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Note at the outset —

1. Man's craving for the supernatural. Under the shadow of Diana superstitions were rife, and priests and miracle workers abounded. Man feels that he has a relation to something deeper than the earth beneath and higher than the sky above him.

2. Accommodation in the work of Christian propagandism. The apostle, on entering Ephesus, meets the tendency of the inhabitants by performing miracles. As Moses met the magicians of Egypt on their own ground, confounding them by the supernatural, so Paul now confronts and confounds the deluded supernaturalists of Ephesus. This extraordinary narrative presents to us a spurious Christianity.

I. As in IMPIOUS MIMICRY OF THE DIVINE (ver. 13, 14). These "exorcists" witnessed the marvels that the apostle had wrought, and they impiously tried their hands at the same. The work they imitated was Divine —

1. In its object. Paul had expelled evil spirits; and this was the grand work of Christianity. Christ came to "destroy the works of the devil."

2. In its method. Paul accomplished his work in the "name of Jesus Christ." He never attempted it in his own power. As in the case of these exorcists, a spurious Christianity is ever a mimicry of the Divine. It has two distinctive forms in Christendom — the naturalistic and the ritualistic. Now, a spurious Christianity imitates the Divine both in the object and the method.

II. AS THE INDIGNANT SCORN OF HELL (ver. 15). The evil spirit is here spoken of as a person distinct from the man. We may infer, therefore —

1. That hell knows and respects Christ and His true followers. "Jesus I know" (Mark 1:23). He encountered and conquered our leader in the wilderness, and bruised his head upon the Cress. And "Paul I know." I know he is an earnest and successful preacher of the faith he once endeavoured to destroy. Not a word does this evil spirit say either against Jesus or Paul.

2. That hell despises and avenges religious pretenders. "Who are ye? What right have you to use that wonderful name at which we tremble?" Hell has no respect for its own emissaries. Not only does the evil spirit express its indignation and contempt, but wreaks vengeance on the head of the pretenders (ver. 16). This incidents suggests —

(1) That the efforts of a spurious Christianity only increase the force of evil. The evil spirit in the man seemed to get new strength from the efforts of the exorcists. That which is not the genuine gospel gives strength to the devil. "He that is not with Me is against Me."(2) That heaven employs evil to punish evil. The sinner is the tormentor of the sinner everywhere, and forever.

III. AS DIVINELY OVERRULED FOR GOOD (ver. 20). The narrative shows three useful results.

1. A popular excitement in favour of the true. "And fear fell on them all." Much is done for truth when the general mind of the community is excited towards it. There is a sad tendency to run in old ruts, or sleep on the stagnant thoughts of ancestors. Sometimes, as in the case before us, the abominations of a spurious Christianity have so broken forth upon the public mind as to startle it from its slumbers, and to excite it into earnest inquiry after the truth. Witness Popery in the days of Luther.

2. An open profession of Christian faith (ver. 18). Like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, they were secret disciples. They had not sufficient moral courage to declare convictions repugnant to popular belief. This event, however, brought them to a crisis.

3. A Conscientious renunciation of evil practices. The force of conscience is seen —

(1) In the sacrifice of secular interest. Let England's conscience be Divinely touched, and many of her trades, crafts, and callings will go off in flame.

(2) In the outrage on historic feeling. They were associated with many a tender name, and with many a thrilling event in life, Notwithstanding that, conscience would have them go. Conclusion: This subject urges several important facts upon our attention —

1. That evil spirits are amongst men. Are not men possessed when they live the irrational, immoral, and ungodly?

2. That evil spirits must be expelled. Whoever does it is the philanthropist, the saviour.

3. That evil spirits can only be expelled by genuine faith in the name of Christ. The exorcists failed because they pronounced that name and had no faith in it.

(D. Thomas, D. D.)

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KJV: Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

WEB: But some of the itinerant Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to invoke over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."