Acts 19:8 Ac 19:8 Ver. 8. Paul is here very busy at Ephesus to do good. I. He begins, as usual, in the e!

s" synagogue, and #a$es the %irst o%%er o% the gospel to the#, that he #ight gather in the lost sheep o% the house o% Israel, !ho !ere no! scattered upon the #ountains. &bserve, 1. 'here he preached to the#: in their synagogue (Ac 19:8), as *hrist used to do. He !ent and +oined !ith the# in their synagogue,!orship, to ta$e o%% their pre+udices against hi#, and to ingratiate hi#sel% !ith the#, !hile there !as any hope o% !inning upon the#. -hus he !ould bear his testi#ony to public !orship on sabbath days. 'here there !ere no *hristian asse#blies yet %or#ed, he %re.uented the e!ish asse#blies, !hile the e!s !ere not as yet !holly cast o%%. Paul !ent into the synagogue, because there he had the# together, and had the#, it #ight be hoped, in a good %ra#e. /. 'hat he preached to the#: -he things concerning the $ingdo# o% 0od a#ong #en, the great things !hich concerned 0od"s do#inion over all #en and %avour to the#, and #en"s sub+ection to 0od and happiness in 0od. He sho!ed the# their obligations to 0od and interest in hi#, as the *reator, by !hich the $ingdo# o% 0od !as set up,,,the violation o% those obligations, and the %or%eiture o% that interest, by sin, by !hich the $ingdo# o% 0od !as pulled do!n,,,and the rene!ing o% those obligations and the restoration o% #an to that interest again, by the 1edee#er, !hereby the $ingdo# o% 0od !as again set up. &r, #ore particularly, the things concerning the $ingdo# o% the 2essiah, !hich the e!s !ere in e3pectation o%, and pro#ised the#selves great #atters %ro#4 he opened the scriptures !hich spo$e concerning this, gave the# a right notion o% this $ingdo#, and sho!ed the# their #ista$es about it. 5. Ho! he preached to the#. (1.) He preached argu#entatively: he disputed4 gave reasons, scripture,reasons, %or !hat he preached, and ans!ered ob+ections, %or the convincing o% #en"s +udg#ents and consciences, that they #ight not only believe, but #ight see cause to believe. He preached dialego#enov,,dialogue,!ise4 he put .uestions to the# and received their ans!ers, gave the# leave to put .uestions to hi# and ans!ered the#. (/.) He preached a%%ectionately: he persuaded4 he used not only logical argu#ents, to en%orce !hat he said upon their understandings, but rhetorical #otives, to i#press !hat he said upon their a%%ections, sho!ing the# that the things he preached concerning the $ingdo# o% 0od !ere things concerning the#selves, !hich they !ere nearly concerned in, and there%ore ought to concern the#selves about, /*o 6:11, 'e persuade #en. Paul !as a #oving preacher, and !as a #aster o% the art o% persuasion.

