| It fortuned, while Apollo was at Corintham, that Paul passed through the upper coasts and came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples, and said unto them: have ye received the holy ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him: no we have not heard whether there be any holy ghost or no. And he said unto them: wherewith were ye then baptised? And they said: with Johns baptism. Then said Paul: John verily baptised with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him, which should come after him: that is on Christ Jesus. When they heard that, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. And Paul laid his hands upon them, and the holy ghost came on them, and they spake with tongues, and prophesied, and all the men were about twelve.
And he went into the synagogue, and behaved himself boldly for the space of three months, disputing and giving them exhortations of the kingdom of God. When diverse waxed hard hearted and believed not, but spake evil of the way, and that before the multitude: he departed from them, and separated the disciples. And disputed daily in the school of one called Tyranus. And this continued by the space of two years: so that all they which dwelt in Asia, heard the word of the Lord *Jesu, both Jewes and Greeks. And God wrought no small miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body, were brought unto the sick, napkins or partlets, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Then certain of the vagabond Jewes, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus saying: We adjure you by Jesu whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva a Jewe and chief of the priests which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said: Jesus I know, and Paul I know: but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, ran on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jewes and Greeks also, which dwelt at Ephesus and fear came on them all, and they magnified the name of the Lord Jesus.
And many that believed, came and confessed and showed their works. Many of them which used curious crafts, brought their books and burned them before all men, and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand silverlings. So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed. After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, to pass over Macedonia and Achaia, and to go to Jerusalem saying: After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So sent he into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him Timotheus and Erastus: but he himself remained in Asia for a season.
The same time there arose no little ado about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, was not a little beneficial unto the craftsmen. Which he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said: Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have vantage. Moreover ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be not gods which are made with hands. So that not only this our craft cometh into peril to be set at nought: but also that the temple of the great Goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, which all Asia and the world worshippeth.
When they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out saying: Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And all the city was on a roar, and they rushed into the common hall with one assent, and caught Gaius and Aristarcus, men of Macedonia, Pauls companions. When Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. Certain also of the chief of Asia which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not press into the common hall. Some cried one thing and some another, and the congregation was all out of quiet, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Some of the company drew forth Alexander, the Jewes thrusting him forwards. Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have given the people an answer. When they knew that he was a Jewe, there arose a shout almost for the space of two hours, of all men crying, great is Diana of the Ephesians.
When the town clerk had ceased the people, he said: ye men of Ephesus, what man is it that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which came from heaven. Seeing then that no man saith here against, ye ought to be content, and to do nothing rashly: For ye have brought hither these men which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet despisers of your goddess. Wherefore if Demetrius and the craftsmen which are with him, have any saying to any man, the law is open, and there are rulers, let them accuse one another. If ye go about any other thing, it may be determined in a lawful congregation. For we are in jeopardy to be accused of this days business: for as much as there is no cause whereby we may give a reckoning of this concourse of people. And when he had thus spoken he let the congregation depart. |
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