Speaking in Tongues, Magic Hankies, and Counting the Cost

[ 000 ] We’ve been following the Apostle Paul on his missionary journeys as he plants churches and establishes communities of believers across modern day Turkey, then into Greece, where he established churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth, and then back to Turkey where he spent a very short time in Ephesus, dropping off a husband and wife team to be the leaders of that church until he had a chance to come back and visit. So, in Acts 18:22, Paul’s second missionary trip comes to an end, he’s back home in Antioch, and after a short break, he heads out on round three, starting back in Galatia with the first churches he planted there. [ 001 ] Then, in Acts 19:1, he traveled through the interior, across Asia Minor, keeping his promise to the church in Ephesus that he would make his way back to them, which happened in the fall of AD 53.

‌Ephesus was an important city, as it had long been the [ 002 ] home of the shrine of Artemis, or Diana, who was the goddess of hunting, wilderness, childbirth, and was represented by the moon, which turned darkness into light. The shrine was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia, and acted almost as an independent city with its own senate and assembly. It was on the main trade route east from Rome and like Corinth, so it was a major trade center and boasted a large marketplace.

‌Ephesus, as we’ll see throughout chapter 19, had a reputation for healing, magic, and the Artemis cult with its temple and influence, the role of silversmiths, and all of that. The same way that cities today boast about their sports teams – Cardinals, Cubs, Green Bay Packers, etc – cities in the ancient world bragged about their gods, their worship of the Roman emperor, and tried to outdo each other in their temple worship, etc (Bock, 586), and Ephesus had a lot of bragging rights with the temple of Artemis. So this was a very religious, cultish, dark magic place to be.

[ 003-1 ] Paul shows up, and in verse 1, He found some disciples…Somehow and somewhere... and asked them kind of a strange question: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” It’s an odd question, because it’s Paul himself who writes in Romans 8:9 that it is not possible to belong to Jesus and not have the Holy Spirit. The disciples replied, “No,” ... “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit…we were baptized into John’s baptism” referring to John the Baptist who came to prepare the way for Jesus. Which is even stranger yet, because it was John himself who said “I baptize you with water, but one who comes after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Paul goes, oh man – you haven’t heard the rest of the story, have you?

We’ve seen this a few times now – 5 times, to be exact – that people Paul is running into around the Roman empire have only known John’s baptism. And I think it’s important to examine why that would be the case. It’s because Acts is the great transition book of the Bible. We read the gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the NT, and think of Jesus as a NT character. But Jesus technically stepped into the Old Testament world – the Old covenant between God and his people. Galatians 4:4 “...God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law...” So Jesus worshiped at the temple, kept the festivals, and obeyed the law of Moses like all the other Jewish men and women did – except he obeyed it perfectly where no one else could.

‌It wasn’t until after his death and resurrection that the New Covenant really took effect. For that reason, John the Baptist was the last of the OT Prophets, which is why all these people we keep running into who were baptized into John’s baptism are all being told, hey guys, there’s more to the story, now! You’re still in the Old Covenant, but we’re switching to the New Covenant now. So the apostles here in Acts are overseeing this transition from Old Covenant to New Covenant. That’s why Paul keeps going to synagogues first when he rolls into a new city.

And these 12 dudes in Acts 19 seem to be faithful Old Testament saints who have readied themselves for the coming Messiah, just like John told them to (verse 4), but Paul shows up and informs them there’s a new covenant now! [ 003-2 ] The Messiah you waited for has come, and his name is Jesus! Luke doesn’t record everything Paul must have said, but verse 5 [ 003-3 ] When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus, [ 004 ] Paul...laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues (The Greek word here means “languages”) and to prophesy.

This is the third time in Acts that this has happened, where people speak in other languages when the Holy Spirit came on them. So again, let’s zoom all the way out again to the overarching story of redemption that God is working across ALL of human history – especially this time of transition between covenants.

[ 007 ] Ever since Genesis 11, when God scattered people around the world with different languages because of their rebellion, God’s heart was to call all the nations to him. Then, in [ 008 ] Acts 1, Jesus told the disciples that they would be empowered by the Spirit to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth – locally, regionally, and internationally, like ripples in water.

At Pentecost in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came on people in Jerusalem and they were heard “declaring the magnificence of God” in other languages that were specific to the international visitors in town for Pentecost.

