Sceva

Sceva was a Jew described as a "chief priest" at Ephesus whose seven sons attempted to cast out evil spirits by invoking the name of Jesus during Paul's ministry in that city (Acts 19:13–16). The episode is among the most dramatic in Acts: the demon-possessed man attacked all seven sons, overpowered them, and left them fleeing the house naked and wounded. Sceva's title "chief priest" (archiereus) is puzzling, as Ephesus had no Jewish high priestly office; it may mean he was the head of one of the twenty-four priestly courses, or that he claimed a priestly dignity to lend authority to his sons' exorcistic activities. The sons' failure with the unauthorized use of Jesus' name stands in sharp contrast to Paul's successful ministry, and the episode caused widespread fear and brought many Ephesian believers to confess and burn their books of magic (Acts 19:17–19). It illustrates that the divine power in Jesus' name cannot be mechanically appropriated without true faith and calling.