Paul at Ephesus
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scripture declares that the Lord wrought miracles by the hand of Paul,
and that the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, and not the name
of Paul.
The manifestations of supernatural power which accompanied the
apostle’s work, were calculated to make a deep impression upon a
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people given to sorcery, and priding themselves upon their intercourse
with invisible beings. The miracles of Paul were far more potent
than had ever before been witnessed in Ephesus, and were of such a
character that they could not be imitated by the skill of the juggler or
the enchantments of the sorcerer. Thus the Lord exalted his servant,
even in the estimation of the idolaters themselves, immeasurably above
the most favored and powerful of the magicians.
But He to whom all the spirits of evil were subject, and who had
given his servants authority over them, was about to bring still greater
shame and defeat upon those who despised and profaned his holy
name. Sorcery had been prohibited in the Mosaic law, on pain of
death, yet from time to time it had been secretly practiced by apostate
Jews. At the time of Paul’s visit to Ephesus, there were in the city
certain Jewish exorcists, who, seeing the wonders wrought by him,
claimed to possess equal power. Believing that the name of Jesus acted
as a charm, they determined to cast out evil spirits by the same means
which the apostle had employed.
An attempt was made by seven brothers, the sons of one Sceva, a
Jewish priest. Finding a man possessed with a demon, they addressed
him, “We adjure thee by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth.” But the evil
spirit answered with scorn, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who
are ye?” and the one possessed sprang on them with frantic violence,
and beat and bruised them, so that they fled out of the house, naked
and wounded.
The discomfiture and humiliation of those who had profaned the
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name of Jesus, soon became known throughout Ephesus, by Jews and
Gentiles. Unmistakable proof had been given of the sacredness of that
name, and the peril which they incurred who should invoke it while
they had no faith in Christ’s divine mission. Terror seized the minds
of many, and the work of the gospel was regarded by all with awe and
reverence.
Facts which had previously been concealed were now brought to
light. In accepting Christianity, some of the brethren had not fully