"Who Are You?" (3)

Acts 19.11-20

“Who Are You?” (Part 2, The Sons of Sceva)

K. Adrian Scott

May 14, 2023

I. Introduction.

Today’s text finds us during the Apostle Paul’s third missionary journey, and while he and while he is in Ephesus particularly, he develops a ministry there which lasted for three months.

Ephesus is located on the west coast of modern Turkey, and according to Dr. John Constable, a noted Bible scholar, “its religious influence continued to draw worshippers to the Temple of Artemis (Greek) or Diana (Roman). This magnificent temple was four times the size of the Parthenon at Athens and was renowned as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.”

Charles Barclay continues to describe the phenomenal temple there by saying, “It was 425 feet long by 220 feet wide by 60 feet high. There were 127 pillars, each of them the gift of a king. They were all glittering Parian marble and 36 of them were marvelously gilt and inlaid. The great altar had been carved by Praxiteles, the greatest of all Greek sculptors. The image of Artemis was not beautiful. It was a black, squat, many-breasted figure, to signify fertility; it was so old that no one knew where it had come from or even of what material it was made. The story was that it had fallen from heaven. The greatest glory of Ephesus was that she was the guardian of the most famous pagan temple in the world.”

This is the context in which Paul was preaching - “reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (v. 8).

In his travels and stay in Ephesus the Apostle discovers there are some disciples (of John the Baptizer as it turns out). Paul asks them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed? to which they responded that they had never heard of the Holy Spirit (v. 2).

Paul then asked them ‘into what then were you baptized” (v. 3) to which they answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Still on his initial question to them regarding the Holy Spirit Paul explained to them that the baptism of John was unto repentance pointing them to the One who would come after John, the Lord Jesus, “and they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 5). After which Paul lays his hands upon them and as he prays for them the Holy Spirit came on them, “and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying” (v. 6). has a ministry in the synagogue for three months, proclaiming the Word of the Lord.

Verses 1-3 are very interesting: “And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 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. 3 And he said, into what then were you baptized? They said, Into John's baptism.”

Context.

“There he found some disciples” - It appears that these men were under the influence of, or were disciples of John the Baptizer for sure, but were they disciples of the Lord Jesus at this moment in time? Other theologians scratch their heads at this question because it is hard to know upon Paul first meeting them. As a way of vetting these disciples Paul asks them further about their religious or spiritual experience when he asks, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Their answer was puzzling yet an honest answer - “And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” These disciples were definitely convicted by the preaching of John the Baptist so much so that they were baptized as a result, yet they did not fully grasp the essential part of John’s message - “John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me’ (John 1.15). Note also the words of John the Baptizer when he said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3.11).

Somehow in their zeal these disciples of John had missed the very point of John the Baptizer’s ministry, and that is to point those who received his message to Jesus Christ, who will not baptize them with water, but will baptize those who receive Him with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The Apostle Paul is often thought of for his gift of preaching and exhorting the first century saints, but in the latter portion of the book of Acts, we have evidence of the Holy Spirit having been upon Paul and working through Paul to produce extraordinary and undeniable miracles as confirmation that he was indeed a messenger endorsed by God.

Today’s text finds us during the Apostle Paul’s third missionary journey, and while he is in Ephesus particularly, he develops a ministry in the Jewish synagogue and remains there for three month “reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (v.8).

“And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 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.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 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.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 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. 10 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).

a. Telling the Story.

V. 11-12; “And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 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.”

v. 13; “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.”

In short, twelve non-believing, non-Christian Jewish proselytes were praying, or at least attempting to pray as they laid hands on people, just as they had seen the twelve believing Apostles, or at least the Apostle Paul do, and in their attempts to pray they also prayed using the name of Jesus by whom Paul also preached.

Preaching Point.

A most troubling part of this episode in Scripture is the truth that these men knew who Jesus was, but Jesus did not’ know’ him? That is, Jesus had never had a saving encounter with this man; no personal spiritual encounter where the man experienced forgiveness of his sins, thus a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus which resulted in a disciple/mentor relationship with the Lord.

In his own words, this exorcist admits he doesn’t know Jesus for himself, but has apparently witnessed power to heal and save, so he believes he can ‘borrow’ or use the power of Jesus’ name for his own purposes with the full expectations God will honor his request. It is a reminder of the multitude of profane, godless people in our current society who dishonor God with their rebellious lifestyles, their filthy language, their seductive behavior, and their refusal to worship and bow their knee to the God of heaven, all while worshipping at the altar of materialism and human vanity and pride!

