BRUCE C WEARNE, in his examination of Acts, looks at how believers came to receive the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” in Ephesus…
[Now as it happened], while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul was travelling through the upper country until he came to Ephesus. There, when he found some more disciples, he inquired of them as to whether they had received the Holy Spirit. And they had replied that they had not heard about the Holy Spirit. And Paul then asked further about their baptism: into what [teaching] had they been baptised? And their answer informed him that they had been baptised with John’s baptism. At this point Paul could tell them that John’s baptism of repentance was set forth to the people in a way that told them that they should believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit [indeed] came upon them, and they [too] spoke with [various] tongues and prophesied. There were, in all, about 12 of them. – Acts 19:1-7/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne
THE SPIRIT AS A DOVE: The Holy Spirit came upon believers at Ephesus when Paul laid his hands on them. PICTURE: Jeff Miller/www.freeimages.com
IN A NUTSHELL
Luke gives us historical background to why the church in Corinth had different camps all with their own “rabbi”. It also helps us understand Paul’s own standing as an “apostle”.
Now we hear that Apollos was at Corinth. When was this? Was it when Paul returned to Ephesus en route from Jerusalem then Syrian Antioch through to Galatia and Asia? That seems to have been when he came across these disciples in Ephesus.
Luke suggests this as background to Paul’s revisiting of churches around the same time. It sounds as if these believers were disciples of John the Baptist, and then nurtured in the faith by Apollos. Was that before or after Paul’s associates Priscilla and Aquila helped him to have a “more accurate” understanding? (Acts 18:24-28). We don’t know. And as Luke tells it, Paul and Apollos were each independently working away, so that their respective ministries converged co-operatively in the “increase” provided by the Lord (I Corinthians 3:6). Paul personally baptised these 12 into the name of Jesus, and they received indisputable proof that God Himself was uniting all who believed and proclaimed the Gospel of His Son.
So we also see that it was not just Paul or Apollos (or, for that matter, Peter or even the faction claiming to follow Christ in I Corinthians 1-4), but it was also the strategic work of Priscilla and Aquila at Ephesus that rendered indispensable assistance to the young churches under the leading of the Holy Spirit. They were the ones who had instructed Apollos. And the Holy Spirit confirmed His work with the “third Pentecost” at Ephesus through Paul’s hands.
Jesus had told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit’s outpouring in fulfilment of John’s teaching. Now Apollos was in Corinth at the time Paul baptised these disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus. They had heard of John’s water baptism, had known it pointed to Jesus but had not heard of the fulfilment, the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. That out-pouring was the true and authentic fulfilment of John’s water baptism. John’s water baptism had symbolised the baptism to come. And when Paul baptised these disciples he became a first-hand witness of the Spirit’s confirmation that these disciples of John and Apollos had been incorporated into the church of Jesus.
Like many other Jews of that time, they had been dispersed far and wide. But this was part of the harvest; the Spirit who John had proclaimed some years ago was still at work confirming his witness to the Lamb of God. So it was that Apollos, and those taught by him, met the tent-makers Priscilla, Aquila and joined Paul in the building of the Christian community in that part of the Mediterranean. The early Christian church brought all kinds of people together – Cyrenians, Ephesians, Alexandrians, Cenchreaens, Galatians, Corinthians and more besides: Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, Greeks and the dispersed disciples of John the Baptist.
These Jewish believers had originally experienced the intense spiritual refreshment announced by Jesus’ cousin before Jesus’ teaching ministry got under way. Now they were warmly incorporated into the church. Corinth grew as the Holy Spirit was poured out again in Ephesus. What an amazing time!
