Acts 19:1-7 – Paul and the disciples from Ephesus

While Apollos left for Corinth, Paul came by Ephesus and there he found some disciples. Verse 7 tells us there were about 12 of them. The transition concerning the whereabouts of Apollos and Paul indicated in verse 1, implies that the disciples whom Paul found at Ephesus were taught by Apollos. Apparently, these believers were only taught up to the baptism of John. As shown in earlier verses, Apollos, who though well versed in Scriptures, was only acquainted up to John’s baptism.

In the disciples he met, Paul must have detected the absence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which marked the believers whenever the Holy Spirit was given. So he asked a direct question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”  And he got a direct answer saying, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” This proves that Paul’s diagnosis was correct.

The next question Paul asked was, “Into what then were you baptized?” It shows the connection between baptism and the reception of the Holy Spirit. These disciples’ response to Paul was, “Into John’s baptism.” With that, Paul responded by explaining that the baptism they experienced was preparatory, and not the fulfilment of a Christian baptism. For John’s baptism only anticipated the coming of Jesus the Messiah, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Immediately the disciples in Ephesus were baptized in the name of the Lord just as the Samaritans did in Acts 8:16. Following their baptism in the name of the Lord, Paul then laid his hand upon them. And immediately they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues.

This episode of Paul and the disciples in Ephesus, indicates to us just how important the presence of the Holy Spirit is in a believer’s life. When the Holy Spirit comes upon a person’s life, He will endow a person with His wide repertoire of gifts. Evidently in the case of the Ephesians, they received the gift of speaking in tongues.

There is no question about the necessity of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. His presence in our lives will mark the difference in our spiritual walk. One key reason why we need to be filled with the Spirit continually, is so that we will not give in to the desire of our flesh. Let’s be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can walk by the Spirit.