# Book Burning in Acts 19



## sastark

This passage has always puzzled me, and I'm hoping some of you can give me some insight on it:



> 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 19:18-20)



What are we to make of this book burning? Is it something that should be done in the church today? If so, why? If not, why not?

It seems to me that the progression of events in this passage is:
1. Preaching of the Gospel to both Jews and Greeks by Paul in Ephesus (for two years).
2. Attempted imitation of Paul's miracles by Jews.
3. Conversion of many, including magicians.
4. In response to their conversion, the magicians willingly give up/burn their books.
5. The word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

What say you?

Edited to add: I should make it clear that my question is not related to the news item about that "church" in Florida that will be burning Korans on September 11th. I will be leading a Bible study through Acts in a few weeks, and this passage has always interested me, so in preparation for leading that study, I'm asking about it.


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## AThornquist

I think it ought to continue for converts, but not by any means pressed. One of my pastors was highly proselytized by JWs before he was regenerated. He had _shelves_ of their material, including dictionaries, commentaries, encyclopedias, and so on. When the Lord opened his eyes (and his wife's), they threw it all outside and burned it, knowing it was unbiblical, ungodly garbage. Since what we see in Acts 19:18-20 is descriptive rather than prescriptive, I think the practice of utterly destroying one's spiritual hindrances in books and other materials is a real option, though we must not put that burden on the conscience of another.


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## sastark

Joshua said:


> I'm all for a godly magistrate outlawing anti-Christian books and burning them when found. That noted, a lot has to happen between our current circumstances and such a reality.


 
I don't see how the magistrate was involved in the passage in Acts.


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## SolaScriptura

I'm all for burning every book and publication published in support of or advocating leftism.


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## Rich Koster

To me it appears as a public act of repentance. As people turned to Jesus, they purged their homes and/or businesses of articles that promote or identify with false teaching/idolatry and made sure no one else would get their hands on the trash to learn things which God has forbidden. They didn't try to recapture any $ by selling off the deceitful stuff, they destroyed it for the glory of God. I think we also find stuff in boxes that we purge from our homes because it is the like. There may be an old Ouija board in the attic or some other "stuff" from our past we need to purge. If there was a great awakening, a group effort like this may occur, but in any case we should do it individually.


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## Grimmson

As a historian I am not always in favor of book burning because some valuable religious/theological and historical information, including political, over time has been lost by that process. I can see the value of destroying idolatrous material through the wisdom of a clergyman, one major problem with the clergy taking the lead is that typically they go further then they should at times in the area of music and literature. I say they go to far because it does not directly affect the new Christian’s life unlike the use of magical spells or trinkets to instill luck. The destruction of mystical devices and materials is different then the destruction of left-wing or right-wing political materials and various forms of music from Rock to Jazz. We must be careful that we do not put the seal of approval on accepted material and work if it was done only by someone or a group within the Christian community. We must allow for some level of liberty and wisdom unless it crosses against clear boundaries of established teaching from scripture, such as not practicing sorcery. The burning of such material is acts of a warning for such continuing in their rebellion from God as a picture of Hell and one burning in such a punishment. The idea of if this material is damnable and direct rebellion against God should be keep in mind if we are recommending books or CDs/Tapes are destroyed in the flames. At least that what governs my reasoning for the burning, that and I would recommend it is only by the supervising clergy of the church and not the magistrate. I do not think the magistrate under common grace has any right to burn any such material unless it is material that breeds anarchy and rebellion against the State.


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## Jack K

Back to Acts 19... This seems more than a mere jab at pagan philosophy. People today do book burnings to make an ideological point, but what happened in Ephesus was bigger. Books were incredibly expensive (as the passage points out), and for those who were professional magicians the books were their livelihood. Even for amateurs, the books represented what they put their trust in. Those magic books had been their hope of getting ahead in the world.

So the burning of the books is not just an ideological statement but an act of true repentance. They were putting their old livelihood, their old trust, their old hopes behind them. They would trust Jesus instead.

Thus, Acts 19 gives us one of the Bible's fullest pictures of Christian conversion. We see faith accompanied by all-out repentance. It's a great account!


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## Southern Presbyterian

So any act of public repudiation would be acceptable. The key is not in the burning but the forsaking.




