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- While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
- and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
- So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied.
- Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus."
- On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
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- And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
- He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
- And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
- Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
- When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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- When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
- There were about twelve men in all.
- Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
- But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
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- And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
- And all the men were about twelve.
- And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
- But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
- And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
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- God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,
- so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
- Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."
- Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
- (One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"
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- And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
- So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
- Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
- And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
- And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
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- Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
- When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
- Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.
- A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
- In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
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- And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
- And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
- And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
- Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
- So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
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- After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also."
- He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.
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- After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
- So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
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