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1. It was the burning up of books. There has been a good deal of that in history. People have been very fond of burning books, but they have been as a rule other people's books — not their own.

2. These people burnt their own books. Now, I suppose you have seen some books burned by the owner when they have been of no value. But that was not the reason why these people burnt their books.

3. They burnt costly books. Dean Alford, I think, tells us these must have been worth about £1,750, and Dean Howson says that they must have cost about £2,000.

4. They burnt them because they had found that they were all false. More than that — for I have no doubt they had found that out before now — they had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and become His disciples, and felt that they could not be both Christians and soothsayers. They must, as disciples of Christ, do away with their old evil habits, and burn their old books.

5. They burnt them openly — "in the sight of all." But why did they not burn them quietly, on their own hearths at home? Now, some of us would have done that, so that nobody might laugh at us, and especially that nobody we had deceived might get very angry, and say, "I have been paying you so much money for what turns out to be a mere sham." Observe that Luke tells that "some" did this. I have no doubt that there were others facing both ways, who tried to keep the books and at the same time to be Christians.

6. In conclusion, the people did all promptly and thoroughly. They did not hesitate, or stop short, until every book was burnt. They were in right earnest. Now, I have talked about all this in order just to bring a simple lesson home to you. No doubt you, too, have something to burn for the sake of Jesus Christ. Surely many of you profess to love Him. He exclaims to you, "If ye love Me, keep My commandments." But if you keep His commandments you have lots of little things to burn up. It may be some nasty little habit. Give up that lazy disposition, or the Lord Jesus will not own you. There are plenty of hypocrites in the world who pretend to be Christ's, and yet cling to their old sinful lives. Now I have no doubt you will say that Ephesus would be much poorer in books after this burning. No. Ephesus was far richer in books after this than ever it was before. Let us see. There was the Eplisle of Paul to the Ephesians; again there were the writings of John the Beloved. All these were given to Ephesus in return for the bad books which were burnt there. God always makes up for the losses we incur by seeking to please Him. And every act of this sort not only blesses us, but also others who see it.

(D. Davies.)

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KJV: And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

WEB: Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.