Acts 19:4-17

⁴So Paul replied, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance. He told the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

⁵When the people heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

⁶Then when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in other languages and prophesied.

⁷In all they were about twelve men.

⁸Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.

⁹But when some Jews were hardened and disobedient, they began to speak evil of the Way before the crowd. So Paul left them and took the disciples from him, reasoning with them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

¹⁰This continued for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

¹¹God was doing mighty deeds by the hands of Paul,

¹²so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick and their illnesses left them and the evil spirits came out of them.

¹³But there were Jewish exorcists traveling through the area. They called on the name of the Lord Jesus so they could have power over evil spirits when they said, “By the Jesus whom Paul proclaims, I command you to come out.”

¹⁴The Jewish high priest, whose name was Sceva, had seven sons who were doing this.

¹⁵An evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

¹⁶The evil spirit in the man leaped on the exorcists and overpowered them and beat them up. Then they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

¹⁷This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. They became very afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was honored.