During his third missionary journey, Paul returned to Ephesus and spent three years there. He taught about Jesus in the synagogue and a city school. Some of the most unusual miracles in the Book of Acts occurred during Paul’s stay in Ephesus. They were so convincing that magicians and sorcerers burned their expensive sorcery books and turned to God. So many people stopped worshipping idols (and buying idol statues) that a silversmith named Demetrius led a riot against Paul.
Jesus is more powerful than any power in heaven or earth. Tusting in practices such as sorcery, magic, witchcraft, or horoscopes is trusting in another power above Jesus.
Bible verses used in this episode:
Outline:
- Paul teaches in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-10)
- The power of Jesus over the spiritual realm (Acts 19:11-20)
- Anger in the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41)
Tips for teaching children:
- Be respectful of the varying “rules” among families concerning exposure to negative spiritual influences. Some children are not allowed to watch certain movies or read particular books, while the parents of others consider the same books safe “fantasy” reading.
- Collect horoscopes and predictions from magazines and coffee shop papers. You could also print these out from online articles. Guide children in cutting these out. Write the scripture Ecclesiastes 8:7 in the centre of a poster and glue the clippings around the border.
- Sing songs about the power of God over satan.
Tips for teaching adults:
- Online maps, photos, illustrations and articles (check copyright conditions in each)
- Questions:
- In what ways did the spiritual forces of darkness manifest themselves in this story?
- How was Jesus’ power manifested in the several stories in this chapter?
- How can we, as followers of Jesus, guard ourselves against the spiritual forces of darkness? I want to suggest 1) reading the Scripture, 2) prayer, and 3)
Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson: Paul and the Dark Powers of Ephesus
Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.
For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org