Incarnation or Incantation?

Arthur Barry

        What a sight it must have been! Grown men were running naked and bleeding from a house in Ephesus that day. Acts 19:13-16 tells us there were seven of them but they were no match for the one man from whom they tried to drive out a demon. One man against seven; where did he get such ability? To add more strangeness to an already surreal scene this man was demon possessed and the seven men were sons of a high priest. Surely they were qualified for the task of exorcising this demon? Well, the demon obviously did not think so. He first responded with a verbal rebuff, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" Then he reinforced his statement by beating the daylights out of them.

        The irony is that these men had just called on the name of Jesus to defeat the demon. What happened? Why did it go so badly? In verse 13 it tells us that they actually said, "In the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches I command you to come out." The Demon did not recognize their authority and it was not because they were not apostles like Paul was. Apostles were passing on the ability to work such miracles by this time (Acts 8:6,7) These men did not have the authority to call on Jesus' name because they were not Christians. They were claiming to represent Jesus but they simply had not got the authority to do so. They were not disciples of Jesus themselves so they could not pass on the power of Jesus. They "invoked" the name of Jesus which is similar to incantation where words are thought to have magical power in themselves when they are spoken. Paul had obeyed the gospel of Christ and had been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17,18) He literally carried the authority of Christ but these seven men carried only the superstition and traditions of men. They obviously saw the value in the name of Christ and were willing to speak it but they were not faithful to the Name.

        Would you like to have been baptized by one of them? If someone who is not a believer themselves but says the right words will that work for God? Is there some magic power in the words, "I baptize you in the name of Jesus" so that it does not matter who says them? Does it not matter who baptizes another person? Did it matter who baptized Jesus or could one of the Pharisees have done it as well as John? Why couldn't one of Paul's traveling companions have baptized him instead of Ananias? The Ethiopian Eunuch was not traveling alone (Acts 8:38). Why couldn't one of his own people have baptized him instead of Phillip? The same question applies to Cornelius, Lydia, etc. In all biblical examples a person of faith is involved in baptizing another person. Would God entrust the anointing of one of his priest / kings to any random person who happens to be familiar with the procedure and the words? The seven sons of Sceva were familiar with Jesus but not faithful. Faithful Christians have the spirit of Christ and therefore the authority to represent Him in the solemn act of baptizing another. They have the Word incarnate not an incantation. Do you have the authority to speak and act for Christ?

        And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:17.