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The seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were trying to do this on a man
15
when the evil spirit talked back: "I know Jesus and I've heard of Paul, but who are you?"
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Then the possessed man went berserk - jumped the exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could.
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It was soon news all over Ephesus among both Jews and Greeks. The realization spread that God was in and behind this. Curiosity about Paul developed into reverence for the Master Jesus.
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Many of those who thus believed came out of the closet and made a clean break with their secret sorceries.
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All kinds of witches and warlocks came out of the woodwork with their books of spells and incantations and made a huge bonfire of them. Someone estimated their worth at fifty thousand silver coins.
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In such ways it became evident that the Word of the Master was now sovereign and prevailed in Ephesus.
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After all this had come to a head, Paul decided it was time to move on to Macedonia and Achaia provinces, and from there to Jerusalem. "Then," he said, "I'm off to Rome. I've got to see Rome!"