(མཛད་པ། 18:24-28)

 

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. (Acts 18:24-28)

 

In these verses we learn how Priscilla and Aquila continued Paul’s work at Ephesus; and in particular how God used them to instruct in some points the new believer Apollos, a man with such clear understanding of the scriptures, and with the courage and desire to show that Jesus was the Christ.

Apollos then traveled on to Corinth, where also the work begun by Paul was continued very effectively by him.

God provided leaders for the new churches in these two cities.

(མཛད་པ། 19:1-10)

 

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.

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. (Acts 19:1-10)

 

When Paul did return to Ephesus he met a group who seemed to be disciples, but he found out that they also, like Apollos, had not been taught the full gospel of the way of salvation. They had repented of sin as John the Baptist had urged, but did not know Jesus’ promise to enter them in the form of his Spirit.

So when they were baptized in the name of Jesus, they could follow ‘The Way’*, that is, having his Spirit inwardly to help them in their changed lives and in their worship and in their speaking.

* ‘People-of-the-The Way’ was a name given to ‘Christ- men’. At Antioch they were known as ‘Christians’ ( see Acts 11:26).

(མཛད་པ། 19:11-20)

 

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. (Acts 19:11-20)

 

These Jews were not servants of the Lord Jesus, as the evil spirit knew. But they wanted to have the power of the ‘name of Jesus’, using it just like a mantra. That was their first mistake.

There are witchdoctors in Nepal who take care to find out the power of the spirit in a devil-possessed man, which might otherwise tear or kill them. These Jewish sorcerers commanded the demon to leave without first enquiring whether it were stronger than their own spirit. That was their second mistake. Nepalese soldiers have told me that it takes the strength of ten men to hold down one demonised man.

News of the incident led to many believers in Jesus confessing their own secret use of magic and mantras. So they repented wholeheartedly. And consequently the good news spread greatly.

Don’t play with spiritism. Let Jesus cleanse you, and have joy and His strength.