(5.) He preached undauntedly, and !ith a holy resolution: he spo$e boldly, as one that had not the least doubt o% the things he spo$e o%, nor the least distrust o% hi# he spo$e %ro#, nor the least dread o% those he spo$e to. 7. Ho! long he preached to the#: 8or the space o% three #onths, !hich !as a co#petent ti#e allo!ed the# to consider o% it4 in that ti#e a#ong the# that belonged to the election o% grace !ere called in, and the rest !ere le%t ine3cusable. -hus long Paul preached the gospel !ith #uch contention (1-h /:/), yet he did not %ail, nor !as discouraged. 6. 'hat success his preaching had a#ong the#. (1.) -here !ere so#e that !ere persuaded to believe in *hrist4 so#e thin$ this is inti#ated in the !ord persuading,,he prevailed !ith the#. 9ut, (/.) 2any continued in their in%idelity, and !ere con%ir#ed in their pre+udices against *hristianity. 'hen Paul called on the# be%ore, and preached only so#e general things to the#, they courted his stay a#ong the# (Ac 18:/:)4 but no! that he settled a#ong the#, and his !ord ca#e #ore closely to their consciences, they !ere soon !eary o% hi#. ;1.< -hey had an invincible aversion to the gospel o% *hrist the#selves: they !ere hardened, and believed not4 they !ere resolved they !ould not believe, though the truth shone in their %aces !ith ever such a convincing light and evidence. -here%ore they believed not, because they !ere hardened. ;/.< -hey did their ut#ost to raise and $eep up in others an aversion to the gospel4 they not only entered not into the $ingdo# o% 0od the#selves, but neither did they su%%er those that !ere entering to go in4 %or they spo$e evil o% that !ay be%ore the #ultitude, to pre+udice the# against it. -hough they could not sho! any #anner o% evil in it, yet they said all #anner o% evil concerning it. -hese sinners, li$e the angels that sinned, beca#e =atans, adversaries and devils, %alse accusers. II. 'hen he had carried the #atter as %ar as it !ould go in the synagogue o% the e!s, and %ound that their opposition gre! #ore obstinate, he le%t the synagogue, because he could not sa%ely, or rather because he could not co#%ortably and success%ully, continue in co##union !ith the#. -hough their !orship !as such as he could +oin in, and they had not silenced hi#, nor %orbidden hi# to preach a#ong the#, yet they drove hi# %ro# the# by their railing at those things !hich he spo$e concerning the $ingdo# o% 0od: they hated to be re%or#ed, hated to be instructed, and there%ore he departed %ro# the#. Here !e are sure there !as a separation and no schis#4 %or there !as a +ust cause %or it and a clear call to it. >o! observe, 1. 'hen Paul departed %ro# the e!s he too$ the disciples !ith hi#, and separated the#, to save the# %ro# that unto!ard generation (according to the charge Peter gave to his ne! converts, Ac /:7:)4 lest they should be in%ected !ith the poisonous tongues o% those blasphe#ers, he separated those !ho believed, to be the %oundation o% a *hristian church, no! that they !ere a co#petent nu#ber to be incorporated, that others #ight attend !ith

the# upon the preaching o% the gospel, and #ight, upon their believing, be added to the#. 'hen Paul departed there needed no #ore to separate the disciples4 let hi# go !here he !ill, they !ill %ollo! hi#. /. 'hen Paul separated %ro# the synagogue he set up a #eeting o% his o!n, he disputed daily in the school o% one -yrannus. He le%t the synagogue o% the e!s, that he #ight go on !ith the #ore %reedo# in his !or$4 still he disputed %or *hrist and *hristianity, and !as ready to ans!er all opponents !hatsoever in de%ence o% the#4 and he had by this separation a double advantage. (1.) -hat no! his opportunities !ere #ore %re.uent. In the synagogue he could only preach every sabbath day (Ac 15:7/), but no! he disputed daily, he set up a lecture every day, and thus redee#ed ti#e: those !hose business !ould not per#it the# to co#e one day #ight co#e another day4 and those !ere !elco#e !ho !atched daily at these gates o% !isdo#, and !aited daily at the posts o% her doors.

(/.) -hat no! they !ere #ore open. -o the synagogue o% the e!s none #ight co#e, nor could co#e, but e!s or proselytes4 0entiles !ere e3cluded4 but, !hen he set up a #eeting in the school o% -yrannus, both e!s and 0ree$s attended his #inistry, Ac 19:1:. -hus, as he describes this gate o% opportunity at Ephesus (1*o 1?:8,9), a !ide door and an e%%ectual !as opened to hi#, though there !ere #any adversaries. =o#e thin$ this school o% -yrannus !as a divinity,school o% the e!s, and such a one they co##only had in their great cities besides their synagogue4 they called it 9eth#idrash, the house o% en.uiry, or o% repetition4 and they !ent to that on the sabbath day, a%ter they had been in the synagogue. -hey go %ro# strength to strength, %ro# the house o% the sanctuary to the house o% doctrine. I% this !as such a school, it sho!s that though Paul le%t the synagogue he le%t it gradually, and still $ept as near it as he could, as he had done, Ac 18:@. 9ut others thin$ it !as a philosophy,school o% the 0entiles, belonging to one -yrannus, or a retiring place (%or so the !ord scolh so#eti#es signi%ies) belonging to a principal #an or governor o% the city4 so#e convenient place it !as, !hich Paul and the disciples had the use o%, either %or love or #oney. 5. Here he continued his labours %or t!o years, read his lectures and disputed daily. -hese t!o years co##ence %ro# the end o% the three #onths !hich he spent in the synagogue (Ac 19:8)4 a%ter they !ere ended, he continued %or so#e ti#e in the country about, preaching4 there%ore he #ight +ustly rec$on it in all three years, as he does, Ac /::51. 7. -he gospel hereby spread %ar and near (Ac 19:1:): All those that d!elt in Asia heard the !ord o% the Aord esus4 not only all that d!elt in Ephesus, but all that d!elt in that large province called Asia, o% !hich Ephesus !as the head city,,Asia the Aess it !as called. -here !as great resort to Ephesus %ro# all parts o% the country, %or la!, tra%%ic, religion, and education, !hich gave Paul an opportunity o% sending the report o% the gospel to all the to!ns and villages o% that country. -hey all heard the !ord o% the Aord esus. -he gospel is *hrist"s !ord, it is a !ord concerning *hrist. -his they heard, or at

