November 24, 2010 Acts 19-20

Corinth was in Apollos' capable hands, so Paul went to Ephesus. He talked with some believers who hadn't received the Holy Spirit. So he baptized them and placed his hands on them and they recieved the Holy Spirit. Paul went to the synagogue and preached for three months. After that, he took a group of believers to a lecture hall and they discussed the Way of the Lord for two years. Everyone heard the word of the Lord. God was working through Paul so that even handkerchiefs he had touched could cure people. Some Jews who traveled around healing people tried to do this, but it didn't work. The evil spirit told them he knew Jesus and Paul, but he didn't know them, then he beat them up and they ran from the house naked and bleeding. The people all heard about the power of the name of the Lord Jesus and they were afraid. The name of Jesus was given great honor. Sorcerers burned their expensive magic books. The word of the Lord kept spreading. Paul decided to go to Macedonia and on to Jerusalem. Then he wanted to see Rome. Paul sent Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia and he spent more time in Asia. In Ephesus an idolmaker started a riot because the Way of the Lord would put him out of business. The mob grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus two of Paul's helpers and took them to where they were meeting about the problem in a theater. Nobody wanted Paul to go because they were afraid of what would happen to him. Nobody was listening to anybody else. Eventually the city clerk got them to calm down and he sent everyone home.

After all the excitement was over, Paul called together the believers, encouraged them and said goodbye. He went back to Macedonia and on his way encouraged the believers. He stayed in Achaia 3 months. He discovered the Jews were plotting against him, so he went back through Macedonia. Paul had many disciples with him from the places he had preached. In Troas, Paul was speaking to believers and a young man who was sitting in the window fell asleep and fell out of the window, 3 stories down. When they got to him, he was dead. Paul threw himself on him and hugged him and he came alive. Paul talked with them until sunrise, then he left. They sailed for Jerusalem, and on the way Paul sent word the the Ehpesians to come to meet his boat. So they did. He told them he had done everything he could for them and now it was up to them and God. Near the end of his farewell speech, he said that Jesus said "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." (20:35) These words are not recorded in the gospels, so that must be one of those things that John said about the world not being able to hold the things Jesus did if they were all written down. (John 21:25 Nov16) Then they all knelt and prayed. They were all crying when they hugged and kissed him goodbye. They were sad that they would never see him again. They went with him to the ship.

Tomorrow read Acts 21-23:25