In Acts 10, we were with Peter at the house of a Roman centurion in Caesarea, which is in Samaria, and the Holy Spirit came on him and his household – they spoke in tongues and “declared the greatness of God.”

And now we’re at the third location, here in Ephesus, Acts 19, which, in the ancient world, is now reaching the ends of the earth – and here people are speaking in other languages and this time it says they are prophesying.

‌ So, what we’re seeing right here in Acts is that the nations that were scattered around the world away from Yahweh in rebellion are now being invited back by the gospel of Jesus, and it’s marked by none other than the ability to speak different languages! Where speaking different languages was given as divine judgment to divide people, speaking different languages is now a marker that God is uniting the nations again – not with a common language, but in the life, death, resurrection, and the Spirit of Jesus.

When you get to 1 Corinthians, it’s obvious that these three times aren’t the only times the Spirit gave the ability to speak in tongues, but here in Acts, each instance of speaking in tongues is a significant marker that Jesus’ plan for the gospel going to all the world is right on schedule, to the glory of God!

‌Paul now has 12 guys who are filled with the Spirit, following Jesus, and for three months, he boldly preached the good news of Jesus in the synagogue, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God. Knowing what we know about Paul from his letters to the other churches, he is probably explaining to them that all the OT, from the first 5 books of the Bible, to the Psalms and Prophets all pointed to Jesus! That the Messiah that John and all the OT prophets said was coming has come. That he is the Son of Man in Daniel’s vision who God ascends to the throne, that he’s the suffering servant in Isaiah who will carry our sins and sicknesses and sorrows, that the Holy Spirit is the breath of life into the lifeless bodies in Ezekiel, that Jesus is the Righteous King who will reign wisely with justice and righteousness that Jeremiah saw; That Jesus is the lover pursuing his bride in Song of Songs. That Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep in Psalms. That Jesus is the ark that God provided for Noah to escape from coming judgment, he’s the serpent crusher from Genesis 3, that Jesus is the Great High Priest AND he is the Temple itself – the place where heaven touches earth - AND he is the sacrifice on the altar whose blood purifies the people…He is the I AM – who was and is and is to come! And he offers grace and forgiveness, and redemption to anyone who will call on his name and believe.

And apparently, he didn’t get any “amens” from the people listening to him. The Jews even in Jesus’ day weren’t looking for a suffering shepherd to be their Messiah – they wanted a conquering king. [ 009-1 ] So ...when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, [ 009-2 ] he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, (probably the same 12 guys from the verses above) and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

And remember, Paul doesn’t tend to stick around if you don’t want to hear him. So he leaves the synagogue and heads to the Gentiles, and holds his daily discussions in the public school where a guy named Tyrannus was probably the head teacher. So, River City, opening God’s word together in a public school setting isn’t just a Riverside thing. We are tracking in the footsteps of Paul in Ephesus.

[ 009-3 ] This went on for two years, before they put a building team together so they didn’t have to set up chairs anymore… so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. In other words, Paul became sort of famous here. Jews and Greeks from all over the province of Asia heard about him and the word of the Lord. It was during these years in Ephesus that Paul would have written 1 Corinthians.

‌But it was more than just his boldness that caught people’s attention. [ 010-1 ] God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, [ 010-2 ] so that even facecloths or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.”

Now, all miracles are extraordinary—that’s what makes them miracles (Gangel, 5:323). But what you need to remember about this city is that Ephesus is a place where magic happens all the time. The people of Ephesus are used to seeing unusual things as they manipulate dark powers with incantations, formulas and rituals.

So how are miracles different from magic? Well, it’s right there in the text. God was performing the miracles, using Paul’s hands and other people’s handkerchiefs and aprons. Paul wasn’t passing out magic aprons that could heal people – God is the one doing the miracles, using inanimate objects to carry healing power from Paul to the sick. But it wasn’t just physical healing that happened. Evil spirits were also cast out (Gangel, 5:323).

There are no formulas in Acts for how the Holy Spirit works. Sometimes the Spirit comes after baptism. Sometimes before. Sometimes people speak in tongues. Sometimes they don’t. It would be silly to assume that if you came across these same handkerchiefs today that you would be healed of your sickness or see demons running. Jesus had one person touch his clothes and be healed, but you never see this happen again anywhere else in scripture. God always works in unique ways to reach unique people.

