17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Ephesus was known as a center for magic, a part of its culture. The people of Ephesus acknowledged the power in the name of Jesus. A reverent fear of Jesus fell on them, recognizing His power.
19:17
This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear [awe] fell on them all,
This verse shows the impact of Paul’s unusual healing ministry to all the Jews and Greeks in Ephesus. Deep fear fell on all of them.
and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
They magnified the reputation of the Lord Jesus. Our Lord’s “name” represents His person and works. They did not magnify Paul but the Lord Jesus.
19:18
And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
Many believed in Christ and revealed that they had participated in dubious practices. These people acknowledged that they were deluded by those who practiced magic. The Greek indicates wave after wave came to testify of their deeds and how they came to Christ.
19:19
Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
After witnessing God’s judgment on magic and esoteric practices, many Ephesians publicly burned books associated with their occult exercises; the value amounted to 50,000 silver coins, a significant amount of money. Ancient texts were costly. The burning of these books evidenced their repudiation of cultic sayings.
19:20
So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
Verse 20 shows the extent to which the word of the Lord grew in Ephesus. This report is the sixth in Acts to this point, marking the end of a major section in the book of Acts.
This verse closes the ministry of Paul to the Ephesians. It marks the end of one adventure and the beginning of another.
PRINCIPLE:
A cleansed church is a powerful church that grows in numbers.
APPLICATION:
People are not to trifle with the name of Jesus. He is someone to worship and honor. Those who come to Christ are willing to proclaim their faith publicly. They are also willing to repent of their wrongdoing. A cleansed church is a growing church.
