Acts 19:14

And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. AND THERE WERE SEVEN SONS OF ONE SCEVA, A JEW, AND CHIEF OF THE PRIESTS - head, probably, of one of the 24 courses of the priests, WHICH DID SO. It will appear from that only two of the seven did so on this occasion....

13-20 It was common, especially among the Jews, for persons to profess or to try to cast out evil spirits. If we resist the devil by faith in Christ, he will flee from us; but if we think to resist him by the using of Christ's name, or his works, as a spell or charm, Satan will prevail against us. Where there is true sorrow for sin, there will be free confession of sin to God in every prayer and to man whom we have offended, when the case requires it. Surely if the word of God prevailed among us, many lewd, infidel, and wicked books would be burned by their possessors. Will not these Ephesian converts rise up in judgement against professors, who traffic in such works for the sake of gain, or allow themselves to possess them? If we desire to be in earnest in the great work of salvation, every pursuit and enjoyment must be given up which hinders the effect of the gospel upon the mind, or l...

Verse Acts 19:14. _SEVEN SONS OF ONE SCEVA, A JEW, AND CHIEF OF THE_ _PRIESTS_] The original Ιουδαιου αρχιερεως, dignifies a _Jewish high_ _priest_; but it is not probable that any sons, much less seven sons of a Jewish _high priest_, should be strolling exorcists: it is therefore likely that υιοισκευατινοςιερεως, _the sons of Skeva,_ _a certain priest_, as it stands in the _Codex Bezae_, is the true reading. The whole verse in that MS. reads thus: _Among them there_ _also the sons of Skeva, a priest, who wished to do the same: for_ _they were accustomed to exorcise such persons. And entering in to_ _the demoniac, they began to invoke that Name, saying, We command_ _thee by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth, to go out. And the evil spirit_ _angered, and said unto them, Jesus I know_, c. It has been often remarked that...

ONE SCEVA - Sceva is a Greek name, but nothing more is known of him. CHIEF OF THE PRIESTS - This cannot mean that he was high priest among the Jews, as it is wholly improbable that his sons would be wandering exorcists. But it denotes that he was of the sacerdotal order. He was a Jewish chief priest; a priest of distinction, and had held the office of a ruler. The word “chief priest,” in the New Testament, usually refers to men of the sacerdotal order who were also rulers in the Sanhedrin....

EXPOSITION ACTS 19:1 _Country _for _coasts, _A.V.; _found _for _finding, _A.V. and T.R. THE UPPER COUNTRY (τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ μέρη); the inland districts of Galatia and Phrygia, through which St. Paul journeyed on his way to Ephesus, as distinguished from the seacoast on which Ephesus stood. DISCIPLES. They were like Apollos, believers in the Lord Jesus through the preaching of John the Baptist. It looks as if they were companions of Apollos, and had come with him from Alexandria, perhaps for some purpose of trade or Commerce. ACTS 19:2 _And he said _for _he said, _A.V. and T.R.; _did ye receive _for _have ye received, _A.V.; _when _for _since, _A.V.

AND THERE WERE SEVEN SONS OF ONE SCEVA A JEW,.... Who strolled about the country, and used exorcisms: and CHIEF OF THE PRIESTS; that were at Ephesus; not the high priest of the Jews, for he would have been at Jerusalem, and not at Ephesus; though indeed it does not necessarily follow from the words, that Sceva himself was there, only his seven sons: however, no such name appears in the catalogue of the Jewish high priests, nor is it reasonable to think, that seven sons of an high priest should follow such a vagabond course of life: Beza's ancient copy only calls him "a priest"; and the Alexandrian copy reads his name, Sceuta, and the Ethiopic version omits it; it is the same with סכואה, and signifies a spectator, or observer; see the Targum on 2 Samuel 13:34. WHICH DID SO; adjured the devils in the name of Jesus, to come out; at least they did so i

CHAPTER 19 _ 1. The second visit of Paul to Ephesus. The twelve disciples of John (Acts 19:1)._ 2. The Apostle's continued labors. The separation of the disciples. The Province Asia evangelized (Acts 19:8). 3. The Power of God and the Power of Satan (Acts 19:11). 4. Paul plans to go to Jerusalem and to visit Rome (Acts 19:21). 5. The opposition and riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:23). The disciples whom Paul found at Ephesus were disciples of John. The question the Apostle asked them has often been made the foundation of wrong teach

MIRACLES, EXORCISMS, BURNING OF BOOKS OF MAGIC. Peter's shadow cured the sick (Acts 5:15); Paul's minor articles of clothing do the same, according to the widespread belief of antiquity in the indirect communication of personal influence. The belief in possession is best known to us from the Gospels in Palestine; but Greek magical literature shows that it flourished vigorously in other countries also. A humorous story follows, about some wandering Jews who used the name of Jesus as an instrument of exorcism (_cf. Acts 8:19_). Acts 19:13. I adjure you: _i.e_. to come out of him. Sceva must be intended as a Jewish high priest, but there is none of such a name....

IN EPHESUS (Acts 19:1-7) Acts 19:1-41 is mainly concerned with Paul's work in Ephesus. He stayed longer there than anywhere else, almost three years. (i) Ephesus (G2181) was the market of Asia Minor. In those days trade followed the river valleys. Ephesus stood at the mouth of the Cayster and therefore commanded the richest hinterland in Asia Minor. Revelation 18:12-13 gives a description of the trade of Ephesus. She was known as "The Treasure House of Asia" and someone has called her, "The Vanity Fair of Asia Minor." (ii) She was an Assize Town. That is to say, at specified times the Roman governor came there and great cases of justice were tried. S

SONS. Greek. _huios._ App-108. CHIEF OF THE PRIESTS. a chief priest. Greek. _archiereus._ This word is only used in the Gospels, Acts, and Hebrews. It is used of the High Priest and priestly members of the Sanhedrin. Compare Matthew 26:3. Every town with. synagogue had. Sanhedrin of twenty-three members, if there were 120 Jews in the place; of three members, if there were fewer. Sceva was. member of the Sanhedrin at Ephesus. WHICH DID SO. doing this....