But then things went sideways. A traveling team of exorcists show up in Ephesus, and they see what Paul is doing. They’ve had exorcism training, but now they see what looks like magic handkerchiefs doing the job of sending demons running. They are seeing diseases disappearing along with it, and they must be thinking, wow, that’s a level up from what we are able to do… and this unsightly guy named Paul is doing these things in the name of Jesus. That seems to be a new magical formula – let’s try that too! It’s right here in Acts 19:13 “...some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!”

‌Double name drop. They have no relationship with Jesus or Paul. They don’t know the Holy Spirit. They have no right to call on the name of Jesus, except to be saved. What they should have done first, is say, Hey Paul, talk to us about Jesus. Who is he? What are we missing? We’ve been dealing with demons for a long time, but have never seen anything like this – tell us about Jesus.

‌But instead of humility, these seven sons of Sceva attempt to manipulate the name of Jesus for their own purposes, and In verse 15, [ 012-1 ] The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus (that word “know” refers to personal knowledge – in other words, this evil spirit is saying, oh I’ve experienced Jesus. I know him), and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” [ 012-2 ] Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

‌Eventually as word gets around, people are asking “What was that all about?” And here’s the reaction, [ 013 ] verse 17 ...they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem.

People thought twice before using the name of Jesus inappropriately (Gangel, 5:325), the way these exorcists had. Let me try to give you an illustration on this – hopefully this works. A name refers to a person, right? It’s personal. It’s not abstract. Leanne Sexton – that’s a name, but it has no power on its own. I can’t just say “I speak Leanne over this church gathering” and suddenly the details all come together and we have ambassadors and announcements all in the right spots. There is no administrative power in her name. But the person behind the name, now that’s different.

These Jewish exorcists tried calling on the name to manipulate its power, without being surrendered to the Person behind the name. You understand what I’m saying? And they got their you-know-what handed to them. And the people of Ephesus (and hopefully those of us who read these words today) learned a valuable lesson. The name of Jesus isn’t a magic word.

‌So the name of Jesus was held in high esteem - presumably among unbelievers... [ 014-1 ] And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. [ 014-2 ] So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. In this way the word of the Lord flourished and prevailed.”

Those who did become believers, those who were Christians, noticed these Jewish exorcists that tried to mix magic and Jesus got the tar beat out of them, and it was a wake up call. They realized how much they had been duped by the cultural practices and allowed themselves to participate in magic even after their salvation (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, 2:206). So, verse 18, they showed up, probably saying things like, I used to worship at this temple, and I still have these relics. I said these incantations, and I still say the liturgies. I was into this kind of magic, and I still burn the incense. They came and confessed it, disclosed it, meaning they are repenting of it and rejecting it, and even went so far as to bring their books and burn them with everyone watching.

[ 015 - blank ] Notice, Paul never told them to do this. Apparently the Holy Spirit had convicted them that they had never made a clean break with their sin. The verb tense here in verse 18 indicates that they “kept” coming, “kept” confessing (Wiersbe, 1:482). The life of a Christian isn’t just repentance one and done. Martin Luther said he understood Jesus’ teachings to mean that the entire life of a Christian should be one of repentance, from birth to death (Dickson).

Apparently, someone with the gift of accounting was sitting there with a calculator adding things up as they burned the books, and at some point must have told Luke, hey those books all together were worth 50,000 pieces of silver. That’s in the neighborhood of 140 years of wages spent on magical formulas, cantations, practices, liturgies, and instructions for how to manipulate the gods to give you what you need.

This rejection of magic and the burning of these manuals of magic are a major public statement about a change of direction in life (Bock, 605), away from the old life of sin and toward the new life in Christ. These Ephesians are taking drastic measures to make sure they don’t fall back into the very same thing they have been set free from.

And do you notice the order of what I just said? They are taking drastic measures because they’ve been set free. Here’s where the beauty of the gospel lies. Romans tells us that it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us; that he moved toward us while we were still enemies. Ephesians 2 says it is by grace you have been saved, not by works – These people in Ephesus didn’t have to clean out all their magical stuff before Jesus moved toward them in grace. But now that he has, their eyes have been opened by the Spirit of God, and they don’t want anything to do with their old way of life. Do you see that in verse 18? Many who had become believers – they are now saved, probably baptized, walking in faith in the person and work of Jesus, are now coming and confessing sin and burning stuff.

