Acts 19
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Acts chapter 19 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
2 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
Acts 19
1And it came about, while Apollos was in Corinth, that Paul, having gone through the interior regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciplesἘγένετο δέ, ἐν τῷ τὸν Ἀπολλὼ εἶναι ἐν Κορίνθῳ, Παῦλον διελθόντα τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ μέρη ἐλθεῖν εἰς Ἔφεσον· καὶ εὑρών τινας μαθητὰς
2he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit, having believed?” So they said to him, “We have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς, Εἰ Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον ἐλάβετε πιστεύσαντες; οἱ δὲ εἶπον πρὸς αὐτόν, Ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ εἰ Πνεῦμα Ἅγιόν ἐστιν, ἠκούσαμεν.
3And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John's baptism.”εἶπέ τε πρὸς αὐτούς, Εἰς τί οὖν ἐβαπτίσθητε; οἱ δὲ εἶπον, Εἰς τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτισμα.
4But Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.”εἶπε δὲ Παῦλος, Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισε βάπτισμα μετανοίας, τῷ λαῷ λέγων εἰς τὸν ἐρχόμενον μετ᾽ αὐτὸν ἵνα πιστεύσωσι, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.
5And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.ἀκούσαντες δὲ ἐβαπτίσθησαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.
6And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.καὶ ἐπιθέντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ Παύλου τὰς χεῖρας, ἦλθε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς, ἐλάλουν τε γλώσσαις καὶ προεφήτευον.
7Now all the men were about twelve.ἦσαν δὲ οἱ πάντες ἄνδρες ὡσεὶ δεκαδύο.
8And he entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, debating and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.Εἰσελθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν ἐπαρρησιάζετο, ἐπὶ μῆνας τρεῖς διαλεγόμενος καὶ πείθων τὰ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ.
9But when some became hardened and disbelieving, speaking evil against the Way before the multitude, he withdrew from them and separated the disciples, each day debating in the school of Tyrannus.ὡς δέ τινες ἐσκληρύνοντο καὶ ἠπείθουν, κακολογοῦντες τὴν Ὁδὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ πλήθους, ἀποστὰς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀφώρισε τοὺς μαθητάς, καθ᾽ ἡμέραν διαλεγόμενος ἐν τῇ σχολῇ Τυράννου τινός.
10Now this took place for two years, so that all who were dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ ἔτη δύο, ὥστε πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν Ἀσίαν ἀκοῦσαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, Ἰουδαίους τε καὶ Ἕλληνας.
11And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,Δυνάμεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ἐποίει ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου,
12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons from his body were brought to those who were sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out from them.ὥστε καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας ἐπιφέρεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ σουδάρια ἢ σιμικίνθια, καὶ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν τὰς νόσους, τά τε πνεύματα τὰ πονηρὰ ἐξέρχεσθαι ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν.
13Then some of the wandering Jews, exorcists, attempted to name the name of the Lord Jesus over those having the evil spirits, saying, “We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”ἐπεχείρησαν δέ τινες ἀπὸ τῶν περιερχομένων Ἰουδαίων ἐξορκιστῶν ὀνομάζειν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἔχοντας τὰ πνεύματα τὰ πονηρὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, λέγοντες, Ὁρκίζομεν ὑμᾶς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὁ Παῦλος κηρύσσει.
14Now there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, doing this.ἦσαν δέ τινες υἱοὶ Σκευᾶ Ἰουδαίου ἀρχιερέως ἑπτὰ οἱ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες.
15But the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”ἀποκριθὲν δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρὸν εἶπε, Τὸν Ἰησοῦν γινώσκω, καὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἐπίσταμαι· ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνες ἐστέ;
16Then the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped upon them, and having subdued them, prevailed against them, so that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.καὶ ἐφαλλόμενος ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐν ᾧ ἦν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρόν, καὶ κατακυριεύσαν αὐτῶν, ἴσχυσε κατ᾽ αὐτῶν, ὥστε γυμνοὺς καὶ τετραυματισμένους ἐκφυγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου ἐκείνου.
