Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. Though some have accused Luke of indulging in folklore in regard to this section in Acts, the Bible and history reveal that itinerant Jewish exorcists existed. Jesus spoke of Jewish exorcists when He was accused of casting out demons by Beelzebul (Mt 12:27; Lk 11:19). Josephus wrote of the Jewish exorcist Eleazar, who cast out demons in the presence of Vespasian (Josephus Ant 8:46-48). Ancient manuscripts attest to certain incantations and formulas of Jewish exorcists. Furthermore, Luke historically documented that Ephesus was a “storehouse of magic scrolls” (BAK).

2. Josephus intimated that God gave Solomon wisdom concerning expelling demons (Ant. 8:45). Josephus maintained that Solomon learned incantations and formulas for exorcisms and handed down his knowledge to others (Ant. 8:45. However, this is nowhere mentioned in Scripture). Eleazar was an example of an exorcist who supposedly gained his knowledge from Solomon which included, rings, roots, and recitations (incantations) (Ant. 8:46-47). Eleazar even placed a basin of water that the expelled demon would knock over during his expulsion in the sight of everyone (Ant. 8:48).

3. The Jewish exorcists of the day were itinerant going from “place to place.” They could have frequented Ephesus or even made Ephesus their home because of the gross obsession with superstitions, magic, and evil spirits.

4. Since their formulas did not always produce the desired effects, they were always looking for new formulas and incantations (cf. Ac 8:18-19). These particular Jewish exorcists must have heard or observed Paul cast out evil spirits.

5. In order to cast out evil spirits, they attempted to “name over” (onomazein epi) the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus. This is the only time that this expression is used in the NT. It suggests that they were invoking the name as a mere formula. The expression “name over” was never used of Jesus or the apostles. When the apostles did mention the name of the Lord it was used with the idea that the miracles were done “on the basis of Jesus’ name” and on the authority given to them (baptism - Ac 2:38; 10:48; healings - Ac 3:6, 18; 4:10; evil spirits - Ac 16:18).

6. The fact that these Jewish exorcists used the name of Jesus with the addition, “whom Paul preaches,” revealed that they did not have a relationship with Jesus and were therefore unbelievers. Certainly, an unbeliever cannot not invoke Jesus’ name to cast out demons. One has to wonder about the exorcists in the Catholic faith.

B. Family of Sceva (14)

1. Nothing is known about Sceva other than what Luke gives us. He was the father of at least seven sons and he was called a chief priest. It can be assumed that he was a Jewish exorcist or sorcerer. As to his title of “chief priest,” no other account is given. However, it was not uncommon for some of these magicians to give themselves titles.

2. Nothing is known about his seven sons except what Luke records in Ac 19:13-17. They were itinerant exorcists who were about to meet a real evil spirit.

C. Familiarity by the Evil Spirit (15)

1. An “evil spirit” is a demon, an angel that voluntarily followed Satan in his rebellion against God (Re 12:1-14; Is 14:12-17; Eze 28:11-19). It is recorded in the Bible that a demon or demons can possess an individual (Mt 12:43-45) and can speak through them (Mk 1:34; 5:9-10).

2. The evil spirit that answered the sons of Sceva, certainly “recognized” Jesus (ginōskō - experiential knowledge, “knew”), for He was the “Son of God” (Mk 3:11), who created all angels (Col 1:16), is worshipped by angels (Heb 1:6), destroyed the works of the devil (1Jn 3:8), and will judge Satan and his angels (Mt 25:41; Mk 5:7).

3. The evil spirit “knew about” Paul (epistamai - intellectual knowledge), probably having seen or heard about his miracles at Ephesus (Ac 19:12).

4. However, the evil spirit did not know the sons of Sceva even though they went from place to place including Ephesus. It was not so much that the evil spirit had not come across the sons of Sceva. Rather, it was that they did not have any authority to command the demon to leave the man. The Greek shows an emphasis upon the word “you” (humeis) perhaps likened to the expression, “who do you think you are.”

5. Jesus cast out demons because He was the Son of God who has all authority in heaven and on earth. When he commanded them to go, they could not do otherwise, being commanded by God.

6. Jesus gave His authority to His apostles so that they could command the demons to come evil out immediately (Ac 5:15-16; 16:18). There is no record of the apostles having to cajole, perform rites and rituals, or say incantations to cast out demons.

7. Someone will probably ask about the time when the disciples could not cast out the demon from the demon-possessed boy (Mt 17:19; Mk 9:28). The reason was that though they had authority to cast out demons, they were limited by faith, prayer and fasting (Mt 17:20-21; Mk 9:29). We see no such deficiencies, limitations, nor failed attempts by the apostles to cast out demons in the book of Acts. The authority to cast out demons was given only to the apostles and a few others in the apostolic age. It is not for today.

D. Flurry by the Evil Spirit (16)

1. In the New Testament evil spirits can demonstrate superhuman strength (Mk 5:4; Lk 8:29), causing harm to the victim (Mk 5:5) or others (Mt 8:28). In this case, the evil spirit in the man leaped on the seven men and beat them into submission.

2. The spirit “overpowered” them (ischuō - power or strength, physical, superhuman, or supernatural) but they did not have the authority or power to stop him. Therefore, they were forced to flee out of the house bruised and with their clothes torn to shreds.

II. SCORCHING OF SCROLLS AND SPELLS

A. Multitudes were Awestruck (17)

1. Not only did the fate of the exorcists become a public spectacle in Ephesus, but fear (reverence) came upon all the people concerning the power of Christ in the apostles and their message.

