Act 19:13-17 | KingComments | STEP | God underscores the preaching and teaching of Paul by doing extraordinary miracles or works of power by his hands. What is happening resembles powers of paganism. It seems as if all kinds of materials are given a magical effect. In what Paul does, however, nothing of the devil is present. God is the origin of these works of power. It is not Paul’s handkerchiefs or aprons that provide healing, not the material, but God does it. God shows His power in an extraordinary way in the field where the devil thinks he is lord and master. It is a signal to his address and to all those who honor him, that all power resides with God. God uses the hands and garments of the apostle Paul for the development of His power. Also with Peter we have seen a special manifestation of God’s power ( ). These are the signs of an apostle ( ). Today we no longer have apostles and with them we do not have that manifestation of signs and wonders and works of power. Nor are these things that all believers do at that time. Apart from the apostles, we only read that Philip and Stephen performed signs and wonders. We do read that others wanted that power too, but they were exposed as impostors, as workers of injustice. We have seen this with Simon the sorcerer ( ) and we see it here in the following history. As a general remark this: The Lord enables us to do God’s work in faith and to overcome the power of satan. The conditions are: prayer and fasting and faith and a mind of forgiveness ( ). At the same time, the conditions we have to meet make clear the great distance that exists between us and the Lord Jesus. For the Lord Jesus, every exercise of power was and is an unfolding of His own majesty. The power of satan tries to join the work of God and thus to infiltrate the kingdom of God to thwart its progress. It corresponds to what the spirit of divination wanted to do with regard to Paul’s preaching in Philippi ( ) and also to what the sorcerers in Egypt did imitating the wonders of Moses ( ). Here satan uses Jewish exorcists. God in His grace has given some in His people the power to cast out demons ( ; ). However, there are also Jews who exercise this power, such as the sons of the Pharisees, i.e. disciples of the Pharisees ( ). The category of moderators also includes seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. This Sceva did not raise his sons in the fear of God, but rather introduced them into the dark practices of the power of satan. There are seven of them who have gone out to perform their occult arts wherever they can. On their roundtrip they also came to Ephesus. When they notice the success that Paul achieves there in using the name ‘Jesus’, they also take the name of Jesus in their mouth in an attempt to cast out evil spirits. They use the name ‘Jesus’ – obviously without calling Him ‘Lord’ Jesus – as a kind of magic formula, a magical word. But only faith in what His Name means gives strength, and not the word as dead letters. They appeal to the “Jesus whom Paul preaches”, which immediately makes it clear that there is no personal relation with the Lord Jesus. They use His Name without personal faith in Him, but only for what that Name works in others. Unfortunately, this is also what the religious life of many Christians looks like. There is a certain confession of faith, but it is not lived out (cf. ). That the evil spirit is not impressed by these people is evident from his answer and his subsequent act. He knows Jesus and also Paul. His knowing is a factual knowing, a knowing without any inner connection. The devil believes (cf. ) and has knowledge because he knows that he is dealing with undeniable Divine Persons, but he does not submit. He reveals a deep contempt to those in his power, just as he has a deep-rooted hatred toward the Lord Jesus and those who faithfully follow Him. We see here satan’s contempt for his slaves whom he chases away as incompetent helpers, humiliating them spiritually and injuring them physically. What was a ruse of satan has the ultimate result that fear comes over all who live in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and that the Name of the Lord Jesus is being magnified. This does not mean that they all come to faith, but Luke mentions the testimony that emanates from this event. Thus, satan’s striving to obstruct God’s work is used by God to make the testimony of His gospel all the more emphatic.

‏ Acts 19:13-17

Powers of God and Devilish Counterfeiting

God underscores the preaching and teaching of Paul by doing extraordinary miracles or works of power by his hands. What is happening resembles powers of paganism. It seems as if all kinds of materials are given a magical effect. In what Paul does, however, nothing of the devil is present. God is the origin of these works of power. It is not Paul’s handkerchiefs or aprons that provide healing, not the material, but God does it. God shows His power in an extraordinary way in the field where the devil thinks he is lord and master. It is a signal to his address and to all those who honor him, that all power resides with God.

God uses the hands and garments of the apostle Paul for the development of His power. Also with Peter we have seen a special manifestation of God’s power (Acts 5:15). These are the signs of an apostle (2Cor 12:12). Today we no longer have apostles and with them we do not have that manifestation of signs and wonders and works of power. Nor are these things that all believers do at that time. Apart from the apostles, we only read that Philip and Stephen performed signs and wonders.

We do read that others wanted that power too, but they were exposed as impostors, as workers of injustice. We have seen this with Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:18-24) and we see it here in the following history.

As a general remark this: The Lord enables us to do God’s work in faith and to overcome the power of satan. The conditions are: prayer and fasting and faith and a mind of forgiveness (Mk 9:29 ; Mk 11:22-25). At the same time, the conditions we have to meet make clear the great distance that exists between us and the Lord Jesus. For the Lord Jesus, every exercise of power was and is an unfolding of His own majesty.

The power of satan tries to join the work of God and thus to infiltrate the kingdom of God to thwart its progress. It corresponds to what the spirit of divination wanted to do with regard to Paul’s preaching in Philippi (Acts 16:16) and also to what the sorcerers in Egypt did imitating the wonders of Moses (Exo 7:10-11). Here satan uses Jewish exorcists.

God in His grace has given some in His people the power to cast out demons (Mk 6:7 ; Mk 9:38; Lk 10:17). However, there are also Jews who exercise this power, such as the sons of the Pharisees, i.e. disciples of the Pharisees (Mt 12:27). The category of moderators also includes seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. This Sceva did not raise his sons in the fear of God, but rather introduced them into the dark practices of the power of satan.

There are seven of them who have gone out to perform their occult arts wherever they can. On their roundtrip they also came to Ephesus. When they notice the success that Paul achieves there in using the name ‘Jesus’, they also take the name of Jesus in their mouth in an attempt to cast out evil spirits. They use the name ‘Jesus’ – obviously without calling Him ‘Lord’ Jesus – as a kind of magic formula, a magical word. But only faith in what His Name means gives strength, and not the word as dead letters.

They appeal to the “Jesus whom Paul preaches”, which immediately makes it clear that there is no personal relation with the Lord Jesus. They use His Name without personal faith in Him, but only for what that Name works in others. Unfortunately, this is also what the religious life of many Christians looks like. There is a certain confession of faith, but it is not lived out (cf. 2Tim 3:5).

That the evil spirit is not impressed by these people is evident from his answer and his subsequent act. He knows Jesus and also Paul. His knowing is a factual knowing, a knowing without any inner connection. The devil believes (cf. Jam 2:19) and has knowledge because he knows that he is dealing with undeniable Divine Persons, but he does not submit. He reveals a deep contempt to those in his power, just as he has a deep-rooted hatred toward the Lord Jesus and those who faithfully follow Him. We see here satan’s contempt for his slaves whom he chases away as incompetent helpers, humiliating them spiritually and injuring them physically.

What was a ruse of satan has the ultimate result that fear comes over all who live in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and that the Name of the Lord Jesus is being magnified. This does not mean that they all come to faith, but Luke mentions the testimony that emanates from this event. Thus, satan’s striving to obstruct God’s work is used by God to make the testimony of His gospel all the more emphatic.