17Now this became known to all both Jews and Greeks who were dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and they were praising the name of the Lord Jesus.τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο γνωστὸν πᾶσιν Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησι τοῖς κατοικοῦσι τὴν Ἔφεσον, καὶ ἐπέπεσε φόβος ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτούς, καὶ ἐμεγαλύνετο τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.
18And many of those who had believed were coming, confessing and disclosing their deeds.πολλοί τε τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἤρχοντο, ἐξομολογούμενοι, καὶ ἀναγγέλλοντες τὰς πράξεις αὐτῶν.
19And many of those who were practicing magic brought together their books and burned them up before everyone. And they counted up the prices of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.ἱκανοὶ δὲ τῶν τὰ περίεργα πραξάντων συνενέγκαντες τὰς βίβλους κατέκαιον ἐνώπιον πάντων· καὶ συνεψήφισαν τὰς τιμὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ εὗρον ἀργυρίου μυριάδας πέντε.
20Thus the word of the Lord was growing powerfully and prevailed.οὕτω κατὰ κράτος ὁ λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου ηὔξανε καὶ ἴσχυεν.
21Now after these events, Paul resolved in his spirit to go to Jerusalem, after he went through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”Ὡς δὲ ἐπληρώθη ταῦτα, ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύματι, διελθὼν τὴν Μακεδονίαν καὶ Ἀχαΐαν, πορεύεσθαι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, εἰπὼν ὅτι Μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι με ἐκεῖ, δεῖ με καὶ Ῥώμην ἰδεῖν.
22And having sent to Macedonia two of those who were ministering to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed on for a time in Asia.ἀποστείλας δὲ εἰς τὴν Μακεδονίαν δύο τῶν διακονούντων αὐτῷ, Τιμόθεον καὶ Ἔραστον, αὐτὸς ἐπέσχε χρόνον εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν.
23Now there arose during that time a serious disturbance concerning the Way.Ἐγένετο δὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον τάραχος οὐκ ὀλίγος περὶ τῆς Ὁδοῦ.
24For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, providing no little trade for the craftsmen,Δημήτριος γάρ τις ὀνόματι, ἀργυροκόπος, ποιῶν ναοὺς ἀργυροῦς Ἀρτέμιδος, παρείχετο τοῖς τεχνίταις ἐργασίαν οὐκ ὀλίγην·
25whom he gathered, with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.οὓς συναθροίσας, καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐργάτας, εἶπεν, Ἄνδρες, ἐπίστασθε ὅτι ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ἐργασίας ἡ εὐπορία ἡμῶν ἐστι.
26And you observe and hear that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great multitude, saying that they are not gods which are made by human hands.καὶ θεωρεῖτε καὶ ἀκούετε ὅτι οὐ μόνον Ἐφέσου, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν πάσης τῆς Ἀσίας, ὁ Παῦλος οὗτος πείσας μετέστησεν ἱκανὸν ὄχλον, λέγων ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ θεοὶ οἱ διὰ χειρῶν γινόμενοι.
27And not only is this business of ours in danger to come into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and also her magnificence, and is about to be destroyed, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο κινδυνεύει ἡμῖν τὸ μέρος εἰς ἀπελεγμὸν ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς μεγάλης θεᾶς ἱερὸν Ἀρτέμιδος εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι, μέλλειν δὲ καὶ καθαιρεῖσθαι τὴν μεγαλειότητα αὐτῆς, ἣν ὅλη ἡ Ἀσία καὶ ἡ οἰκουμένη σέβεται.
28And hearing this, and becoming full of anger, they were crying out saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”Ἀκούσαντες δὲ καὶ γενόμενοι πλήρεις θυμοῦ, ἔκραζον λέγοντες, Μεγάλη ἡ Ἄρτεμις Ἐφεσίων.