What do you think? What would happen today? I guess a committee would be appointed to inquire into whether these people should be welcomed or not. Argument this way and that way would follow. Maybe that is what did happen at Corinth. But there was a lot of blessing from God’s Spirit coming from unexpected quarters. Paul’s Corinthian letters reminded them that God’s grace comes to its fulfilment as love prevails among those who are loved by Jesus Christ Himself. Better get used to it. We haven’t seen or heard anything in comparison to what God has in store for us! (I Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 64:4; 65:17)
OPEN BOOK – HINTS FROM THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS: DISCIPLES OF APOLLOS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST BAPTISED
BRUCE C WEARNE, in his examination of Acts, looks at how believers came to receive the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” in Ephesus…
[Now as it happened], while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul was travelling through the upper country until he came to Ephesus. There, when he found some more disciples, he inquired of them as to whether they had received the Holy Spirit. And they had replied that they had not heard about the Holy Spirit. And Paul then asked further about their baptism: into what [teaching] had they been baptised? And their answer informed him that they had been baptised with John’s baptism. At this point Paul could tell them that John’s baptism of repentance was set forth to the people in a way that told them that they should believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit [indeed] came upon them, and they [too] spoke with [various] tongues and prophesied. There were, in all, about 12 of them. – Acts 19:1-7/transliteration by Bruce C Wearne
THE SPIRIT AS A DOVE: The Holy Spirit came upon believers at Ephesus when Paul laid his hands on them. PICTURE: Jeff Miller/www.freeimages.com
IN A NUTSHELL
Luke gives us historical background to why the church in Corinth had different camps all with their own “rabbi”. It also helps us understand Paul’s own standing as an “apostle”.
Now we hear that Apollos was at Corinth. When was this? Was it when Paul returned to Ephesus en route from Jerusalem then Syrian Antioch through to Galatia and Asia? That seems to have been when he came across these disciples in Ephesus.
Luke suggests this as background to Paul’s revisiting of churches around the same time. It sounds as if these believers were disciples of John the Baptist, and then nurtured in the faith by Apollos. Was that before or after Paul’s associates Priscilla and Aquila helped him to have a “more accurate” understanding? (Acts 18:24-28). We don’t know. And as Luke tells it, Paul and Apollos were each independently working away, so that their respective ministries converged co-operatively in the “increase” provided by the Lord (I Corinthians 3:6). Paul personally baptised these 12 into the name of Jesus, and they received indisputable proof that God Himself was uniting all who believed and proclaimed the Gospel of His Son.
So we also see that it was not just Paul or Apollos (or, for that matter, Peter or even the faction claiming to follow Christ in I Corinthians 1-4), but it was also the strategic work of Priscilla and Aquila at Ephesus that rendered indispensable assistance to the young churches under the leading of the Holy Spirit. They were the ones who had instructed Apollos. And the Holy Spirit confirmed His work with the “third Pentecost” at Ephesus through Paul’s hands.
Jesus had told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit’s outpouring in fulfilment of John’s teaching. Now Apollos was in Corinth at the time Paul baptised these disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus. They had heard of John’s water baptism, had known it pointed to Jesus but had not heard of the fulfilment, the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. That out-pouring was the true and authentic fulfilment of John’s water baptism. John’s water baptism had symbolised the baptism to come. And when Paul baptised these disciples he became a first-hand witness of the Spirit’s confirmation that these disciples of John and Apollos had been incorporated into the church of Jesus.
Like many other Jews of that time, they had been dispersed far and wide. But this was part of the harvest; the Spirit who John had proclaimed some years ago was still at work confirming his witness to the Lamb of God. So it was that Apollos, and those taught by him, met the tent-makers Priscilla, Aquila and joined Paul in the building of the Christian community in that part of the Mediterranean. The early Christian church brought all kinds of people together – Cyrenians, Ephesians, Alexandrians, Cenchreaens, Galatians, Corinthians and more besides: Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, Greeks and the dispersed disciples of John the Baptist.
These Jewish believers had originally experienced the intense spiritual refreshment announced by Jesus’ cousin before Jesus’ teaching ministry got under way. Now they were warmly incorporated into the church. Corinth grew as the Holy Spirit was poured out again in Ephesus. What an amazing time!
What do you think? What would happen today? I guess a committee would be appointed to inquire into whether these people should be welcomed or not. Argument this way and that way would follow. Maybe that is what did happen at Corinth. But there was a lot of blessing from God’s Spirit coming from unexpected quarters. Paul’s Corinthian letters reminded them that God’s grace comes to its fulfilment as love prevails among those who are loved by Jesus Christ Himself. Better get used to it. We haven’t seen or heard anything in comparison to what God has in store for us! (I Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 64:4; 65:17)
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