"In Jesus' name" (Acts 19:1-20)

IN JESUS' NAME (Acts 19:1-20)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2018
 

Some questions lend themselves to a multiple choice answer and may leave you uncertain about the correct one.

As passengers settled in on the short commuter flight, an attendant announced, "We'd like you folks to help us welcome our new co-pilot. He'll be performing his first commercial landing for us today, so be sure to give him a big round of applause when we come to the gate." The plane made an extremely bumpy landing, bouncing hard two or three times before taxiing to a stop. Still, the passengers applauded. Then the attendant's voice came over the intercom, "Thanks for flying with us, and don't forget to let our copilot know...which landing you liked best."

Some questions lend themselves to a multiple choice answer and may leave you uncertain about the correct one. During Jesus' ministry he posed several questions to his disciples, but none of them was multiple choice, including what they will accomplish "In Jesus' Name."

 

When Paul is on his third missionary journey, he visits Ephesus and finds a small group of John the Baptist's disciples. While there the apostle does three things "In Jesus' Name": baptizes, heals, and frightens.

 

I. Paul baptizes in Jesus' name (vv. 1-10).

A. He promotes the Spirit.

Acts 19:1 Paul took the road through the interior [of Asia Minor] and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

Disciples in the early church, like those in rabbinic Judaism, mark progress in their education not by the academic degrees they receive but by the teachers under whom they study. Disciples in the Corinthian church, for example, are careful to note their academic pedigree: "One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ." (1 Cor 1:12). Believers also mark their progress by the baptism they receive, whether from John or Jesus. John and Jesus are not the only two who baptized, but their ablutions mark a divide in a disciple's devotion, to God in general (acknowledging repentance from sin) and to Jesus in particular (accepting salvation from sin).

 

Despite his title, John does not inaugurate the practice of baptism among the first followers of Jesus. Ritual ablution is a common practice that God establishes through Moses centuries earlier to remedy ceremonial defilement, and He includes it in the early church to mark the ceremonial cleansing of new members. Purification is especially important for gentiles because of their contamination from idolatry. On this occasion the candidates are Jewish disciples of John who are prepared for the messiah's ministry but do not have a full understanding of his advent. They know what he taught in life—how he came "to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10)5—but not what he accomplished in death— "the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:28).

 

These disciples of John "have not even heard there is a Holy Spirit" (v. 2), which does not mean the Spirit is a new revelation of God, not manifest to His people before now. The Spirit has been at work for centuries. This is rather a new role for the Spirit as he endorses the messiah of Israel.

B. He promotes the kingdom.

Acts 19:8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

Although Paul is the "apostle to the gentiles" (Rom 11:13; Gal 2:8), when he arrives in a new location he does much of his initial evangelism ("three months" v. 8) in the synagogue rather than in the public square, because that is where most gentiles congregate who are already predisposed to accept what God is doing. Nevertheless, the response to his message is not universally positive among Jews, and he has to modify his ministry accordingly. Here, he changes its long-term venue ("two years" v. 10) from the synagogue to a "lecture hail" (v. 9). The advantage of this change is that it allows Paul's message to reach a wider audience, Jews and gentiles who do not attend the Ephesus synagogue.

 

Application: Baptism is properly an immediate follow-up to repentance and faith. It is also a way to obey Jesus' command in the Great Commission. Because baptism is not a familiar practice to most gentiles today, there is commonly a delay to ensure a candidate understands the significance of his commitment. To that end, many churches precede baptism with a period of formal instruction. Along with the biblical reason for baptism, a candidate should be familiar with the biblical mode of baptism. Different churches practice different forms of baptism, generally one of three: aspiration (sprinkling), effusion (pouring), or immersion (dunking). But only the third mode (immersion) is practiced in the New Testament and only by adults (no infants), those old enough to make a decision about repentance and faith.

 

Baptism is not optional, neither is it something you should postpone unnecessarily. As Ananias asked Paul, "What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. (22:16) A disciple of Jesus will heed his command and will want to practice the ancient rite as he did.

 

Your baptism proves your obedience to Jesus' precept and your acceptance of Jesus' pardon for your sins.

 

Perhaps the most compelling evidence of the gospel for new converts is various miracles, especially healing, which Paul demonstrates to those in his audience.