May I remind my audience the words of Johns Gospel, chapter nine, verse 31 which says, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.”

Be sure to take note of this - the only time God listens to a sinner pray is when that sinner is worshiping God in repentance. The unrepentant has no claim to God’s mercy, no expectation to receive the grace of God, and has no right to an inheritance of God’s favor upon their lives.

v. 14; “Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.”

Seven men who had grown up around the holy temple of Israel where their father was employed as a Priest, and who no doubt, knew better, they rather than submit to the authority of the Old Testament prophesies, rather than to swallow their pride and confess the accuracy of God’s Word concerning Jesus the Christ, they thought to use the name of Jesus to their advantage although they personally did not know Jesus. All seven of these priest’s sons together apparently decided it was too much to give up their prestige in the eyes of the community, rather than to be concerned about the eye of God’s scrutiny who is the true Judge. They would rather die a poor example of a Jewish proselyte than to live in the splendor of the riches in Christ.

Question: How many times in your life have you heard people say, ‘I was raised a Presbyterian and I’m going to die a Presbyterian?” Or die a Baptist, Methodist or any other religious group, yet at the same time have no tangible interest in Christ?

Here is another important question for us all: Are you open to God’s voice and God’s direction in our life? Are we teachable, or are we stuck doing only what we have always done, the way we have always done it?

What if what we have always done is wrong? Or, what if the way we have done it was and is wrong? Does that justify continuing to do it the same way?

v. 15; “But the evil spirit answered them, Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

The devil can talk! What a shame when neither Jesus nor our Lord’s adversary, an evil spirit, an emissary of Satan, doesn’t know them! The devil won’t even claim these men!

Who are you? is the question.

b. Question - Who are the persons who cannot discern the difference between Jesus the Savior or his Apostle Paul and an imposter; a person who doesn’t even know Jesus?

You need to make certain you’re listening to someone who knows Jesus and has a genuine relationship with the Lord from glory, and not some Satan-inspired charlatan who wants to invoke the name of Jesus but doesn’t even know him themselves! You can tell the difference in Matthew 7 because to know Jesus is to love Jesus and to love Jesus is to follow Jesus! In other words, as our Matthew text tells us if you are born by the good seed of the Gospel of Christ there will be good fruit that follows. Bad (spiritual) seed produces diseased trees and diseased trees produce bad spiritual fruit.

Check out the lives of those who profess to be one thing but live differently than what they profess. These Jewish imitators were either pretending to be Christians or at least borrowing the authority we have in the name of the Lord Jesus! In the meantime their intent was suspect, perhaps to gain influence and lead the sincere followers away from Christ. Their intentions were apparently not pure.

c. Here is something else to consider and this is it - Jesus taught that demons cannot drive out demons.

Luke 18.11-14 says, “Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons,” while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?”

These offspring of the temple, Sons of a Priest, were attempting to use gifts designated for those who belong to Christ and Christ’s Church for their own purposes and glory rather than for Christ’s purposes and Christ’s glory. Even the demons for whom they ultimately worked knew something was wrong. When those whom these sons were laying upon did not respond by being healed and set free, they said – “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”

The Sons of Sceva were professing Christ with the mouth but not possessing Christ in our hearts. They were living spiritually empty and powerless lives that lacked the inspiration that can only come from the anointing of the Holy Spirit! In their case, they were neither recognized by Jesus, and neither did the devil claim them! They were operating without divine authority.

V. 16; “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.”

It is not surprising that the evil spirit showed completed control over these imitators, tore their clothing off them, and they left the house naked and wounded!

v. 17; “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.”

The result is the preferred result according to the Lord’s will – the name of the Lord Jesus was (‘praised highly’) or extolled. The name of the Lord Jesus was praised and made famous.

The Proposition.

Who were these men, and who are you?

Are you a Saint or Sinner? Are you Redeemed or a Rebel? Sanctified or Sanctimonious? Are you one of His, namely Christ, or one of Theirs, the Adversary of Christ? Are you a Convert or a Con Man or Woman? Are you Changed, Blood-Bought, Blood-Washed, Sin-Cleansed, Saved, Sanctified, Holy Spirit-filled, Hungry for the Word? Fervent in Prayer?

Just, who are you? Because you cannot be both.

The Close.

What are the consequences for us if Jesus doesn’t know you?