*As an aside: I don't know anyone who has actually burned any books but I do know a guy who shot his Advanced Mathematics book with a shotgun.*


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## Rich Koster

Southern Presbyterian said:


> So any act of public repudiation would be acceptable. The key is not in the burning but the forsaking.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *As an aside: I don't know anyone who has actually burned any books but I do know a guy who shot his Advanced Mathematics book with a shotgun.*


 
The forsaking is the key. However, destroying the stuff so no one else could get hold of it was an added benefit in my opinion.


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## SolaScriptura

Joshua said:


> SolaScriptura said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm all for burning every book and publication published in support of or advocating leftism.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nuh uh.
Click to expand...


I'm serious as a heart attack.


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## AThornquist

SolaScriptura said:


> Joshua said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SolaScriptura said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm all for burning every book and publication published in support of or advocating leftism.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nuh uh.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I'm serious as a heart attack.
Click to expand...

 
That's pretty serious!


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## Jack K

Rich Koster said:


> Southern Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> 
> So any act of public repudiation would be acceptable. The key is not in the burning but the forsaking.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *As an aside: I don't know anyone who has actually burned any books but I do know a guy who shot his Advanced Mathematics book with a shotgun.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The forsaking is the key. However, destroying the stuff so no one else could get hold of it was an added benefit in my opinion.
Click to expand...

 
Agreed. The bonfire seems to make it a no-going-back sort of forsaking, with a heavy dose of "good riddance" thrown in. An example for us all, I'd say.


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## Grimmson

Jack K said:


> Rich Koster said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Southern Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> 
> So any act of public repudiation would be acceptable. The key is not in the burning but the forsaking.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *As an aside: I don't know anyone who has actually burned any books but I do know a guy who shot his Advanced Mathematics book with a shotgun.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The forsaking is the key. However, destroying the stuff so no one else could get hold of it was an added benefit in my opinion.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Agreed. The bonfire seems to make it a no-going-back sort of forsaking, with a heavy dose of "good riddance" thrown in. An example for us all, I'd say.
Click to expand...

 
At least with those items of question, even though today people can always spend the money and rebuy them. It was much harder during the first century to rebuy these burned items due to the higher costs involved in comparsion to today's cost. I hope nobody here would recommend the destruction of an advanced math book. That is one item that should not be shot, burned, or defaced; instead should be sold and used to continue the education it was meant to serve.


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## Rich Koster

Grimmson said:


> Jack K said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rich Koster said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Southern Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> 
> So any act of public repudiation would be acceptable. The key is not in the burning but the forsaking.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *As an aside: I don't know anyone who has actually burned any books but I do know a guy who shot his Advanced Mathematics book with a shotgun.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The forsaking is the key. However, destroying the stuff so no one else could get hold of it was an added benefit in my opinion.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Agreed. The bonfire seems to make it a no-going-back sort of forsaking, with a heavy dose of "good riddance" thrown in. An example for us all, I'd say.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> At least with those items of question, even though today people can always spend the money and rebuy them. It was much harder during the first century to rebuy these burned items due to the higher costs involved in comparsion to today's cost. I hope nobody here would recommend the destruction of an advanced math book. That is one item that should not be shot, burned, or defaced; instead should be sold and used to continue the education it was meant to serve.
Click to expand...


I wouldn't attack mathematics. However, spell,incantation,magic potion formula, Benny Hinn & Joyce Meyer books I would use to heat my home or use for target practice.


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## kvanlaan

> The forsaking is the key. However, destroying the stuff so no one else could get hold of it was an added benefit in my opinion.



I once had a Joel Osteen volume fall into my hands and I burnt it in the front yard for precisely this reason. Why pass on a little bit of hell on earth when you can send it back to its maker?


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## Pergamum

A modern-day equivalent is the tribal burning of fetishes, as has occurred among the highland tribes of Irian Jaya. Upon repentance they gathered their articles of witchcraft and burned them on the hilltops for others to see. This seemed a communal outward display of repentance for these groups.

Deuteronomy 7:25 "The graven images of their gods you shall burn with fire..."


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## Southern Presbyterian

Jack K said:


> Rich Koster said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Southern Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> 
> So any act of public repudiation would be acceptable. The key is not in the burning but the forsaking.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *As an aside: I don't know anyone who has actually burned any books but I do know a guy who shot his Advanced Mathematics book with a shotgun.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The forsaking is the key. However, destroying the stuff so no one else could get hold of it was an added benefit in my opinion.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Agreed. The bonfire seems to make it a no-going-back sort of forsaking, with a heavy dose of "good riddance" thrown in. An example for us all, I'd say.
Click to expand...

 
I'm thinking the modern equivalent would be the chipper-shredder.


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