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Main Idea
No matter what the opposition is, God is greater.
When we left off last time, we met a bright, enthusiastic apologist named Apollos. We watched as he refuted the opposition, was coached and refined by Pricilla and Aquila, and became emboldened even further as he traveled west to Corinth. While that was happening, we also followed Paul as he completed his second missionary journey, took a brief hiatus in Antioch, and then quickly launched out onto his third missionary journey. In this trek, he revisited the churches he planted on his first journey in Galatia and Phrygia and has now come to the city of Ephesus.
Outline
I – Ephesus
II – > Ignorance
III – > Human Opposition
IV – > Demonic Powers
I – Ephesus
• Capital of the Roman province of Asia.
• 3rd largest city in the entire Roman Empire at the time.
• Port city in Asia Minor strategically placed where the Cayster River empties into the Aegean Sea.
• On the major East-West trade route from Rome.
• Established about 1,000 years prior to Paul’s arrival.
• Massively wealthy
• “Ephesus was a wealthy city. The multi-storied residences of its upper-middle-class society rested on the north terraces of Mt Koressos. Some homes had mosaic floors and marble walls. Two were found with heated bathrooms. Many had running water.” – Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. 1988. “Ephesus.” In Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1:710. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
• Was a melting pot of ethnicities, including a substantial Jewish presence.
• Very religious and boasted in its colossal theatre and the great Temple of Artemis.
II – > Ignorance
Passage
Acts 19:1–7 ESV
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.
Providential Timing
- Paul was prohibited from going to Asia during his 2nd journey.
- In God’s providential timing, Paul came with supernaturally powerful results.
We see in part. Never doubt God’s perfect timing.
JTB’s Disciples
- The followers of John the Baptist knew about John’s teachings.
- They likely knew about the need for repentance and the coming of the Messiah but didn’t connect that with Jesus.
- They only knew about the type of baptisms that John did.
- They were ignorant of the coming of the Holy Spirit.
God overcomes their ignorance
Paul clarified the identity of the Messiah and preached Christ to them.
Then, they were baptized in Jesus’ name (not John’s), and the Holy Spirit came on them.
This was the 4th ‘Pentecost’ type event (#1 – Acts 2 in Jerusalem to the Jews, #2 – Acts 8 in Samaria to the ½ Jews, #3 – Acts 10 to the Gentiles in Cornelius’s house).
Immediately, they began speaking in tongues and prophesying, demonstrating the power of the Spirit.
There is a lot you don’t know. Even the most seasoned of disciples will be ignorant of certain aspects of an infinite God. We will always have knowledge gaps but praise God, He is greater than our ignorance… whether that is in our unbelief (sinning and not recognizing His glory in our rebellion), in our uninformed pursuit of Him (seeking Him out but getting wrong or partial information about Him), or as we mature as believers. God is greater than.
Ephesians 4:25 ESV
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Not only is He greater than our ignorance, even amid our good intentions, but he is greater than any human opposition we might face.
III – > Human Opposition
Passage
Acts 19:8–10 ESV
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.
Showing Jews the Jewish Messiah
- Paul kept to his pattern of going to the Jews first before preaching to the Gentiles.
- Many in the synagogue remained stubbornly in unbelief and spoke evil about the Christian faith.
Paul adjusted, and God’s word prevailed
- Paul moved venues to the hall of Tyrannus (known to the 1st-century readers, but unknown to us… likely a nearby lecture hall).
- In the span of 2 years, EVERYONE (Jew and Gentile) in the Roman province of Asia heard the word of the Lord!
Paul has encountered many adversaries over the years, and they never prevailed over his evangelical efforts. This time is no different. When the opposition stood against Paul, the Spirit provided another way where he would have greater influence and a broader reach. God’s command was to preach the gospel to all nations, and He will supply your every need for a successful mission. As you live out God’s command, there will be opposition. You may have friends and family who don’t understand your Christian faith. You might have already experienced rejection and wounds from others within the church. And there will certainly be those outside the faith who try to tear yours down. No matter how influential, powerful, or relationally close your opposition may be, God is greater.
Imagine reaching ALL of Asia with the gospel. The population of Ephesus was estimated to be around 250,000 people at this time, and that is just one city! Could you imagine reaching every single one of them? Could you imagine reaching every single person in Ashe County?
But God’s power goes even beyond human ignorance or outright defiance. Even the powers and principalities of this age must submit to His rule.
IV- > Demonic Powers
Passage
Acts 19:11–20 ESV
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.
Demonic Power in Ephesus
- Demons were active in Ephesus.
- Jewish exorcists were already established. Magic arts were being practiced. Books on divination were already written. The cult of Artemis was already practicing all sorts of evil in the temple.
Ten years ago, if you would have asked me if the USA would have accepted overt satanic practices, I would have said no. That would have been too taboo. However, when a society becomes increasingly Godless, then even satanic worship becomes just another religious practice to revel in. At that point, our society is willing to accept performances like Sam Smith’s ‘Unholy’ at the Grammys, where he dressed up as Satan, or governments will protect satanic statues to be ‘inclusive.’ We are not as different from Ephesus as we would like to think, and our nation might look just as dark, hopeless, and lost.
- The powers of darkness were thriving here in the open, in full view of the citizens.
- Their power was very real, as seen with the seven sons of Sceva.
God’s Power in Ephesus
- Paul didn’t do the miracles. God was doing miracles through him.
- The Word of Jesus had not yet spread to this city (as seen with the disciples of JTB).
- The demonic powers were overtly at work, and God would be, too.
- While the demonic powers had grand temples and magical books, God used a humble man and everyday items (handkerchiefs and aprons) to display His power to the people of Ephesus.
And because God’s power was so much greater than the demonic powers, people came in droves to:
1. Exalt the name of Jesus (not speak it to ‘control’ Him).
2. Repent from their practices by turning from their sinful practices and destroying anything attached to them.
Right then and there, God’s Kingdom obliterated the dominion of darkness and the stronghold of the enemy.
Summary Statement
The word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
This is yet another one of Luke’s summary statements… or status update, if you want to call it that. God’s power in Ephesus brought about a harvest of souls for the Kingdom.
God’s power is magnified in the darkest of places. Demonic powers had a firm grip on this wealthy city, yet God was greater.
Conclusion
You know your circumstances, your insurmountable hills, your ruts, and your seemingly impossible circumstances.
Let today’s passage be a joyful reminder to you that no matter what or who you face, God is greater than.