Study in theActs of theApostles

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The Realm Of The SpiritChapter 19v1-20

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IntroductionA. W. Tozer the famous Canadian Bible teacher has described man in the following manner:

“Man possesses a body a soul and a spirit; we know that he has a memory, reason, will, intelligence, sensation and we know that to give these meaning he has the wonderful gift of consciousness, these together with various qualities of temperament compose his total human self. These are gifts from God arranged in infinite wisdom notes that make up the score of nature’s loftiest symphony, threads that compose the master tapestry of the universe”.

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IntroductionWhat is man’s spirit? It is the part of us that was originally made for communicating with and enjoying God. However, man’s disobedience in Eden caused his spiritual death. He was cut off from communion with God. As a result he was both open and responsive to other spiritual influences. Paul describes man’s natural fallen state as follows; “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts” Eph. 2v1-3

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IntroductionWhat changed, what the Ephesians had been by nature? Paul says they had been made alive again to God through the gospel of Christ. Their faith relationship with him had not only secured their forgiveness but also opened up their lives again to God and to the influence of his indwelling Spirit.

Only when the Spirit of God takes possession of what we are by nature and transforms us are we made whole again – the spiritual beings that God intends us to be. Only when this threshold is crossed can we become our true selves and our personality takes on its full meaning and significance.

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Paul’s QuestionsThe events in our passage took place before Paul wrote his epistle to the Ephesians. Paul had previously briefly visited Ephesus [18v19] staying only briefly but now in keeping with his promise he has returned. He meets a group of people whom we assume professed to be followers of Jesus; they are described as disciples in v1. But Paul quickly realised that there was something deficient in their behaviour and understanding. Christian behaviour is distinctive. It stands out! And it does so because God is at work in that person’s life. Oh Christians are not perfect in this life nevertheless, they have become God’s building sites and it should be obvious that God is working!

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Paul’s QuestionsJesus made this point using a different metaphor, he said, ‘You will know them by their fruits Matt.7v16’. The influence of God’s Spirit living in a person’s life results in outwardly observable behaviour; ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control’ Gal.5v22-23. Paul could find no evidence that the Holy Spirit was at work and so he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ Their negative response indicates that they were part of a movement associated with John the Baptist. It was a repentance movement, and a getting right movement but important as all of these things are in and of themselves they are not enough. What was necessary was spiritual transformation.

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Paul’s QuestionsHad they been well instructed in John the Baptist’s teaching. But John himself knew that his was an interim ministry. He knew that his was only a preparatory movement for something much more effective and substantial. “I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” Matt 3.11. What John was saying was that the significant transforming ministry would be that inaugurated by another, by Jesus whose Holy Spirit would make real changes in men’s lives.

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Paul’s QuestionsThe John the Baptist movement went on well into the C2nd. Justin Martyr writing in 110AD. mentions them as does Hegesippus 30 years later. This raises a very important question. Why would people who were serious about worship and who were keen to reform and to repent of their sin stop short of the transformation, which the gospel brings? In some cases it may simply be that, as here, they needed clear instruction and illumination.

There is nothing more gratifying in ministry that to see someone who has been in a spiritual fog for years saying, ‘Now I understand’.

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Paul’s QuestionsThere is a second reason- a refusal to give God freedom to do as he wishes. C. S. Lewis writes:“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild it. At first perhaps you understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you know that those jobs need doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense… The explanation is that he in building a quite different house from the one we thought of-throwing up a wing here putting up an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You though you were going to be made into a decent little cottage but he in building a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.”

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Paul’s QuestionsThose who resist God’s development on the building site of their lives are like landowners who, first telling building contractors at one end of their field that they cannot gain admittance for they are concerned that any alteration that they may might spoil the landscape.

But when they travel to the other end of the field they discover to their horror that it has been used as a fly tip accumulating endless piles of rubbish. With God on sites out lives are improved. When he is denied access our lives deteriorate.

