And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.
confessed.
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Leviticus 26:40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
Job 33:27,28 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; …
now came forward
The act of coming forward implies a public declaration or action. In the cultural context of Ephesus, where magic and occult practices were prevalent, this public step would have been significant and potentially costly. It demonstrates the transformative power of the Gospel, compelling believers to take bold steps in their faith journey. This public act can be seen as a form of repentance, aligning with the biblical call to turn away from sin and towards God (Acts 3:19).
confessing
Confession here involves acknowledging one's sins or wrongdoings. Biblically, confession is an important aspect of repentance and is often linked with forgiveness (1 John 1:9). In the context of Ephesus, this confession might have included renouncing previous practices related to magic or idolatry. The act of confessing publicly would have served as a powerful testimony to the transformative work of Christ in their lives.
and disclosing their deeds
Disclosing deeds suggests a detailed revelation of past actions, particularly those that were hidden or shameful. In Ephesus, known for its magical practices, this likely included the renunciation of sorcery and the burning of scrolls related to such practices (Acts 19:19). This act of disclosure is a demonstration of the believers' commitment to living in the light, as encouraged in Ephesians 5:11-13. It also reflects the biblical principle that true repentance involves not only turning away from sin but also making restitution where possible (Luke 19:8-9).
Acts 19:18 opens with one simple word that carries huge weight: “Many.” The gospel had not inched forward in Ephesus; it had surged. Throughout Acts we see similar scenes—“about three thousand souls were added” (Acts 2:41), “the number of the men grew to about five thousand” (Acts 4:4), and “a great multitude that no one could count” will one day stand before the throne (Revelation 7:9). The Lord delights to gather a people for His Name, reminding us that His arm is not too short to save (Isaiah 59:1). When the Word is faithfully proclaimed, we should expect a harvest (Matthew 9:37-38).
These “many” were not casual listeners; they “had believed.” Faith in Christ is the decisive line between spiritual death and life (John 5:24). Like the Philippian jailer who was told, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31), these Ephesians had already trusted Christ’s finished work. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that salvation is “by grace … through faith.” Their belief proved genuine, producing visible fruit (James 2:17).
Believers moved from private conviction to public action. Stepping out in front of their community mirrored earlier scenes where disciples “stood before the Sanhedrin” (Acts 4:8-12) or where new converts were “publicly baptized” (Acts 2:41). Jesus taught, “Whoever confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Faith that stays hidden is incomplete; love for Christ propels us into the open (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
Next, they were “confessing.” Confession is agreeing with God about our sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9). David testified, “I acknowledged my sin to You … and You forgave” (Psalm 32:5). James 5:16 links confession with healing and restoration in the body. By naming their failures, these believers rejected hypocrisy and embraced the freedom Christ offers (John 8:36).
They went a step farther, “disclosing their deeds.” Verse 19 shows them burning their costly magic scrolls—no half-measures. Paul later wrote, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Bringing hidden practices into the light severs sin’s power (Proverbs 28:13) and safeguards the church from corruption (2 Corinthians 4:2). Like Zacchaeus who said, “Look, Lord, here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor” (Luke 19:8), these believers publicly renounced what once defined them.
Acts 19:18 shows authentic faith in motion. A large number of believers courageously stepped into the open, confessed their sins, and unveiled their former practices. Their example teaches that saving faith bears fruit, that confession unlocks forgiveness and fellowship, and that full disclosure breaks sin’s chains. The same Spirit who empowered them stands ready to produce the same wholehearted response in us today.
(18) And many that believed.--More accurately, many of those that had believed. The word is probably used, as in Acts 19:2, for the whole process of conversion, including baptism, confession in this instance following on that rite, instead of preceding it. The words do not definitely state whether the confession was made privately to St. Paul and the other teachers, or publicly in the presence of the congregation; but the latter is, as in the confession made to the Baptist, much the more probable. (See Note on Matthew 3:6.) The feeling of a vague awe at this contact with the Unseen in some, the special belief in Christ as the Judge of all men in others, roused conscience into intense activity; the sins of their past lives came back upon their memories, and it was a relief to throw off the burden by confessing them.Verse 18. - Many also of them that had believed for and many that believed, A.V.; confessing and declaring for and confessed and showed, A.V. Many also of them that had believed. This and the following verse speak of that class of converts who had previously been addicted to magic arts. It gives us a curious view of the extent to which magic prevailed among the Jews at this time. Nor was it less prevalent in heathen Ephesus. The magic formulae of Ephesus were famous under the name of Ἐφέσια γράμματα (see Renan, pp. 344,345, note), and the belief in magic seems to have been universal. Hesychius gives as the names of the oldest Ephesian charms, Aski, Kataski, Lix, Petrax, Damnameneus, AEsion, which he explains as meaning severally "Darkness, Light," "the Earth," "the Year," "the Truth" (Lewin, p. 334).