THE KING’S BUSINESS
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disciples and began daily meetings in the School of Tyrannus. Monday, March 12 . Acts 19 : 10 - 12 . 'The work in the school of Tyrannus went on long and successfully. For two full years Paul held daily meetings in this place. 'Because of the importance of Ephesus and the constant intercourse between the city and every part of the province then known as Asia (a part of what is now known as Asia Minor), the Word of God as taught by Paul was heard throughout the whole country by both Jews and Gentiles. God set His seal upon Paul’s work in a wonderful way. Extraordinary miracles of power were wrought. Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s body seemed to receive something of that power over sickness and evil spirits with which Paul himself at this time was surcharged. It is very evident from the account that Paul was not possessed of such tremendous heal ing power at all times. God wrought through him at this special time “special miracles” for special purposes. Ephesus was a great center of magical arts and practices and some such display was needed at that special time and place, and God gave it. Nothing could be more unwar ranted than for any one to decide from this passage to take up for himself a similar work of healing by similar methods. The practices of some charlatans at the present time, of blessing handkerchiefs and selling them, has absolutely no warrant in this instance as recorded here. Such practices will bring grief upon those that folow them, and dishonor on the name of our Lord. Tuesday, March 13 . A cts 19 : 13 - 20 . It has been well said, “in all that marvel ous history of the conflict between the powers of this world and the world to come contained in the Acts, there is no more striking or instructive passage than this. Rich and luxurious Ephesus was the strong hold of evil; the prince of this world held it as the very center ^of his kingdom, and against him God set forth, by the haijd of
St. Paul, the special might of the "Holy Spirit. Here, as upon some conspicuous theatre, the mighty contest raged. Whether the powers of evil knew that in Christ, as the champion of humanity, the great battle must be fought, or whether the instincts of their nature were roused into a trembling energy at His appearance, we know not; but it is clear that about the time of the Advent they exerted an unusual amount of power over the bodies and spirits of men.” Here we have a special form of the con test that Wilberforce refers to in the quota tion given above. The existence of demons was generally recognized in that day, and some great name was used in the attempt to cast them out, and a name commonly used was the name of Jehovah, and there had arisen a class of men Who claimed to have power as exorcists (Luke 11:19). These seven sons of Sceva belonged to this class and they attempted to use the name of Jesus. The evil spirit had to yield to the power of Jesus’ name, but realizing that those who used the name had no right to use it, the man who was controlled by the demon leaped on them and overmastered them and did them great bodily injury. Men who undertake to use the name of Jesus should be careful first that they are in such relation to Him as their Lord that they have a right to use His name, and furthermore, that they are led of God to use it in that particular way at that par ticular time. The whole incident brought glory to “the name of the Lord Jesus.” The sons of Sceva had not called Jesus Lord, indeed they could not call Him Lord (1 Cor. 12 :3). They had simply spoken of Him as Jesus. This way of speaking of Him is common today among those who ought to know better. Through this demonstration of the power of Jesus’ name a great revival sprang up, resulting in many believing and confessing and declaring their evil deeds, and those who practiced various forms of magical arts brought their costly books together and burned them publicly. It would be a great thing if we today could have a revival of such power as to result
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