29And the whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one purpose into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, traveling companions of Paul.καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ πόλις ὅλη τῆς συγχύσεως· ὥρμησάν τε ὁμοθυμαδὸν εἰς τὸ θέατρον, συναρπάσαντες Γάϊον καὶ Ἀρίσταρχον Μακεδόνας, συνεκδήμους Παύλου.
30Now when Paul desired to enter into the people, the disciples would not permit him.τοῦ δὲ Παύλου βουλομένου εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν δῆμον, οὐκ εἴων αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταί.
31And also some of the officials of Asia, being friends with him, sent word to him and urged him not to present himself in the theater.τινὲς δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἀσιαρχῶν, ὄντες αὐτῷ φίλοι, πέμψαντες πρὸς αὐτόν, παρεκάλουν μὴ δοῦναι ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸ θέατρον.
32Then others were calling out something different, for the assembly was confused, and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.ἄλλοι μὲν οὖν ἄλλο τι ἔκραζον· ἦν γὰρ ἡ ἐκκλησία συγκεχυμένη, καὶ οἱ πλείους οὐκ ᾔδεισαν τίνος ἕνεκεν συνεληλύθεισαν.
33And from the crowd they brought forward Alexander, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and desired to make a defense to the people.ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ὄχλου προεβίβασαν Ἀλέξανδρον, προβαλόντων αὐτὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων. ὁ δὲ Ἀλέξανδρος, κατασείσας τὴν χεῖρα, ἤθελεν ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ δήμῳ.
34But recognizing he was a Jew, there arose one voice from them all, calling out for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”ἐπιγνόντες δὲ ὅτι Ἰουδαῖός ἐστι, φωνὴ ἐγένετο μία ἐκ πάντων ὡς ἐπὶ ὥρας δύο κραζόντων, Μεγάλη ἡ Ἄρτεμις Ἐφεσίων.
35And having quieted the crowd, the city clerk said: “Men of Ephesus, for what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image fallen from heaven?καταστείλας δὲ ὁ γραμματεὺς τὸν ὄχλον φησίν, Ἄνδρες Ἐφέσιοι, τίς γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὃς οὐ γινώσκει τὴν Ἐφεσίων πόλιν νεωκόρον οὖσαν τῆς μεγάλης θεᾶς Ἀρτέμιδος καὶ τοῦ Διοπετοῦς;
36Therefore, since these things are undeniable, it is necessary for you to be quieted and to do nothing rash.ἀναντιρρήτων οὖν ὄντων τούτων, δέον ἐστὶν ὑμᾶς κατεσταλμένους ὑπάρχειν, καὶ μηδὲν προπετὲς πράσσειν.
37For you have brought these men here who are neither temple thieves nor blasphemers of your goddess.ἠγάγετε γὰρ τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους, οὔτε ἱεροσύλους οὔτε βλασφημοῦντας τὴν θεὸν ὑμῶν.
38Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a word against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.εἰ μὲν οὖν Δημήτριος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τεχνῖται ἔχουσι πρός τινα λόγον, ἀγοραῖοι ἄγονται, καὶ ἀνθύπατοί εἰσιν· ἐγκαλείτωσαν ἀλλήλοις.
39But if you are wanting to know anything about other matters, it shall be determined by a lawful assembly.εἰ δέ τι περὶ ἑτέρων ἐπιζητεῖτε, ἐν τῇ ἐννόμῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιλυθήσεται.
40For we also are in danger of being accused of insurrection concerning today's events, there being no cause for which we will be able to give, as an explanation for this commotion.”καὶ γὰρ κινδυνεύομεν ἐγκαλεῖσθαι στάσεως περὶ τῆς σήμερον, μηδενὸς αἰτίου ὑπάρχοντος περὶ οὗ οὐ δυνησόμεθα δοῦναι λόγον τῆς συστροφῆς ταύτης.
41And having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.καὶ ταῦτα εἰπών, ἀπέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.
The Fathers on Acts 19
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Acts 19:8–9Saint John Chrysostom“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.”
Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →
On Acts 19:21, 23Open Acts 19 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John Chrysostom“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. And the same time there arose no small stir about the Way.”
Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →