“11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, [a]“We [b]exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, [c]overpowered them, and prevailed against [d]them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. 19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” (Acts 19: 11-20, NKJV)
What’s in a name? The easiest answer would be identity. The name can indicate the person’s cultural, racial, and ethnic origins, and we even embellish names with further academic qualifications or indicate changes in familial belonging. When someone asks for our name, we provide it as a means of explaining our identity, and also give the person access to call us by that very name in case the recipient needs to connect or interact. It would be a lot harder for someone to interact with me when they don’t know my name, much less have a relationship. In the same way, readers of this passage, and the Bible in general, can understand the significance of the name of Jesus given to all of humanity as a means to connect with God in a relational manner, especially when we see: (a) the natural and supernatural power and authority contained in the name of Jesus, (b) who exactly is authorized to use the name of Jesus, (c) the purposes for which the name of Jesus is to be used, because (d) God’s name being used to do miracles is for God’s glory and not our own.
(a) the natural and supernatural power and authority contained in the name of Jesus
In the book of Acts, chapter 19, verses 11 and 12, we see that God used Paul to work miracles, and that both physical and spiritual ailments were resolved upon the slightest interaction with Paul, much like when the bleeding woman touches the hem of Jesus’ robe (Luke 8:43-48, Mark 5:24-34, KJV). The subsequent verses 13 and 14 then describes two groups of people- Jewish exorcists and seven sons of a Jewish priest, Sceva, who were convinced not by Paul’s power, but by “the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” This at first seems reasonable, since these folks were not confused about the source of the authority to cast out evil spirits and heal people as coming from Paul, unlike the people of Lystra who tried to worship Paul and Barnabas as Gods (Acts 14:11-18, KJV).
(b) who exactly is authorized to use the name of Jesus
Both the exorcists and the sons of Sceva, however, found out the hard way that the name of Jesus is different from all other names- that the name of Jesus denotes much more than earthly identity. The name of Jesus also denotes spiritual power, and that too one that is recognized in both earth and in elsewhere. In verse 15, these very people who had attempted to help a demon-possessed man came to a startling revelation. The evil spirit announced (yikes) that it recognized the identity of Jesus the Christ, and the identity of the Apostle Paul, but that it did not recognize the identity of this group of people asking the evil spirit to leave the possessed man. It is imperative to note that since the spiritual authority exercised by the disciples of Jesus comes from Jesus and not themselves (Luke 10:17-20, KJV), the fact that the spirit recognized Paul was due to the fact that Paul’s power, authority and identity were found in Jesus Christ.
It can then be surmised that if one were not to have an identity in Jesus Christ through the profession that He is God (Romans 8:1-19, Romans 10:8-18, KJV), then the person has not identity in Christ, not recognition of any kind in the spiritual realm, not spiritual authority, and therefore not spiritual power. The exorcists and sons of Sceva did not consult the Lord on whether or not they should cast out the demon in the name of Jesus, as they “took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits,” and also had no identity in Christ as the sons of God. Their earthly identities as the sons of a high priest, or as neighborhood exorcists, had no bearing in the spiritual realm, where one seems only to be recognized by their association with Jesus the Christ, or not at all.
In verse 16, we see the consequences of the unauthorized use of the name of Jesus, and the evil spirit attacks the unauthorized do-gooders and they flee, naked without the covering of the blood of Jesus, and unable to overpower or overcome the demon. The good news is that the authorized representatives who believe that Jesus Christ is God are able to rely on Him to help them overcome obstacles both natural and supernatural, as stated boldly in chapter 8 of Paul’s letter to the Romans:
“32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(c) the purposes for which the name of Jesus is to be used
In the rest of the passage for verses 17-20, the entire neighborhood hears about the evil spirit recognizing the identity, power and authority of Jesus Christ and His disciple, Paul, and that the same evil spirit wounded and harmed unauthorized users of the name of Jesus. Talk about access denied. As it states in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction (KJV),” the surrounding regions grew wise real quick and magnified the name of the Lord Jesus (verse 17), believed, confessed and repented of their wrong doings (verse 18), burned their books that went against God (verse 19), and held the value of the name of Jesus above the societal and economic value of their heretical books in which they had previously put their identity and trust (verse 19).
Verse 20 concludes that through these events, the word of the Lord, likely the books of the Law and Prophets in Hebraic tradition, had regained their rightful place in the lives of those who had believed on the name of Jesus Christ to have power and authority over all things- natural and supernatural. We see therefore that when the name of Jesus is used to perform miracles, it is to be used to point people back to God and His Living Word, and not to our own power and authority independent of God. Why?
(d) God’s name being used to do miracles is for God’s glory and not our own
When God gives us identity in Him, through Christ Jesus, He wants to use us to win the hearts of the nations in His eternal plan to save all people from the condemnation dealt in Genesis 3. His brand name burned onto our being through the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:6, Acts 2:3-5, 2nd Cor 3:1-3) doesn’t entitle us to have unauthorized power trips, but rather humble proceedings that include doing His will for His purposes (Luke 22:40-44). We see a foreshadowing of this when God speaks to Joshua as He prepares him to do miracles in the name of the Lord, much like Paul in Acts 19:
And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. (Joshua 3:7 NKJV)
Just like when the cool kid in the cafeteria waves you over to sit with him or her, being a son or daughter of Christ imparts an identity to the child of God that is an unparalleled change of status with God, resulting in us being seated with God (Ephesians 2), all for the purposes of magnifying God. The Lord in this case backs up Joshua in the eyes of all of Israel, and the rest of the book of Joshua reiterates God’s plan to save all the nations through Israel, meaning Joshua’s identity in God was an instrument for God’s salvation for the nations.
As Joshua, the Apostle Paul, me, and now perhaps you, reader, choose to align ourselves with God’s name, the name of Jesus the Christ, the Lord does miracles to exalt His branding over the counterfeits that have flooded the earth, and helps us rise above natural and supernatural obstacles so others may see and magnify the Lord, repent, confess, and have an abiding relationship with God. May this be our story today. In Jesus name, amen.
