacts to the name of Paul because it knows Paul has the power of Jesus. It reacts to the name of Jesus because it knows Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:24–25; 3:11–12; 5:7). But even though the exorcists say the sounds that people use to refer to the man Jesus, they don't know the name of Jesus: His power, authority, and sovereignty. To the demon, the sons of Sceva have "the appearance of godliness, but [deny] its power" (2 Timothy 3:5).

Acts 19:11–20 gives the account of the Sons of Sceva in Ephesus. Witchcraft was endemic in Ephesus, and itinerant Jewish exorcists took advantage of the corresponding demonic activity. Paul has been healing and expelling demons in Jesus' name. But when the sons of Sceva attempt to use his faith in Christ as a formula, the demon beats them up. The people see how Paul has access to real power that can free them, and they abandon their magic and follow Jesus—much to the dismay of the guild that makes and sells idols of Artemis (Acts 19:23–27).

Acts 19 recounts Paul's three-year visit in Ephesus. He starts by revealing how Jesus of Nazareth has brought to life the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit validates Paul's message by healing those struck with physical ailments and demon possession. Amazed by Paul's authority over evil spirits, so many magicians turn to Christ that the craftsmen who make idols fear for their livelihoods. They nearly incite a riot before the town clerk settles them down. Paul realizes his time in Ephesus has ended, and he travels to Macedonia (Acts 20:1).

Acts 19 is the meat of Paul's third missionary voyage. He has already revisited the churches in central modern-day Turkey (Acts 18:23). Now he returns to Ephesus for a three-year stay. After firmly establishing the church there, rescuing many from pagan magic and the worship of Artemis, he returns to Macedonia and Greece. A threat on his life sends him back up to Macedonia and across to Troas. He meets briefly with the Ephesian elders to tell them they will not meet again (Acts 20). When he returns to Jerusalem, he is arrested and, eventually, taken to Rome.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.