Paul In Ephesus; Acts 19:1 – 22 Part 11

Church History: Date: A.D. 53–57

The general notice that was taken of this, and the good impression it made upon many was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus. It was the common talk of the town; and the effect of it was that men were terrified: fear fell on them all. In this instance they saw the malice of the devil that they served, and the power of Christ whom they opposed; and both were awful considerations. They saw that the name of Christ was not to be trifled with, nor his religion compounded with pagan superstitions. They saw that God was glorified; the name of the Lord Jesus, by which his faithful servants cast out devils and cured diseases, without any resistance, was the more magnified; for now it appeared to be a name above every name.

Those that had been guilty of wicked practices confessed them. Many that had believed and were baptized, but had not at that time been so particular about the confession of their sins, were so terrified with these instances of the magnifying of the name of Jesus Christ that they came to Paul, or some of the other ministers that were with him, and confessed what evil lives they had led, and what a great deal of secret wickedness their own consciences charged them with, which the world knew not of. This is called secret frauds and secret filthiness. They showed their deeds, took shame upon themselves and gave glory to God and warning to others. These confessions were not extorted from them, but were voluntary, for the ease of their consciences, upon which the late miracles had struck a terror. Where there is true contrition for sin there will be an ingenuous confession of sin to God in every prayer, and to man whom we have offended when the case requires it.

Those that had been reading wicked books burned them. These were books of judicial astrology, casting nativities, telling fortunes, raising and laying spirits, interpreting dreams, predicting future events, and the like, to which in these days and times are to be added inappropriate plays, romance novels, pornography, and unchaste and immodest poems. Those, having their consciences more awakened than ever to see the evil of those practices in which these books instructed them, brought their books together, and burned them before all men. Ephesus was notorious for the use of these curious arts. People furnished themselves with all those sorts of books, and, probably, had tutors to instruct them in those black arts. It was therefore much for the honor of Christ and his gospel to have such a noble testimony born against those curious arts, in a place where they were so much in vogue. It is taken for granted that they were convinced of the evil of these curious arts, and resolved to deal in them no longer; but they did not think this enough unless they burned their books.

They showed a contempt for the wealth of this world; for the price of the books was added up, probably by those that persuaded them not to burn them, and it was found to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. It is probable that the books were scarce, perhaps prohibited, and therefore dear. Probably they had cost them a lot; yet, being the devil's books, though they had been so foolish as to buy them, they did not think this would justify them in being so wicked as to sell them again. They publicly testified of their joy for their conversion from these wicked practices, as Matthew did by the great feast he made when Christ had called him from the receipt of custom. These converts joined together in making this bonfire, and made it before all men. They might have burned the books privately, everyone in his own house, but they chose to do it together, by consent, and to do it at the high cross (as we say), that Christ and his grace in them might be the more magnified, and all about them the more edified.