Acts 19:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They all did this from covetousness. Observe: they did not wish to believe, yet they wished to cast out demons by this name.

Yes, so great was the name of Paul. Those exorcists did not consider Jesus great if they added Paul's name to His, regarding Paul as something great.

What blindness there was in those who remained in unbelief even after the manifestation of such power. As Simon sought the grace of the Spirit for profit, so these did the same for the same reason.

What blindness! Why does Paul not forbid them? Because this would have seemed the work of envy. Therefore it is so arranged.

They did not wish to believe, yet they desired to cast out demons in the name of Jesus. These words plainly show that the exorcists adjured the unclean spirits by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, not as believers in Jesus, but as testing Him. The expression "they began" shows that, although they did not hope for success, they still laid hands on them to accomplish their trial. Therefore, shortly afterward, they paid the price for their recklessness.

Josephus says that King Solomon devised and taught his people methods for expelling demons, that is, incantations by which unclean spirits, once driven out by a man, no longer dared to return. Meanwhile this sometimes occurs even through evil men, either for the punishment of those who do it or for the benefit of those who see and hear it. Thus, even if people despise those who perform signs, they nevertheless honor God, after whose invocation such wonders take place. It was believed that the Jews had special power to cast out demons; see Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 8.2.5.

Although the Jewish seeking of signs could reduce all Christianity to these visible manifestations performed by the power of God, and consider it only a higher magic, as Simon the sorcerer thought, the very essence of Christianity contained something different.

Wherever it found true access to the heart, there it aroused the strongest revulsion against every such attempt.

At that time many Jewish exorcists roamed through this region. By various charms and incantations, and by the power of certain herbs, they claimed to cast evil spirits out of those possessed by them.

They acted according to rules whose origin they traced back to Solomon. These people could produce effects very striking at first sight.

The behavior of certain wandering Jewish exorcists and deceivers showed how strong an impression the miracles performed by the hands of Paul made on the inhabitants of Asia.

There were many such men then among both Jews and pagans; see 8:9 and following; 13:6 and following.

They were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest. Who this high priest was, and in what sense he is called a high priest here, is unknown.

Perhaps he was a relative of a high-priestly family. Perhaps he was chief of one of the twenty-four priestly courses; Lk 1:5.

They began to use the name of the Lord Jesus in exorcisms over the demon-possessed. They superstitiously supposed that wonderworking power lay in the very sounds of this name.

One of them, Sceva, attempted to imitate him. He hoped that, by using the name of Jesus, which he understood little, he would perform miracles as successfully as the Apostle Paul did.

But two of his sons, who practiced exorcisms, suffered a complete failure. This led to the complete uprooting of such charlatanry in Ephesus.

They were called to perform an exorcism over a man who was clearly suffering from violent demonic possession.

Addressing the evil spirits, they cried out, "We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches."

This time, however, the exorcism had no power. The demon-possessed man answered them with an evil sneer: "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?"

Then, rushing upon them with incredible strength, he tore their clothing and beat them so badly that they barely escaped from the house, wounded and naked.

Wandering Jewish exorcists: at that time there were many such wanderers. They used various incantations and sorceries, and were various kinds of charlatans; cf. Acts 13:6 and following, with notes; Josephus, Antt. 8.2.5; Bell. Jud. 1.1.2.

Sometimes such men, by God's mercy toward the demon-possessed, probably did cast out demons; cf. the note on Mt 12:27.

Seeing the extraordinary effects of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in Paul's mouth, by which he cast out demons according to Christ's promise; Mk 16:17, some of these exorcists began to use this worshipful name as an exorcistic formula.

They themselves neither knew nor believed in the Lord. They added, "whom Paul preaches," that is, precisely this Jesus and no other.

The abuse of the name of the Lord Jesus by unbelieving exorcists shows, on the one hand, the greatness of this name. On the other hand, it shows the insolence of those who dared to invoke Christ's name without full faith in Him.

It must be noted, however, that they undoubtedly had some faith in Him, and therefore used His name.

They probably did not think of this as Simon the sorcerer did. He thought to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit as a kind of magical means, even as a secret for performing tricks.

As though excusing themselves in their unbelief, they appealed to the Apostle's faith. Therefore they spoke of Jesus as the One whom Paul preaches.

Saint John Chrysostom asks, "Why did they, the exorcists, wander through the villages?" And he answers, "For profit, not for preaching."