Acts 19:1-20 - Jon B

Acts 19:1–20 (ESV)

Acts 19:1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples.
Acts 19:2 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.”
Acts 19:3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
Acts 19:4 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.”
Acts 19:5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Acts 19:7 There were about twelve men in all.
Acts 19:8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:9 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.
Acts 19:10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 19:11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
Acts 19:12 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.
Acts 19:13 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.”
Acts 19:14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.
Acts 19:15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
Acts 19:16 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.
Acts 19:17 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.
Acts 19:18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
Acts 19:19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Acts 19:20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Acts 8:9-25 - Jon B

Acts 8:9–25 (ESV)
Acts 8:9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
Acts 8:10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
Acts 8:11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
Acts 8:15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
Acts 8:16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 8:17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
Acts 8:19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
Acts 8:21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Acts 8:22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
Acts 8:23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Acts 8:24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
Acts 8:25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.