IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

The Word of God Grew in Power

Date: Oct. 18, 2025

Passage

Acts 19:1-20 (ESV)

And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all.

And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 19:9,10

But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

Paul’s stint in Ephesus as we see in this text happened during his third missionary journey. He had been there earlier during his second missionary journey but could not spend enough time there at that time (18:20,21). Some disciples Paul found there had been instructed mainly about John’s baptism by Apollos (18:24). It meant Apollos did not know “the whole counsel of God” (20:27) to instruct his Bible students. Paul had to fill in the gap.

Paul’s ministry in Ephesus lasted two years and three months in total (19:8-10). This is the longest time Paul spent in one place, according to Luke’s records. It was part of Paul’s missionary strategy. He planted churches to serve as strategic centers where the gospel radiated out to surrounding areas. Other church examples are Antioch in Pisidia (13;14), Thessalonica (17:1), Athens (17:15) and Corinth (18:1). Paul had a similar plan for Rome (19:21). God blessed Paul’s ministry in Ephesus abundantly “so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (19:10). And there was a mighty work of God through the power of the Holy Spirit (19:17-20).

Prayer: Father, thank you for Apostle Paul, who taught God’s flock of sheep “the whole counsel of God.” Help me study the Bible diligently that I may do the same. Help me also depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to do God’s work. Amen.

One Word: Preach “the whole counsel of God”

Daily Bread

Jesus Remained Silent

Mark 15:1-15

Key Verse: 15:5

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