Chapter 19

19:2  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.

Have

Not as in A.V., "since ye believed," but as in R.V. and marg.: "Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed?" Paul was evidently impressed by the absence of spirituality and power in these so-called disciples. Their answer brought out the fact that they were Jewish proselytes, disciples of John the Baptist, looking backward to an accomplished redemption. Romans 8:9 ; 1 Corinthians 6:19 ; Ephesians 1:13 .

19:16  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.

overcame The sons of Sceva sought to imitate a power to which they were strangers, only to their own confusion. This striking witness from another side caused fear to fall on all.

prevailed Luke 11:21 Luke 11:22 ; 1 John 4:4 .

19:21  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.

spirit

i.e. in his own mind. Cf. (See Scofield "Acts 20:22") .

19:23  And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.

about the way

concerning the Way, i.e. Christ. John 14:6 .

19:27  So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

world

"oikoumene" = inhabited earth. (See Scofield "Luke 2:1") .

19:28  And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Diana

Gr. Artemis. Not anciently of the Greek pantheon, but an Eastern goddess. Cf. Judges 2:13 . (See Scofield "Judges 2:13") .

But "Diana of the Ephesians" was rather a particular image of Artemis, reputed to have fallen from heaven; Acts 19:35 .