Jesus doesn’t wait to move toward you until after you get your problems figured out. Jesus doesn’t move toward you after you get your anxiety or addiction sorted out. Why? Because if you are trying to get rid of your addictions and anger and anxiety figured out before you come to Jesus, you’re trying to heal yourself without the Healer. You’re trying to rescue yourself without the Rescuer. You’re trying to deliver yourself without the Deliverer! It’s the same as calling on a name without calling on the Person.

Now, If Jesus only came to die on the cross, but he stayed dead, healing ourselves without the Healer would be the only way any of us can face anything. The only way we would be able to try to deal with our addictions, our difficulties, our health is with some human formula that can’t really heal. If Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but then he stayed in the tomb, you are on your own to fix yourself with human solutions. Good luck with that.

‌But if Jesus rose from the dead, and he ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God the Father until God puts all of his enemies under his feet – if he is seated above every evil power, every dark magic, every paranormal this that or the other – If Jesus is right now interceding for you and me, with nail holes still in his hands where your sin was applied to him – if Jesus is right now upholding the universe by the word of his power, then I’m NOT on my own to solve my problems or send evil spirits scurrying. I’m NOT on my own to get my junk together before he can move on me. If Jesus is alive today, and he fills believers with his very own Holy Spirit to be our helper and our comforter and our guide to empower us for life, then I have a real, personal helper, uniquely aware of my situation, uniquely aware of my personality, my fears, my needs, my suffering – If Jesus is alive today, and still working this grand story of redemption for all of human history, then there is REDEMPTION for MY story and for the stories of everyone who calls on the Person behind the name. And if there is redemption, then nothing is wasted, and if nothing is wasted, then I can confess and disclose my sin without fear because he has already loved me! Already died for me. Already settled the discussion of who I am in Christ!

If that’s true, can addiction or pain or sickness or distress or persecution or witchcraft or even demons keep Jesus from being able to love you in such a way that he calls you from death to life, raising you out of the pit and setting your feet on a rock and putting a new song of praise in your mouth, so that many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?

So who do you identify with in the story? Maybe some of you are religious, but not saved, like the 12 guys at the beginning. You know the words, you know the Bible, you know the songs, but if someone said “how has knowing Jesus transformed your life” you wouldn’t know what to say. You wouldn’t have anything to say about the Holy Spirit at work in you. You wouldn’t be able to explain really why someone needs to know God, and you really don’t see a reason to confess sin. I’ve been there. I know that space well. This sounds strange, but you may need to repent of your religion. Thinking you are righteous enough to save yourself. Repent of that.

Maybe others of you are like the Christians who still have some skeletons in the closet. Maybe you’re still messing around with sin, still treating the name of Jesus loosely – you’re a victim to sin, you’re a willing participant. Or maybe you’re trying to fix your own sin without the Healer. Today is the day of repentance. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, so if you need to come forward, just to physically say “God I’m done messing around. I want to be all yours,” or tell someone what’s really been going on, or you need to go home and burn some stuff – don’t mess around. Bring stuff into the light as the Lord reveals it.

‌Maybe you’re completely opposed to the ways of God. Completely opposed to following Jesus. Completely trusting yourself for what is true and right. Scripture says you are a slave to sin. Sin will always be your master, until you surrender to a new master – the Son of God who lived, died, and rose again, and offers you a kind of love that you will never find in your own pursuits. I pray that the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to the love of the Father today.

And I never want to leave this group out. Maybe you’re here today and you’re Paul – an ordinary person with a redeemed past, being faithful in the power of the Spirit where God has placed you despite your own weaknesses and fears. You’re working your job for the glory of God, you’re bold in your faith as the Spirit leads you, and you are bearing fruit – don’t grow weary in doing good. I pray that God would strengthen you and encourage you and once again overwhelm you with his love and his mercy and his presence.

PRAYER:

Lord, shine the spotlight of your grace and your holiness into our hearts this morning. Put the light on anything that is not of you. Lord, may River City be a place where your word flourishes and prevails, regardless of the cultural waves that come and go.

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Sources

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Bock, Darrell L., Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007)

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997)

‌Kenneth O. Gangel, Acts, Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 5:321.

David Dickson, https://www.reformationscotland.org/2016/10/28/an-entire-life-of-repentance/

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996)

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