Welcome back to the pod! Today we’re covering Acts 19, so open your Bibles. Here’s the question we’ll answer: What Is the Right Response to Sin?
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Q. What Is the Right Response to Sin?
- We all sin; it’s our response to sin that matters most
- See 10 Sinful Responses to Sin
- Minimizing Sin: “It’s no big deal.”
- Rationalizing Sin: “He deserved it.”
- Blame-Shifting: “She made me.”
- Codifying Sin: “It’s a condition, not a sin.”
- Worldly Grief: “Sorry I got caught.”
- Today in our text (Acts 19) we’re going to see two groups of people
- Who were confronted with their sin problem and had a choice to make
- One group is an example of what to do
- The other group, what NOT to do
- The context for the chapter is one particular sin: sorcery
- But the lessons apply to everyone, everywhere
The Set Up
Acts 19:11-12 (NLT) 11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
- We’re in Ephesus, a renowned center of occult practices in the ancient Greco-Roman world.
- To the secular world, miracles look like magic
- We saw this with Peter and his shadow (Acts 5), Philip and Simon Magus (Acts 8)
- The point: Jesus>magic (understatement)
Acts 19 (NLT) 13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”
- Note: they weren’t followers of Jesus, but they were using his name as an incantation.
- Reminiscent of the "Ephesian Letters" (Greek: Ἐφέσια γράμματα, Ephesia grammata) – a set of words or symbols believed in antiquity to possess magical power. These were often inscribed on amulets, statues, or other objects.
- The exact content of the Ephesian Letters is debated, but ancient sources suggest they were a group of six mystical words: Askion, Kataskion, Lix, Tetrax, Damnameneus, Aisia
- These words were considered meaningless in everyday language but were thought to hold esoteric significance, potentially tied to ancient rituals or the invocation of supernatural powers. Some scholars believe they were connected to the worship of Artemis of Ephesus, the city's patron goddess.
- These Jewish exorcists were using Jesus’ name like it was one of these six mystical words.
Acts 19:14-16 (NLT) 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil...