2. No one else could overpower or cast out these demons but the apostles. It was in that sense that the name of the Lord (His power and message, not the formula) was magnified over the power of Satan.

B. Many Confessed their Practices (18)

1. Because of Paul’s preaching and the miracles that accompanied it, believers and those coming to the faith (perfect participle - pistueō - to believe) were showing genuine signs of repentance.

2. They were “confessing” their sins (present participle - exomologeō - openly confessing), particular those associated with the occult. In addition, they were openly repenting of their sinful practices of magic spells.

C. Magic Books were Burned (19)

1. Furthermore, a significant number of believers brought out the very books that contained these spells. Then they were destroyed by fire in the sight of everyone.

2. The total value of these books came to fifty thousand pieces of silver (a piece of silver equaled a day’s wage). This would have been a monumental testimony of the power of Christ over Satan in the extremely superstitious and occultic city of Ephesus (cf. Ac 19:12).

D. Mighty Word was Overpowering (20)

1. Luke’s conclusion to this entire section was the exaltation of the power of the Word of God, not the power of casting out demons (cf. Lk 10:20).

2. The mighty Word of God “prevailed” (ischuō - overpower, same word for the power of demons in Ac 19:16) and divinely overpowered even the power of Satan (cf. Ep 6:17).

III. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. How do we handle demon-possession?

1. We don’t. Not in the way we observe it being done today.

a) Today exorcisms are un-biblical rituals under the deception of Satan.

b) It’s a crafty scheme. It has become a lucrative business.

2. That was a ministry exclusive to the apostles.

3. There is no such gift as the gift of exorcism in the Scriptures

4. Christians cannot be demon-possessed

a) No clear examples in NT.

b) 2Co 6:15-16 - what harmony has Christ with Belial

c) Mt 12:29 - No one can enter without binding the strong man (HS)

d) Col 1:13 - transferred from dominion of darkness to Kingdom of the Son

e) 1Jn 2:13 - believers have overcome the evil one

f) 1Jn 4:4 - Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

g) 1Jn 5:18-19 - We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

5. This takes care of 95% (or better) of today’s exorcisms.

6. We must not rely on experience, subjective theologians, or stories but must rely solely on the Scriptures to dictate our beliefs

a) Are we going to deal with this biblically or are we going go strictly on anecdotes (peoples stories).

7. What was the instruction to the church at Ephesus concerning spiritual warfare?

a) Nothing concerning exorcisms.

b) Only the armor of God (Ep 6:10ff)

c) Defensive weapons

d) Except the sword of the Spirit

e) Stand in Christ’s power and victory

f) Confession of sin and repentance (Ac (19), stand in the power of Christ and put on the armor of God (Eph 6)

8. Unbelievers?

a) Not as prevalent as in NT times.

b) Share the gospel with an unbeliever. If they accept Christ the demon cannot remain.

B. What is the Real Issue?

1. Scheme of Satan to keep the believer’s eyes off the Word of God and the real issues.

a) Salvation

b) Sanctification - confession, repentance, submission to the Word, holy living

(1) Submit to God, resist the Devil and He will flee from you (Jam 4:7)

C. What about today’s exorcisms?

1. Not of Christians

2. Not formulas

a) In the name of Jesus

b) Plead the blood

c) What about generational curses.

3. Deceived by Satan

4. Bob Larson

a) Evangelical - expert on the occult

b) Got sucked in by deception of Satan

(1) United with Catholics - wearing clerical collar

(2) Uses a silver cross, but you can purchase a silver imitation from him for a discounted price

(3) Presses the Bible on their head and necks, usually closer to the microphone ()

(4) Makes her drink anointed oil

c) Believers can be oppressed and bothered by demons but cannot be possessed. Many in the Charismatic Movement are attempting to cast out demons from believers for all sorts of reasons. It has been a long tradition in these circles to cast out the demon of anger, hatred, fear, drug and alcohol addiction, sexual addiction, (Scripture calls them deeds of the flesh). They also include generational curses

(1) Bob Larson states that if relationships, finances, health, happiness, life is not what it should be, then schedule a one one one with Bob Larson from the Spiritual Freedom Church.

d) Evil spirit of Jezebel has become popular

(1) Bob Larson, youre Jezebel, it gets a little tiresome seeing your ugly face….What’s so funny…I don’t know what you’re doing….you’re a demon, I’m the real exorcist…this isn’t a movie…Afterwards…woman hugs Bob…you know what’s great about this she jezebel hates men.

(2) Referred to as female demon.

(3) Bible only references all angels in the masculine

(4) How can one spirit possess so many believers at one time when they are not omni-present?

e) On CNN with John MacArthur

(1) In 2007 Bob Larson was invited on CNN to talk about exorcisms gone bad. They also had on the show the shy John Macarthur.

(2) However, rather than providing fantastic reports of satanic possession and the like, he spent a good deal of the interview rightly rebuking Bob for his unbiblical views of the spirit world, the devil, and exorcisms. He compared Bob's "ministry" to that of the seven sons of Sceva mentioned in Acts 19 who were traveling exorcists.

(3) This passage from Acts in addition to Paul's epistle to the Ephesians give some of the strongest evidence that exorcism what not what Jesus did, or the apostles, nor what we should be doing today. Instead we should be heralding God's over-powering Word, the sword of the Spirit, and its divine truths that will truly set free all who embrace them.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516