Acts 19:1-10 - Paul in Ephesus

Door to door event March 23rd @ 1:00-3:00pm - Meet at the church at 1:00pm to pray and group up together

If you are someone who does not want to walk then we will have a group here that will just be praying for the walkers and the community around us! So please come!

Business meeting March 24th after service - should be nice and short!

Introduction

Do you think it is ok for us to just share part of the gospel?

Would it be ok if someone just knew part of the gospel?

What if we told them to turn from sin and follow God?

What if we just told them that Jesus only exists and there is no Holy Spirit?

Today in our passage…

People who only knew of John and had not learned about Christ or the Holy Spirit yet - and therefore had not recieved the full gospel.

We will see a gentile pentecost

Body

Paul Meets some of John’s Disciples (v.1-4)

Acts 19:1–4 ESV

1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

Paul encounters these disciples of John who were not aware of the ministry of Jesus or the coming of the Holy Spirit.

May have been converted by other followers of John who went on mission before pentecost and before Jesus

(v.2) It would be unlikely that they did not know of the existence of the Spirit, because John spoke about it so much, rather they were most likely unaware that the Spirit had come - which would also show they may have not known who Jesus was. (Consensus among scholars)

The disciples properly respond (v.5-7)

Acts 19:5–7 ESV

5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

Proper Response (v.5)

They respond to the teaching of Paul and immediately are baptized in the “name of the Lord Jesus”

These people sought to follow God in obedience when they were given correct information

We should be exactly the same. We should be willing to change when shown the correct path by another believer, trusted teacher, or by the scriptures themselves.

Paul laid hands on them? (v.6)

A false understanding of what the scripture says

Some try to argue this passage is teaching there is indwelling of the Holy Spirit (happens at time of conversion) and Baptism of the Holy Spirit that occurs as a secondary event to empower someone to do special tasks.

I disagree (not a good passage to build a significant theological doctrine on) - this is an event that is happening in a time of transition where a new covenant has been established. Similar to Pentecost in Acts 2.

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 19

Note that throughout Acts, all categories of people receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit: Jews, Samaritans, God-fearing Greeks, and other Gentiles.

The Holy Spirit has just come to the next category of people

This is the last time we hear of tongues in Acts but not the last time people come to faith - if this was a normative event then we would probably see it happen more. (Apart from new categories of people being saved - gentiles, Samaritans, etc.. )

In the normative, post pentecost events, the Holy Spirit enters at conversion (not some event after)

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Some falsely look for a “special experience”

Many look for “special experiences”. WHY?

Many do not want to actually turn from the way they are living

They just want an experience that will make them feel better for a time rather than turning from the thing that is destroying their lives - sin.

Many want a Jesus or a Christianity that is like a drug

My life is hard so I go and take a hit

I desire to look “spiritual” in front of others even though I am dead inside. OR I just want to look good for others while I still harbor sin.

Most are not satisfied with the Holy Spirit they have

They are not happy with “just having”: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, and self control.

So they fabricate something that really is not there.

God give regeneration through the Spirit - the greatest miracle one could ever see.

God gives discernment through the Spirit. It allows us to study, know, and understand scripture.

Anyone looking for new revelation is not satisfied in the true revelation of God which is Scripture.

Prophesying? Tongues? (v.6)

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 19

“Prophesying” in this passage may be equivalent to “telling … the mighty works of God” (2:11) or speaking so as to extol God (10:46).

Acts 2:11 ESV

11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Acts 10:46 ESV

46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,

Paul Ministers in the Synagogue (v.8-10)

Acts 19:8–10 ESV

8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Paul reasons in the synagogue (as is his pattern)

They reject what he teaches so he moves to a secular hall and continues for two years

Wrapping it up…

This is why it is so important for us to know all of the gospel that we can share the whole gospel

Application

We must lovingly correct those who are in error

When we are found to be in error, we must be willing to change

We must share the whole gospel