How Well Do You Know the Holy Spirit (120824)

In verse one we read that Paul arrives back in Ephesus while also being told that Apollos - whom we learned about last Sunday - was in Corinth across the Aegean Sea.

When Paul arrives in Ephesus, we are told that he finds certain disciples.

Because of how chapter 18 ends and chapter 19 begins, I believe that it is a safe assumption that these certain disciples were associated with Apollos.

Acts 19:2 KJV 1900

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Before going any further, I need to state that I have spent a good deal of time studying this passage of Scripture and, in that process, reading what many other Bible teachers have to say about these 7 verses. And, even though the individuals I refer to are godly men, I will have to say that they don’t all agree and that’s ok.

…since ye believed…

I believe that we can confidently say that these 12 individuals were saved even though there are some who disagree with that.

…Have ye received the Holy Ghost?…

I will have to admit that I do not fully understand this question by the Apostle Paul. Good men disagree in some aspects as to what is taking place in these 7 verses.

I have often heard - and been taught - that the book of Acts is more descriptive than prescriptive in nature meaning that it is descriptive of the transition from the Old Testament economy to the ministry of Christ to the New Testament economy. It is not a book of doctrine. (Paul’s epistles are full of doctrine.)

That old preacher, H.A. Ironside stated it this way:

Lectures on the Book of Acts Lecture Thirty-One: Advancing from John’s Baptism to the Truth of New Creation (Acts 18:23–19:7)

You see, this little group was living in a transition stage. They were neither Jews as such, still on legal ground, nor were they on full New Testament ground. They were Jews who were looking forward to the coming of Messiah, and had been baptized with the baptism of John.

Much in the same way as we, last week, understood Apollos to be.

Now, while there are some things that I do not fully understand, nor may be able to fully articulate, there are some truths that I can, because of the doctrine contained in the New Testament (namely from the Pauline epistle), be very definitive about.

One of those truths can be found in the book of Romans:

Romans 8:9 (KJV 1900)

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

If you have believed in Jesus Christ and the Gospel message, than you have received the Holy Spirit!

As John Phillips state:

Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary (a) The Followers of John (19:1–7)

Either one has the Holy Spirit, in which case he belongs to Christ and is saved, or else one does not have the Holy Spirit, in which case he is not saved.

Now, I’m going to come back to the second part of verse 2 in just a few minutes, but I want to look at the question which Paul asked these disciples in verse 3:

Acts 19:3 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

…Unto what then were ye baptized…

That phrase could be read, “Who/what have you identified with?” (Remembering that baptism is also a means of identification.)

Their response?

…Unto John’s baptism…

In other words they were stating that they had identified with John’s preaching - with his message.

Paul, in verse 4, in a sense, does the same thing for these 12 individuals which Aquila and Priscilla did for Apollos in chapter 18.

Acts 19:4 KJV 1900

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

These 12 individuals responded, I believe, in the same way as Apollos.

Acts 19:5 KJV 1900

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

They identified with the full Gospel message which Paul had been preaching.

Acts 19:6 KJV 1900

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

As one Bible teacher put it:

Paul the Apostle Ephesus

These Ephesian disciples had heard nothing of this (v. 2), welcomed the news and submitted to Christian baptism, receiving dramatic confirmation of the Spirit’s presence.

There were three other times when individuals or groups of individuals experienced a similar event. This type of event was, particularly as we see it in the book of Acts, a sign specifically to the Jews to verify and authenticate the message being preached by Paul and others such as the Apostle Peter.

With all of that now being said, I want to look back at the 12’s response to Paul’s question in verse 2:

Acts 19:2 (KJV 1900)

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

I mentioned this week but what do you suppose it would have been like to grow up having only the Old Testament Scriptures at your disposal?!?!

Allow me to rephrase this verse to apply it to 21st century Christianity.

Once you received Jesus Christ as your Savior, did you also receive the Holy Spirit?

The average Bible-believing Christian would respond, “Yes.”

However, let’s broaden that question a little bit.

Now that you’re saved and have the Holy Spirit living within you, how much do you actually know about the Holy Spirit? How much are you aware of His working in and through you?

I dare say that our knowledge of the Holy Spirit may be limited to Paul’s words in Ephesians:

Ephesians 5:18 KJV 1900

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Turn to and read John 14:16-18; 25-26.

Turn to and read John 15:26-27.

Turn to and read John 16:5-14.

The Holy Spirit indwells us.

When we talk about the presence of the Lord in our lives, we are really referring to the truth that it is the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Jesus Christ, at this time, is in Heaven seated on the right hand of the throne of God.

The Holy Spirit is our helper.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher.

The Holy Spirit is our peace.

The Holy Spirit works hand in hand with the word of God.

In John 14:17; 15:26; and 16:13, the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth.

In John 17:17, Jesus says..

John 17:17 KJV 1900

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Ephesians 6:17 KJV 1900

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Holy Spirit is the producer of fruit in our lives.

Galatians 5:22–23 KJV 1900

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

This, in no way, has been a full lesson on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer but has been an effort to draw our attention to how little we know of the Holy Spirit and His work in our lives.

I would challenge you to, as you read God’s Word - particularly in Paul’s letters - to pay attention to how often the Holy Spirit is referenced and to pay attention to what the work of the Holy Spirit is in the life of a believer.

Maybe, this morning, you should begin with Ephesians 5:18

Ephesians 5:18 KJV 1900

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

When you received Christ as your Savior, you received as much of the Holy Spirit as you’ll ever get. How much of you does He have?

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