least heard o% it. =o#e o% all sects, so#e out o% all parts both in city and country, e#braced this gospel, and entertained it, and by the# it !as co##unicated to others4 and so they all heard the !ord o% the Aord esus, or #ight have heard it. Probably Paul so#eti#es #ade e3cursions hi#sel% into the country, to preach the gospel, or sent his #issionaries or assistants that attended hi#, and thus the !ord o% the Aord !as heard throughout that region. >o! those that sat in dar$ness sa! a great light. III. 0od con%ir#ed Paul"s doctrine by #iracles, !hich a!a$ened people"s en.uiries a%ter it, %i3ed their a%%ection to it, and engaged their belie% o% it, Ac 19:11,1/. I !onder !e have not read o% any #iracle !rought by Paul since the casting o% the evil spirit out o% the da#sel at Philippi4 !hy did he not !or$ #iracles at -hessalonica, 9erea, and AthensB &r, i% he did, !hy are they not recordedB 'as the success o% the gospel, !ithout #iracles in the $ingdo# o% nature, itsel% such a #iracle in the $ingdo# o% grace, and the divine po!er !hich !ent along !ith it such a proo% o% its divine original, that there needed no otherB It is certain that at *orinth he !rought #any #iracles, though Au$e has recorded none, %or he tells the# (/*o 1/:1/) that the signs o% his apostleship !ere a#ong the#, in !onders and #ighty deeds. 9ut here at Ephesus !e have a general account o% the proo%s o% this $ind !hich he gave his divine #ission. 1. -hey !ere special #iracles,,duna#eiv ou tucousav. 0od e3erted po!ers that !ere not according to the co##on course o% nature: Virtutes non vulgares. -hings !ere done !hich could by no #eans be ascribed either to chance or second causes. &r, they !ere not only (as all #iracles are) out o% the co##on road, but they !ere even unco##on #iracles, such #iracles as had not been !rought by the hands o% any other o% the apostles. -he opposers o% the gospel !ere so pre+udiced that any #iracles !ould not serve their turn4 there%ore 0od !rought virtutes non .uaslibet (so they render it), so#ething above the co##on road o% #iracles. /. It !as not Paul that !rought the# ('hat is Paul, and !hat is ApollosB) but it !as 0od that !rought the# by the hand o% Paul. He !as but the instru#ent, 0od !as the principal agent. 5. He not only cured the sic$ that !ere brought to hi#, or to !ho# he !as brought, but %ro# his body !ere brought to the sic$ hand$erchie%s or aprons4 they got Paul"s hand$erchie%s, or his aprons, that is, say so#e, the aprons he !ore !hen he !or$ed at his trade, and the application o% the# to the sic$ cured the# i##ediately. &r, they brought the sic$ people"s hand$erchie%s, or their girdles, or caps, or head,dresses, and laid the# %or a!hile to Paul"s body, and then too$ the# to the sic$. -he %or#er is #ore probable. >o! !as %ul%illed that !ord o% *hrist to his disciples, 0reater !or$s than these shall you do. 'e read o% one that !as cured by the touch o% *hrist"s gar#ent !hen it !as upon hi#, and he perceived that virtue !ent out o% hi#4 but here !ere people cured by Paul"s gar#ents !hen they !ere ta$en %ro# hi#. *hrist gave his apostles po!er against unclean spirits and against all #anner o% sic$ness (2t 1::1), and accordingly !e %ind here that those to !ho# Paul sent relie% had it in both those cases: %or the diseases departed %ro# the# and the evil spirits !ent out o% the#, !hich !ere both signi%icant o% the great design

and blessed e%%ect o% the gospel, and the healing o% spiritual disease, and %reeing the souls o% #en %ro# the po!er and do#inion o% =atan.