Acts 19:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.”

NIV: Some 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 the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.'

NASB: But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, 'I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!'

CSB: Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches! "

NLT: A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, 'I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!'

KJV: Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

NKJV: Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

In the Roman Empire, gods were everywhere. Households put little idols on shelves and offered a handful of grain to them every day. Cities had specific gods—Ephesus specialized in Artemis—and to refuse to worship those gods was to show a lack of loyalty and care for one's community. When a region had older, native gods, they renamed them after Roman deities so they could keep worshiping them. And everyone was required to worship the emperor.

Despite the inundation of gods, people long for something real; in Ephesus, they sought it through witchcraft. Many in the Roman Empire looked to the religions of the East, which tend to be more esoteric and exotic. From a Roman perspective, few religions were more unconventional than Judaism: the Jews worship a God with no physical representation! In addition, they refuse to say His name. Pagan magicians concluded that "YWHW," "Sabaoth," and "Abraham" must be magical words.

Fraudsters often take advantage of the search for a deeper connection to the spirit world. During their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas met a Jewish magician and false prophet named Bar-Jesus who had found a lucrative position with Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of the island of Cyprus. When Bar-Jesus interrupted Paul's explanation of Jesus' offer of salvation, Paul blinded him (Acts 13:4–12).

Some of those in Ephesus hear Paul use a new name—"Jesus"—to cast out demons and try it out. Since "Jesus" is fairly common, they identify Him as the one Paul talks about. "Adjure" is from the Greek root word horkizō. Like the legion of demons tried with Jesus (Mark 5:7), the exorcists try to force the demons to take an oath to do what they want.

Although the exorcists use the sounds that identify the Jesus Paul worships, they don't use Jesus' name. His name includes His power, sovereignty, character, and authority. When we are baptized in Jesus' name, we submit ourselves to Him. To use Jesus without really knowing Him is to risk His rejection (Matthew 7:21–23). It's also to risk being ignored (Mark 9:18) or, worse, attacked by the demons being addressed (Acts 19:16).

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.