13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
In verses 13-16, Jewish exorcists attempted to imitate Paul’s miracles.
19:13
Then some of the itinerant [vagabond] Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying,
Jewish exorcists attempted to ape Paul’s deliverance from evil spirits. Cultists in Ephesus commonly cited incantations to exorcize evil spirits. They possessed books of these citations.
“We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
Fake Jewish exorcists attempted to invoke Jesus to exorcize demon-possessed people.
19:14
Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
The people who attempted to imitate Paul’s healing method were the seven sons of Sceva, a possibly fake Jewish chief priest.
19:15
And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know [recognize], and Paul I know [know by experience]; but who are you?
An evil spirit responded to the Jewish exorcists by asserting that he knew Jesus and Paul, but he had no idea who these fake exorcists were. The fake exorcists did not fool the demon.
19:16
Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
A man with an evil spirit attacked the fake exorcists, overpowered them, and so prevailed against them; the fakers fled from the house naked and wounded. Demon possession may have given this man the power he exercised.
PRINCIPLE:
Christianity does not sponsor superstition.
APPLICATION:
Christianity is anti-magic. Christians do not implore Jesus’ name as a magic formula. However, what believers do, they do in the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus is not a magical charm allowing a believer to use as he pleases. Anyone who attempts to assume the power of an apostle treads on dangerous ground. Ouija boards, tea leaves, horoscopes, tarot cards, palmistry, and phrenology are all in the category of the occult and opposed to Christianity. All this is Satan’s territory,
Since Ephesus was a hotbed of satanic activity, Paul wrote an epistle to the church in which he helped them understand how to fight a spiritual war (Eph 6:10-20).
