TEXT: Acts 19:1-20

SUBJECT: Acts 23

Today, with the Lord's blessing, we'll continue our study of Acts and see what Jesus Christ is up to in the world.

THE TWELVE, VV.1-7

The story takes place in Ephesus, a major city in Asia Minor. Paul had dropped in months before, but now he's back for a longer-term ministry. He stays for two years and sees the Lord Jesus do wonderful things in Ephesus and the cities all around it.

The first people he meets there are twelve "disciples"--men who believe in the Messiah and want to serve Him. After visiting with them for some time, Paul discovers they have not received God's Spirit, and in fact,

In other words, they didn't know the Spirit had been poured out on the Day of Pentecost.

The Apostle was very puzzled by their ignorance and asked them about their baptism. How can they not know the Holy Spirit if they were baptized in "The Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"?

Well that's an easy one: They hadn't been. They were

This means they were baptized upon faith in the Coming Messiah, rather than in the Christ who had come, been crucified, and raised from the dead. The disciples were, in effect, Old Testament saints living in the New Testament era.

When Paul discovered this, he

Upon which, the Holy Spirit was given, and they

What do we make of this?

Some Christians have formulated a doctrine from it. They say it teaches one may be saved without receiving God's Spirit. In other words, the Baptism of the Spirit comes after you're saved and allows you to speak with tongues, be filled with joy, live the Victorious Christian Life, and so on.

I don't think that's true. It certainly agrees with the text, of course, but I don't think an historical narrative is a safe place to find your doctrine. If the doctrinal parts of the Bible taught this view, then this would be a good illustration of it. But they don't, it seems to me. The story, therefore, shouldn't be put to that use.

To understand what really happened in Ephesus that day, we have to look back to John 7:39 where the Apostle says,

Did Noah, Job, and Daniel live without God's Spirit? Of course they didn't! No one can be saved or live a godly life without the Spirit's work in his soul.

Well then, what does it mean?

It means the Holy Spirit--in His fullness--awaited the exaltation of Christ. When the Lord was raised to God's Right Hand, He came with power and grace never seen before.

The death and resurrection of Christ ushered in The Age of the Spirit. But the Ephesians knew nothing of His saving acts. And, therefore, hadn't received the Holy Spirit in a New Testament way.

But when they believed Paul, the Spirit fell on them as He had on the disciples in Jerusalem, Samaria, and Caesarea.

Thus, by faith in a Crucified and Risen Lord, the disciples broke with Judaism and became distinctly Christian.

THE SYNAGOGUE, VV.8-10

After seeing the Spirit fall on the disciples, Paul turns to the Synagogue for three solid months of teaching.

His topic is "the kingdom of God". Promised in the Old Testament, it came with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is now--and forever--

Paul doesn't just "inform" them of the Lord's Enthronement at God's Right Hand, but "reasons and persuades" them of it.

He "reasons" from Scripture and proves that Jesus Christ fulfills every promise made in

And from there, he pleads with men to respond to the Gospel by repenting of their sins and believing in the Lord Jesus.

Some do. But others don't. As long as they listen respectfully, Paul bears with them. But when they begin "Speaking evil of the Way", i.e., blaspheming Christ, Paul quits the synagogue.

And sets up a church in "the school of Tyrranus". The name is Greek and the man was probably a God-fearing Gentile who met Paul in the Synagogue and offered the use of his lecture hall.

There Paul stays for two years, preaching the Gospel and teaching God's people how to please "The Lord who bought them".

His sermons are so popular, it seems, that people from all around come to hear them, so that "all who dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks".

MIRACLES--TRUE AND FALSE, VV.11-20

Paul spent most of his time preaching; but that's not all he did. In the name of Christ, he healed the sick and cast demons out of the possessed.

The miracles were not designed to draw a crowd or to stir excitement, but to demonstrate the compassion and power of Jesus Christ. Paul was not preaching a dead rabbi, but a living Savior.

He hadn't been doing this long before some rascals saw it as a way of making a buck. They were the "Seven sons of Sceva" whose father was a big man in Judaism.

They thought the demons were scared of "Jesus". They were right about that, or course, but they messed up by equating the Lord Himself with His mere Name. As though it had magical power.

They found a possessed man and commanded the evil spirits to come out of him "in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches". The devils turned and said they knew all about Jesus and Paul, but

The man jumped on the brothers, beat the dickens out of them, tore off their clothes, and ran them out of the house,

When people heard the news, they were seized by a godly fear and "Magnified the Name of the Lord Jesus".

As a result, many believed in Christ, confessed Him, and publicly repented of their sins.

Some of them had been mixed up in the occult or black magic. They brought their evil books to the town square, piled them up, and set them on fire. The books were valued at "fifty thousand pieces of silver" (or, about $5,000,000).

Satan was whipped in Ephesus.

THE MESSAGE

That's the story. Now what does it mean? The last verse makes it clear:

The Word of Christ is an Almighty Word.

Review the chapter and you'll see. It was the Word that gave God's Spirit to the disciples; it was the Word that won the Synagogue to Christ; it was the Word that cured sickness; it was the Word that cast out devils; it was the Word that turned magic books into ashes.

The Word of Christ is an Almighty Word. "The worlds were framed by the Word of God" (Hebrews 11:3). The creation is now "Upheld by the Word of His power"(Hebrews 1:3). Every salvation comes from it, "He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from destruction (Psalm 107:20). Right now, the Word "Discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Before you know it, the Word "Shall judge [you] on the last day" (John 12:48).

In short, God has

The Word that created, sustains, saves, and judges the world is the same Word we have in our Bibles!

That means, when we use that Word, we can expect it to "Grow mightily and prevail".

In ourselves. The Word can do for us what programs and seminars and therapies cannot do. It can make us holy--John 17:17.

In our churches. The Word can produce real and lasting growth. After all, it's through the Word that we II Peter 3:18.

In the unsaved. The Word can change the proudest sinner into the humblest disciple of Christ. It changed the devil worshipping Ephesians into "Saints and believers in Christ Jesus". It changed Paul the persecutor into an Apostle and builder of Christ's Church.

Martin Luther faced popes, councils, and kings, yet did not tremble at their majesty, for He had

"That Word above all earthly powers".

He cut down all his enemies with "The Sword of the Spirit...which is the Word of God".

Charles Spurgeon knew it's power too. During the Downgrade Controversy, when many religious leaders were criticizing the Bible and casting doubts on it's truth, he was asked how he could defend the Word of God. The old preacher laughed and said,

"In the same way a man defends a lion--

By unchaining him!"

And so, if Christ's Word is Almighty, you've got to trust it, study it, and put it to maximum use. Affirming it's ignorance is not enough! The Word won't be flattered; it won't be mocked.

Now, let's get out there and see if the Word won't do what God says it will do.

God unleash the Word in our souls and in the world. For Christ's sake. Amen.