Chapter Nineteen — Part Three: The Book of Acts
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 07/31/2022
Foundation Scriptures:Acts 19:11-17
1. Special and Unusual Miracles.
a. Acts 19:11 KJV — And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
b. Acts 19:11 NKJV — Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
c. God wrought, or worked, the miracles—through the hands of Paul.
d. God is the author, source, and principal agent of miracles, but He requires an instrument, a person, cooperating with Him, whom He can use and work through.
e. Miracles are powers, exerted by God, that are not according to the common course of nature.
f. Miracles are those things that cannot be attributed to chance or any other cause, other than God.
g. Man must acknowledge that only God, not man, could have done these works.
h. Signs, wonders, and miracles accompany the preaching of the Word of God.
i. Paul was preaching and teaching the Word of God every day.
j. It is evident, that the anointing on Paul’s life and ministry was increasing.
k. Also, the longer that Paul stayed and preached the Word in that region, the more the people’s faith increased.
l. Potentially, the more their faith increased, the more miracles, and greater miracles, were seen there through Paul.
2. Miracles.
a. Miracles are performed by and through the power of God, the power of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit (Ex. 8:19; Acts 14:3; Acts 15:12; Acts 19:11; Matt. 10:1; Matt. 12:28; Romans 15:19).
b. Miracles are performed in the Name of Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:17; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:30).
c. The performance of miracles requires faith in those who perform them (Matt. 17:20; Matt. 21:21; John 14:12; Acts 3:16; Acts 6:8).
d. The working of miracles is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:10).
e. The initial preaching of the Gospel was confirmed by miracles, signs, and wonders (Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:4).
f. The power of God, displayed through miracles, was instrumental to the early propagation of the Gospel (Acts 8:6; Romans 15:18-19).
g. Those, through whom the miracles were performed, never claimed that it was by their own power, but gave all the credit and glory to God (Acts 3:12).
3. Healed and Delivered.
a. God worked special—unusual, uncommon, extraordinary—miracles through the hands of Paul.
b. Acts 19:12 NKJV — so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
c. Not only were miracles performed when Paul laid hands on people, but people were healed by the cloths and garments that had touched his body!
d. Many people were healed when they touched Jesus’ garment, but the Lord performed, through Paul, the “greater works” He had promised His disciples.
e. John 14:12-14 NKJV — “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
f. The handkerchiefs and aprons did not heal people, it was the anointing that was upon them that did the works.
g. Not only were people healed, but evil spirits came out of them.
h. The anointing destroys every yoke (Isa. 10:27)!
4. Casting Out Demons.
a. Acts 19:13 AMPC — Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches!
b. Some of the vagabond—itinerant, roving—Jewish exorcists tried to cast devils out of people by doing what Paul did (Acts 13:6; 1 Tim. 5:13).
c. They were not even good Jews—they practiced divination—operating by familiar spirits.
d. An exorcist is one who one binds by an oath (or spell); or who employs a formula of conjuration for expelling demons.
e. This term is never used to describe God’s people.
f. These men used the Name of Jesus, but they had no right to use His Name, because they were not believers, and they were not washed in His blood.
g. Satan cannot cast out Satan (Mark 3:22-26).
h. It is by the power of the Blood of Jesus, and His Name, that believers have power and authority over every devil and demon.
i. Acts 19:14 AMPC — Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this.
j. Sceva was a member, and chief priest, of the Jewish Council at Ephesus.
k. He clearly did not raise his sons very well.
l. Acts 19:15 NKJV — And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
m. An evil spirit spoke through him saying, “Jesus, I know (ginōskō)! And Paul, I am acquainted with; or getting to know (epistamai)!”
n. The demons knew well Who Jesus was—and they knew that He had stripped them of their power by His death and resurrection.
o. They had no choice but to bow their knee and obey His commands.
p. They also knew that they had to obey Paul, and all those who have the right and the authority to use His Name!
q. Acts 19:16 NKJV — 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.
r. Seven men are no match for one demon possessed man!
s. Acts 19:17 AMPC — This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified.
t. The fear of God fell on the whole community in Ephesus, and the Name of the Lord was magnified.