Free Bible Commentary
“Acts 19:1-10”
Categories: Acts“It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men. And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”
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The Apostle Paul has now embarked on his third preaching tour. Acts 18:23 tells us that after he had departed from Antioch again, he passed through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples in the congregations that he had previously helped to establish. This time he was allowed by the Holy Spirit to expand his teaching into the province of Asia (Acts 16:6), and Paul spent considerable time in the city of Ephesus teaching the word (verse 10) and working extraordinary miracles (verse 11).
When Paul entered Ephesus, his first recorded encounter was with twelve men who were “disciples” but had not yet properly obeyed the Gospel (verse 1). Just like Apollos, who had also been staying in that region (Acts 18:24-25), they had an incomplete knowledge about baptism into the name of Jesus, being only familiar with John’s baptism. We can learn a lot about the differences between the two baptisms by Paul’s enlightening conversation with these twelve men.
First, Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they had believed in Jesus (verse 2). When they replied that they had not, Paul then asked them, “Into what then were you baptized” (verse 3). The implication from these two questions is that when People are baptized for the right reasons and into the right “name”, that they receive the Holy Spirit. This is exactly what Peter told the people gathered around him in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). John’s baptism provided no “gift” with it. Paul told the twelve men that John only baptized people for repentance in anticipation and preparation for belief “in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus” (verse 4). They were then, “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (verse 5). So then, here are three things that were lacking in the baptism of John: (1) John’s baptism was only an “introductory” baptism, preparing people’s hearts for belief in Jesus; (2) it imparted no “gift” of the Holy Spirit; (3) and it was not administered in “the name of Jesus”.
John’s baptism was not wrong or improper, it just had a limited scope and duration. There is a profound difference between any baptisms that were performed before and after Christ’s death. It was only after Jesus shed His blood on the cross and died for the sins of mankind that people could actually be “baptized into His death” (Romans 6:3). Paul goes on to tell us in Romans 6:4-6: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” The baptism that crucifies and buries the old person of sin and provides newness of life, can only be found on this side of the cross, for people who have lived on this side of the cross.
The simple message for us is this—The way and the reasons why we are baptized really matter. A proper and obedient baptism is one that is done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). It is accompanied (or preceded) by repentance and done “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38; 22:16). It is done to “be saved” (Mark 16:16), and to be added to the body of Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). It is to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 3:28). Please friend, learn this vital lesson from these twelve men who were eagerly willing to make their lives right with God. If you haven’t been baptized for all of these reasons and into the proper “name” (authority), be baptized again in humble, saving, obedient faith.
Now, what about this “gift of the Holy Spirit”? What exactly is this gift that we receive when we are baptized in the right way and for the right reasons? I believe that there are two viable explanations for what this gift is. Many people view the gift the Holy Spirit to be the free gift of salvation. Romans 6:23 tells us that, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This would make perfect sense because baptism is done for salvation, or eternal life (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21). The other explanation is that the “gift of the Holy Spirit” is the Holy Spirit himself. When we believe the message that He has revealed to us and we obey His commandments, we receive Him. Romans 8:9 tells us that, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” I actually like the second one better but they are both scripturally sound and either one could be correct.
But please notice what receiving the gift of the Holy does not and cannot mean. It does not mean receiving the miraculous “gifts” of the Holy Spirit. When these twelve men in Ephesus believed and were baptized in water, they received the “gift” of the Holy Spirit (verse 5). But it wasn’t until the Apostle Paul laid his hands on them and imparted special powers to them that they received the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit (verse 6). Only by the laying on of the Apostles’ hands were these miraculous gifts imparted to other believers (Acts 8:18; 19:6), and the Apostles of Jesus Christ haven’t been living on the earth for nearly 2000 years.
So, if you believe like I do, that the gift of the Holy Spirit is actually the Holy Spirit himself, you must be careful to note that this gift isn’t miraculous in nature. This “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:19) is a reception of Him and His inspired teaching, and an obedient fellowship with Him. We do not receive His revelation miraculously by His dwelling in us. We must study the Bible that He revealed in order to know and obey God’s will for us (Ephesians 3:4; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3, 19-21).
Please read Acts 19:11-20 for tomorrow.
Have a blessed day!
-Louie Taylor
