Acts 19:11-12God Doing The Extraordinary

Acts 19:11–20 HCSB

11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or work aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists 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!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. 20 In this way the Lord’s message flourished and prevailed.

acts 19:

Sub: God Doing The Extraordinary

Intro:

These verses represent a most unusual passage in Acts and the entire New Testament. Luke even introduces this point by talking about “extraordinary miracles” (dynameis outastychousas). All miracles are extraordinary—that’s what makes them miracles. But Luke wants us to know these were no common healings, such as Peter and John reaching out to the lame man in chapter 3. Here, God used inanimate objects to carry healing power from Paul to the sick. This resulted not only in healing, but the casting out of evil spirits. The word translated handkerchiefs we might today call “sweat towels,” and the word for apron would describe the typical cover worn by someone in trades which required protection of outer clothing.

I. Power Over Distance (19:11-12a)

11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or work aprons......

The word for "body" here is one of Luke's medical words. It is the usual word skin, and it occurs only here in the New Testament. The word for "handkerchiefs" is translated "napkin" in , , and , where it is used for the napkin bound around the face of Lazarus in the tomb and for the napkin placed on the face of the Lord Jesus in the tomb. Literally it means "sweat cloth." The word for "aprons" refers to the linen aprons used by Paul in his tentmaking. The napkin would be the sweat rag he wore on his head and the apron would be the cloth he tied around his waist. These miracles are described as "special miracles." They were unique. The word used is a composite one made up of ou (meaning "no," expressing full and direct negation) plus tunchanō ("to happen"). In other words, these "special" miracles were no ordinary or had no chance of happenings. The word the Holy Spirit uses for "miracles" is dunamis, which means "mighty works," mighty manifestations of power. There was evidently something unusual and extraordinary about these miracles. They were intended, no doubt, to emulate the healing power of the Lord's own garments (; ) and to parallel the influence of Peter's shadow, as well as to enhance the authority of Paul's evangelistic efforts at Ephesus.

Luke tells us that God worked the miracles through the hands of Paul. It wasn’t Paul’s work, but God’s work through Paul. Paul was facing intense opposition and he needed some intense power.

David Jeremiah wrote, “We don’t know why God chose to work such an unusual miracle in Ephesus through Paul, but he did. Perhaps it was because of the pagan brands of magic so common in the city that there was a necessity to overpower them with the true power of God.” God worked some uncommon miracles through Paul in Ephesus. God was validating the message of the gospel and establishing His work in Ephesus that would impact the world. Herschel Ford had a good word. He wrote, “Why did Paul have a special power then which men do not have today? In a time of emergency God gives a special power. Paul was propagating the truth faith. He was opposed by all the demons of hell. God therefore gave him a special power to convince the people of the truth of the Gospel. Paul was thus able to defeat demons and overcome the power of Satan. Today men claim that they have power to do these things. Paul never made such claims. Luke said that “God wrought.” He was the One who did it.” Paul wasn’t running around Ephesus saying “Look what I can do!” He wasn’t promoting healing services at such a time and at such a place. God used Paul’s hands to heal the sick and perform miracles.

In the modem era of the church people had used this passage and other teachings like this and have made a mockery of the work of God. These so called ‘evangelists’ will send you a prayer cloth that they have anointed and prayed over. They will tell you to believe and this is a point of contact and if you sow the seed in faith you will be healed.

Modern "healers" who offer to send healing "prayer cloths" through the mail to those who support their "ministry" should be treated with the skepticism they deserve. This was a special miracle, special in every sense of the word, and not a miracle to be duplicated by others.

II. Power Over Disease (19:12b)

... and the diseases left (departed) from them...

Such was the effect of Paul's sweat cloths. No need to go to a doctor, no need to enter the hospital. Sicknesses of all kinds were simply healed. Coughs and cancer, angina, arthritis, and appendicitis, toothaches and tummy aches, lupus and leprosy, mumps and measles, dropsy, diphtheria, or deliriums—it made no difference. The fact that the medical science of the day could neither diagnose nor name most of the sicknesses that assail the human race mattered not at all. Luke the physician says: "The diseases departed," and that was that. The word Luke uses for "departed" literally means to be delivered or set free. It occurs on only two other occasions in the New Testament. When Jesus told of a man being brought before the magistrate, He said, "Give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him" (). And the writer of Hebrews tells us that the Lord died that "through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (). People touched by Paul's sweat cloths were supernaturally set free from their sicknesses. They were delivered. The sickness just departed from them. One moment they were in bondage to it; the next moment it was gone, they were free. Modern "faith healers" would have much more credibility if they would heal people so completely and convincingly and indiscriminately as that.