 

II. Paul heals in Jesus' name (vv. 11-16).

A. He remedies illness in general

Acts 19:11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

The "handkerchiefs and aprons" (v. 12) were incidental to the miracles, not components required for them, similar to the woman who touched the fringe of Jesus' garment. They may have been helpful adjuncts for the people. "This shows us how the Lord takes people where they are" (Ogilvie 1980:279). These articles served to bolster their faith by linking a physical item to a supernatural act. Jesus performed most of his healing miracles and exorcisms by

word alone.

B. He remedies possession in particular.

Acts 19:13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 [One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Jesus and his disciples often had contact with demons, but they were not the only ones who engaged in exorcism:

"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you." (Luke 9:49-50)

This incident in Acts shows that all such attempts were not equally successful, unlike those of Jesus or the apostles. The "sons of Sceva" (v. 14) are engaging in counterfeit exorcisms, which even the demons recognize as false. Such is the difference between magic and miracle.

 

Application: Most Christians do not have this kind of contact with the powers of darkness today. But just because you do not see supernatural forces of evil around you does not mean they are no longer active, merely that they are no longer apparent. They do not need to be. Other temptations effectively lure man's attention away from the priorities of God. In fact, much of modern society discounts the very existence of demons. Do not allow what you see to limit your awareness of what actually is. Your authority is not your senses, however reliable you think they are, but the scriptures. As Paul writes,

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12).

What you see is not all there is. Contrary to popular belief, you do not live in a 'closed system.'

 

The healings and exorcisms probably dispose the Ephesians positively to the gospel, although the response is even stronger than that.

 

III. Paul frightens in Jesus' name (vv. 17-20).

Acts 19:17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

The gospel has a profound affect on people at Ephesus ("they were all seized with fear" v. 17), more than on any other group Paul and Barnabas visit, probably because of the exorcisms, both successful and unsuccessful. As a result...

A. Former occultists burn their books.

This response is unique to Ephesus—the only example of book burning in the Bible—and is quite a sacrifice because books (scrolls) are expensive and not as plentiful in the first century as they are today. The public destruction of these books is also a public repudiation of their contents.

B. Former occultists sacrifice 'big money.'

The monetary value at today's exchange rate is several million dollars. The Ephesians do not sell these books but destroy them. This is similar to what God repeatedly commands Israel do with the idols of Canaan:

You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces (Exod 23:24b).

Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places (Num 33:52b).

Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire (Deut 7:5).

God is clear and consistent about His attitude toward pagan accouterments. His thinking about the occult is similar:

Do not allow a sorceress to live. (Exod 22:18)

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. (Lev 19:31a)

Let no one be found among you...who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. (Deut 18: 10-11)

God uniformly condemns every kind of occultist and occultism.

 

The future is a scary thing, perhaps especially for occultists who claim to have insight into what the future holds. They are wrong of course. Only God knows the future. In fact, He makes "known the end from the beginning, [and has done so for His people] from ancient times" (Isa 46:10). There are many things God's people should not fear, and Isaiah captures them all under a single rubric just before Israel enters the very uncertain period of the Babylonian Captivity: "Do not fear what they fear [which is everything about their future], and do not dread it. (Isaiah 8:12b)

 

Remember what David writes in Ps 27, "The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps 27:1)

 

Application: Would it not be better stewardship to sell these books and give the money to the poor? ... The deciding factor may be how a potential buyer views the texts, as relics (e.g., museum pieces) or as guides (i.e., how-to manuals). As relics, their sale (or possession) might be permissible. As guides, their sale (or possession) would be prohibited. In other words, their usage dictates whether to sell them or burn them. Some occult items, like a Ouija board or a deck of tarot cards, have become a means of entertainment today, acceptable at parties, but they are not harmless fun. They are doorways to a real and malevolent dark domain, not things God's people should have or use. You must eschew whatever has a connection to the occult: Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7) Always remember that "the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

 

Paul's visit to the church at Ephesus is an opportunity to demonstrate the power "In Jesus' Name." Although the group there is small, its testimony is strong as is its commitment to the savior.

For the Footnotes and Bibliography see the pdf here.