Acts 19:10, commentary and pictures

The setting is the Roman province of Asia, whose capital was Ephesus, a major commercial center with busy shipping and people from many countries that made it a promising base for missionary work to reach the whole province. The way for this work had been prepared by earlier news about Jesus, carried by Jews who had heard John the Baptist proclaim Him as the Promised One. Before the two years described, Paul preached for three months in the Jewish synagogue at Ephesus, then after hardened and persistent opposition withdrew, separated the disciples, and disputed and instructed daily in the school of Tyrannus.

The Ephesus ministry together with its context lasted three years and was an aggressive evangelistic effort reaching throughout that region, during which Paul supported himself by working with his hands at his trade and had with him Aquila and Priscilla, who had accompanied him to Asia at the close of his second missionary journey. This sustained daily work continued for two years and made Ephesus a center from which the gospel spread so that all who dwelt in Asia, both Jews and Greeks or Gentiles, heard the word of the Lord Jesus. The work succeeded in raising up a large church and establishing a Christian church in Ephesus, a stronghold of heathenism.

Its influence reached beyond those who openly became believers, as many others were enlightened and lost confidence in their pagan gods, which weakened the worship of Diana and reduced attendance and enthusiasm at the annual festival. Jews from Asia who had opposed Paul in the Ephesian synagogue grew more enraged as they saw his success across Asia, and when they later recognized him in Jerusalem they stirred up a crowd against him. The chapter containing the verse records the early apostles receiving the promised blessing and speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, corroborating the same present experience of the promised power.