Acts 19:1-41

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:8-12

Paul’s general approach to ministry in Ephesus 19:8-12"The further one proceeds in Acts 19, the clearer it becomes that Luke intends the material in this chapter and the next to depict the climax of Paul’s ministry and missionary work as a free man. It is here in Ephesus that he has the longest stable period of ministry without trial or expulsion, here that he most fully carries out his commission to be a witness to all persons, both Jew and Gentile (see Acts 22:15)." [Note: Witherington, p.... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:9

Eventually the Jews grew unresponsive and tried to discredit Paul’s preaching of the way of salvation. Paul, therefore, withdrew from the synagogue to a neutral site. In Corinth, this had been the home of Titius Justice (Acts 18:7). In Ephesus, it proved to be a lecture hall owned and or operated by Tyrannus. Tyrannus (lit. Tyrant, probably a nickname of this teacher and or landlord) made his auditorium available to Paul during the afternoons. The Western text (i.e., Codex Beza), one of the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:10

Evidently Paul taught in Tyrannus’ public hall for two more years. Later Paul said that he had labored in Ephesus for a total of three years (cf. Acts 20:31). Paul evidently began his third missionary journey and his three-year ministry in Ephesus in A.D. 53, twenty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the day of Pentecost. As a result of this three years of work, the local Christians preached the gospel and established churches all over the province of Asia. Among these... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:11-12

Jesus continued to work the same supernatural miracles through Paul that He had demonstrated during His own earthly ministry (cf. Mark 5:27; Mark 6:56) and that he had manifested through Peter (Acts 5:15). Luke recorded Paul doing the same types of miracles as Peter. Both healed a lame man early in their ministries (Acts 14:8; cf. Acts 3:2). Both exorcised demons (Acts 16:18; cf. Acts 5:16), defeated sorcerers (Acts 13:6; cf. Acts 8:18), raised the dead (Acts 20:9; cf. Acts 9:36), and escaped... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:13

"But" introduces a contrast to the good miracles that "God was performing . . . by . . . Paul" (Acts 19:11). As had been Peter’s experience, some of Paul’s observers tried to duplicate his miracles (cf. Acts 8:18-19). They wrongly concluded that the simple vocalization of Jesus’ name carried magical power. Some people feared the Jews in the ancient world because they thought the name of God, which the Jews refused to utter, was the key to their powers, including their success in business. This... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:13-20

The seven sons of Sceva 19:13-20The following incident throws more light on the spiritual darkness that enveloped Ephesus as well as the power of Jesus Christ and the gospel to dispel it. It also presents Paul as not only a powerful speaker (Acts 19:8-12) but also a powerful miracle worker. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:14-16

Sceva may have been a chief priest or the head of a priestly family (cf. Acts 5:24), or he may have only claimed to be one. [Note: Bruce, The Book . . ., p. 390.] Compare Simon Magus, who claimed to be someone great (cf. Acts 8:9).". . . whoever he [Sceva] was, he was not a Jewish high priest who had held office in Jerusalem, since their names are all known; nor is it likely that he even belonged to a high-priestly family. It is possible that he may have been a self-styled ’high priest’ of one... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:17

News reports of this event greatly elevated the reputation of Jesus among all the Ephesians, both Jews and Gentiles. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:18-19

Some people in ancient times believed that the power of sorcerers’ rites and incantations lay in their secrecy, as noted above. Magical secrets supposedly lost their power when they were made public. The fact that the converted Ephesian magicians disclosed these shows the genuineness of their repentance. Likewise the burning of books symbolizes the public and irreversible repudiation of their contents. Luke did not describe the silver coin to which he referred in enough detail to determine its... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 19:20

As a consequence of the repentance described in the preceding verses, the church became purer as well as larger (cf. Acts 5:1-11). Luke gave us this sixth progress report to mark the end of another section of his book. The section we have just completed (Acts 16:6 to Acts 19:20) records the church’s extension in the Roman provinces around the Aegean Sea.While in Ephesus Paul had considerable contact with the church in Corinth. He wrote that church a letter that he called his former letter in 1... read more

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