Acts 19:1-12 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 19:1-12. Let’s go!
Acts 19:1-7 (NIV)
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7 There were about twelve men in all.
On verses 1-7: Here Apollos and Paul switch places. Apollos goes to Corinth and Paul goes to Ephesus. In Ephesus Paul finds 12 men who had received “John’s baptism”, which is probably referring to a baptism where the person being baptized says, “I am turning from my sins and I wait for God’s Messiah to come”. These 12 men in Ephesus, who may have been taught by Apollos (see Acts 18:25), had not yet been baptized into the name of Jesus, which is where the person being baptized is essentially saying, “I believe Jesus is God’s Messiah who has come and died on the cross and rose again to save me.” So when Paul finds this out, he baptizes these Ephesian Christians in the name of Jesus. Also, since these 12 men had never even heard of the Holy Spirit (v2), Paul lays hands on them in prayer, at which point the Holy Spirit falls on each of them in a powerful way as they begin to speak in tongues and prophesy.
What can we learn from this? Here we see the importance of being baptized into the name of Jesus as well as the power of being filled with the Holy Spirit. For every one of us who has trusted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, baptism into the name of Jesus as well as being filled with the Holy Spirit are crucial experiences to have if you want to live with the assurance, the power and the joy that God intended you to live with. For more information on baptism and/or the filling of the Holy Spirit, e-mail us at [email protected] and our team can connect you with resources to answer any questions may have and to help you take that next step if you’re ready.
Acts 19:8-10 (NIV)
8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
On verses 8-10: When Paul was in Ephesus, notice what he did with those who were obstinate, who refused to believe and who publicly criticized the church. He didn’t try to appease them, negotiate with them or beg for their support. He left them and instead focused on those who were honestly searching, hungry and willing to learn (v9).
One of the quickest ways to drain your energy and to live in frustration is to plant yourself in an environment where the people around you are consistently complaining and slow to go in the direction that you’re trying to lead them in. If you find yourself surrounded by complainers and critics and if you are not bound in obligation to them, move on and focus on investing in those who are willing to listen, learn and grow with you.
Acts 19:11-12 (NIV)
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,
12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
On verses 11-12: Not even in Jesus’ public ministry did we hear about people taking the things that Jesus touched and those things bringing healing to the sick and demonically oppressed. Yet we see this happening with Paul. It goes to show that Jesus’ ministry was meant to be a launchpad for the church to do even greater things. As Jesus says in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”
Thank You Father for the power of baptism and the power of Your Holy Spirit. Please empower Your church to do even greater things in this generation for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
