We are a married couple who first met Paul in Corinth. We had left Rome when Emperor Claudius ordered all Jews to leave. We are tentmakers and shared that common occupation with Paul while ministering in Corinth. Financial independence allowed us freedom to assist in many places without being a burden on the local people. We were, like Paul, fellow workers in Jesus Christ although we were more in the background. After the time in Corinth, we accompanied Paul to Ephesus.

While there an Alexandrian Jew named Apollos came and spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. We took him aside and explained to him the way of God more adequately. While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. He found that the converts there did not know about the Holy Spirit. On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues and prophesied.

We were in Corinth when Apollos came through on his way to Achaea. We were able to mentor this gifted speaker and evangelist. Unlike many who are naturally gifted, he was eminently teachable. After that, we went back to Ephesus where we assisted Timothy. We need to point out, in order to counter some rumors that Paul was prejudiced against women, that in his second letter to Timothy he states, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila.”

It seemed that each city had a particular besetting sin. In Corinth it was sexual immorality. In Ephesus sorcery was big. And it was in Ephesus that the Holy Spirit chose to demonstrate the superiority of Jesus Christ by powerful demonstrations of healing. Even handkerchiefs from Paul were sufficient to heal illnesses and cast out demons. And to confirm that this was not just another form of sorcery an incident was allowed by the Lord as an illustration that the name of “Jesus” is not just a magic word.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

God tailors His communication methods to the needs of the audience. And those of us who are called to mentor the prominent people, are doing the work of the ministry just as much as they.

Acts 18, 19, 1 Corinthians 16, 2 Timothy 4

View as PDF

Discussion Questions

All these dramas may be used and shared freely. If you do use them, I would be interested in knowing about it and hearing comments.

Send comments to me at ross{at}rossolson.org

The URL for this document is