III. Power Over Demons (19:12c)

... and the evil spirits came (went) out of them.

The same thing happened to those who were in bondage to evil spirits. Why sweat cloths from Paul's body should drive out demons no one knows. They did. Paul was probably at a spiritual high at this time. The church he founded at Ephesus was, in many ways, the greatest of them all. As we read his epistle to the Ephesians we can see what a high spiritual tone characterized that church—Ephesians is perhaps the grandest of all Paul's letters.

Text: 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists 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!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

Intro:

In this most difficult of chapters in Acts, readers find themselves with a “John the Baptist Cult,” healing through sweat towels, and now the bizarre account of the seven sons of Sceva.

In this most difficult of chapters in Acts, readers find themselves with a “John the Baptist Cult,” healing through sweat towels, and now the bizarre account of the seven sons of Sceva.

When our Lord performed miracles, He usually had at least three purposes in mind:

(1) to show His compassion and meet human needs;

(2) to teach a spiritual truth; and

When our Lord performed miracles, He usually had at least three purposes in mind: (1) to show His compassion and meet human needs; (2) to teach a spiritual truth; and (3) to present His credentials as the Messiah. The Apostles followed this same pattern in their miracles. In fact, the ability to do miracles was one of the proofs of apostolic authority (; ; ; ). Miracles of themselves do not save lost sinners (; ). Miracles must be tied to the message of the Word of God.

(3) to present His credentials as the Messiah.

The Apostles followed this same pattern in their miracles. In fact, the ability to do miracles was one of the proofs of apostolic authority (; ; ; ). Miracles of themselves do not save lost sinners (; ). Miracles must be tied to the message of the Word of God.

God enabled Paul to perform “special miracles” because Ephesus was a center for the occult (), and Paul was demonstrating God’s power right in Satan’s territory. But keep in mind that wherever God’s people minister the truth, Satan sends a counterfeit to oppose the work. Jesus taught this truth in His Parable of the Tares (, ); Peter experienced it in Samaria (); and Paul experienced it at Paphos (). Satan imitates whatever God’s people are doing, because he knows that the unsaved world cannot tell the difference ().

1. Misguided in Their Initiative.

(13a) “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves”

Any time we take it upon ourselves to do something that is spiritual we will always miss out and be messed up! When we do anything rashly, hastily, or without proper planning we can often get in a mess. These men had heard of the work and they had heard the Word of God preached by Paul and they took it upon themselves to cast out demons. Any work done for God against evil must be God initiated, God inspired, and God infused!

￫We cannot face the devil on our own.

￫We cannot fight the demons on our own!

￫We cannot be fruitful against the enemy on our own! These guys may have had the best of intentions, but good intentions never get you anywhere, especially in dealing in spiritual matters! What have you intended to do for God? What have you set out to do of your own accord? These men took it upon themselves and they would have to bear the brunt of themselves! The men were misguided in their initiative— make sure that what we are doing for the Lord is initiated by the Lord!

2. Misguided in Their Invoking.

(13b) “to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits” These men were messed up. Luke tells us that they tried to invoke the name of Jesus over these evil spirits. Obviously they had heard Paul preach in the name of Jesus, they had heard of the power of the name of Jesus. They had seen the sicknesses relieved and the spirits removed. These men were not Christians—and they called on the name of the Lord Jesus—not in faith, but in folly! Brian Harbour wrote, “These seven sons of Sceva were not interested in Jesus. They were interested in themselves. They were not concerned about what they could do for Jesus. They were concerned about what Jesus could do for them. Jesus was nothing more than an Aladdin’s lamp that could be used to promote their own welfare. They wanted to use Jesus.” These men took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon possessed. John Phillips Commentary Series, The - The John Phillips Commentary Series – Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary.

John Phillips Commentary Series, The - The John Phillips Commentary Series – Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary.

The Jack Andrews Expository Studies - The Jack Andrews Expository Studies – Understanding Acts - Volume 5.