Summary:
Paul in Ephesus teaches about baptism by the holy spirit. He moves his daily teaching out of the synagogue into a school. Non-believers attempt to use the power of Jesus’ name, but they are not connected to the source of the power. Healing and miracles occur and many confess, believe and shed themselves of old sins (burn scrolls). Paul leaves to continue his mission work and a riot breaks out spurred by the idol makers guild. A city clerk calms the crowd, reminding them there is a proper process for grievances that doesn’t involve angry mobs.
Questions:
5. They had been cleansed of sin (repentance), but had not been baptized into the Lord Jesus and received the Holy Spirit?
6. Paul taught in the Synagogue for three months, but after being publicly maligned he moved out to a lecture hall of Tyrannus and taught for 2 more years so everyone heard and he was performing great signs and miracles.
7. There is power in God’s name, but not as an incantation. We are a conduit of the power but we must be connected to the source
8. a. They changed their lives. They purged themselves of wickedness even at a cost (the cost was to keep others from the same sin)
b. (Personal) Time wasters. Those worthless diversions that bring no value to myself or others and waste the gift of time that He has given me.
9. (Challenge) There is no authority on earth except what God allows. God is not against governments, he sets the boundaries of nations, nor is he aligned with a political group. His kingdom in the bounds of this world.
- Acts 19:23–41 City clerk calms idol makers’ mob
- John 19:10–11 Pilate authority over Jesus: Only what given to him by God;
- Acts 16:37–39 Paul and Silas after prison earthquake: magistrates appease because they are Roman citizens
- Romans 13:1–7, submit to governing, no authority except given by God
Conclusions:
There is a lot of neat stuff in today’s scripture. Some people burn “valuable” scrolls others create a riot because peoples’ changed lives threaten their business model.
One of the neatest parts I saw was the model that Paul established for planting a new church. He didn’t build a building and start having Sunday services. He started by daily study groups. He created a place and time that people could come and discuss and have their questions answered, every day. The more he opened up the good news to the people the more power flowed through Paul – not his own power, but the power of the spirit – that even by touching his used sweat rags caused healing.
The Notes are Good 