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Paul’s QuestionsWe read in v5 that these 12 religious reformers responded to Paul’s teaching and as a result made a public profession of their faith in Christ in baptism and willingly submitted to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

The Holy Spirit came upon them when Paul laid his hands on them and they experienced supernatural manifestations of the Spirit v6. These extraordinary manifestations must not be assumed to be normative to Christian experience but God’s concession to these misguided men, confirming to them the truth of the message they had responded to.

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Playing With FireWe need to remind ourselves that Ephesus was the Black Magic capital of the ancient world acting like a magnet to all fascinated by the occult. Their sin has closed the door of communication with God and so they seek to fill that spiritual vacuum by turning attention to the dark and evil spiritual forces that inhabit our world. Its attraction lies in the fact that spiritual appetites can be fed without forsaking sin.

There is a temptation today for us to be dismissive of the occult, or obsessed by it. The media produces countless programmes that cause people either to ridicule the demonic world or to feel intimidated by it. And you can be sure that Satan is happy with either response.

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Playing With FireDo not be surprised at the outbreak of satanic activity so prevalent at this time of church expansion. Paul had been allowed to teach undisturbed in the synagogue for a whole three months v8. He was usually ejected after his first sermon. And then he was allowed to stay a further two years teaching in a hall rented locally.

As a result ‘the whole province of Asia heard the Word of the Lord’ v10. Not that they all came and heard Paul but that those who heard him while visiting the city returned to the hinterland of the province and spread the message that they had heard.

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Playing With FireThere was unparalleled opportunity for the growth of the church. We do not know how many visited the city because of its reputation as an occult centre only to leave born again of the Spirit of God. The end of v10 tells us that in this context of occult activity there were people who experienced deliverance from evil powers. Indeed, the reason for the extraordinary miracles mentioned in v11-12 may be seen as visible signs given by God to vindicate his messenger and the message he preached in this occult centre.

Imagine the awful cost to Paul who was battling in this spiritually oppressed environment. He writes that he ‘fought with beasts at Ephesus’ 1Cor. 15v22, a passage normally taken to refer not to literal animals but to spiritual forces opposed to the work.

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Playing With FireSome Jews in the city, sons of Sceva were intent upon accessing God’s power in the practice of exorcism. Whether for profit or fame we do not know. They believed, given the right formulae they could control these evil forces and so they used the name of Jesus as a kind of ‘power word’. They neither knew, believed, respected nor served Jesus.

The reply given by the evil spirits is full of irony, they recognised Jesus and his victory, and Paul who had entered into that victory but these men were exposed for the charlatans they were ‘who are you?’ These Jews thought they could control evil but ended up being thrashed by it. Did they learn the folly of meddling with the powers of darkness without adequate spiritual armour and resources?

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Playing With FireThe story is both humorous and serious. Serious for the many people who have not bowed the knee to Christ, and who have not opened their lives to him and who nevertheless seek to weave the name of Jesus, religious objects and symbols like the cross into their own brand of superstition.

Some people wear a cross because they think it will offer them some kind of protection. Others keep a Bible at their bedside for a similar reason. While there are yet others who persuade themselves that a trip to church a couple of times a year will keep them safe from harm.

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Playing With FireThis incident had a sobering effect on the community. They came to realise that Jesus was stronger than occult powers. They saw to the futility of seeking to confront these forces without a living relationship with Jesus. It also proved to be the catalyst for those who had professed faith in Christ to burn the occult books in their possession v19… What sort of bonfire might we have in our community if people acknowledged the futility of their lucky charms, their superstitions, their tarot cards, their Ouija boards, their horoscopes, their questionable video tapes and books. Might it not be a fire to mark a new beginning and a new confidence in Christ alone to keep his people?

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ConclusionThe people of Ephesus had no difficulty in accepting that they were spiritual beings with spiritual appetites but the great discovery they made through Paul’s ministry was that they needed to close the door to what was harmful and destructive to their lives and open the door wide to the influence of God’s indwelling Spirit.

What they needed most was the shelter of a Saviour who on behalf of his people has defeated not only sin and death but also evil! That is also what we all need.

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