“And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 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. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism” (Acts 19:1-3).
On his first, short, visit to Ephesus, Paul had promised to the Jewish sympathizers in the city that he, Lord-willing, would return to see them. In the meantime, Apollos arrived by God’s providence and “taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25). Afterwards, Apollos — leaving Ephesus — went to Corinth. When Paul arrived at that city, he found the disciples who — as it appears — Apollos had instructed and baptized. However, on speaking with them, Paul saw that they lacked something. And, on asking them, discovered that they had not even know there was a Holy Spirit, much less received Him. Then Paul realized that they were still not Christians, but just disciples of John the Baptist, awaiting a living Messiah and not yet knowing about the Savior who died for sinners and was brought back to life for their justification. Apollos could not teach what he himself had not yet comprehended.
“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. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:4-5).
John’s baptism was looking to a Messiah who had yet to come, who was going to reign on earth. The Christian baptism is looking to a Savior who has already come and who died and was buried on the earth, but was brought back to life and made “Lord and Christ” in heaven by God. Thus, the Christian baptism is done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” which means with HIS authority, as HEAD, He grants those of us already baptized to do it as HE himself commanded us: “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19), that is, in the Name of the already revealed Trinity, that which characterizes Christianity.
It is necessary to emphasize here that the act of baptism with water changes the position on earth, not in heaven. Many are baptized, thus professing themselves to be Christians, but they are not born of God. For example: “Simon” the magician (Acts 8:9-24); the “false apostles,” the “false brothers” (2 Cor. 11:12-15, 26); the “false teachers” (2 Pet. 2:1); the “antichrists” (1 John 2:18-19); and “certain men” who entered “unawares” (Jude 4). All these men were baptized, since otherwise they could not have mixed themselves among the true Christians. Only “the Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Tim. 2:19).
“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve” (Acts 19:6-7).
This was the last of the four groups of believers who received the Holy Spirit and were thus incorporated, “baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13): the Jews (Acts 2:38-41); the Samaritans (Acts 8:12, 14-17); the Gentiles (Acts 10:44-47); and those from the “baptism of John.” The Jews received the Holy Spirit after being baptized with water; the Samaritans after being baptized; the Gentiles before being baptized; and those from Chapter 19 after being baptized. The Jews received it without the laying on of hands by the apostles; so did the Gentiles; but the Samaritans and those from John were by the laying on of hands. The Jews and the Samaritans being enemies among themselves, God delayed giving the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans until the two apostles from Jerusalem, Peter and John, arrived and laid their hands on them. And in Ephesus, Paul being alone without any other apostles, it seems that the Lord confirmed him in a special way, imparting the Holy Spirit to the new Jewish believers by Paul’s laying on of hands. Those two were special cases. Once “the church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22-23) was formed, it is no longer mentioned in Acts (much less in all 21 Christian epistles) that the Holy Spirit was received by the laying on of hands by the apostles, or any other person. It is clear that it was an initiative operation in order to positively and irrefutably establish the Christian testimony. Those these days who pretend to impart the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands have been deceived — or they are “false apostles.”
“And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:8-10).
Here we see the wisdom that the Lord gave Paul, since he — after having given ample testimony of the gospel — seeing the growing opposition of slanderers, retired from the synagogue in order to not obstruct the edification of the new believers. He obtained a room big enough for them in the private school of a Greek named Tyrannus (we do not know if he converted). Paul preached the truth “by the space of two years,” and his message was so circulated that EVERYONE who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord Jesus.
“And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them” (Acts 19:11-12).
As we have already suggested above, God granted Paul, the only apostle among the pagans, special powers. This was, at the beginning, to establish the testimony of Christ with power. However, in the Christian epistles, there is no mention made of such miracles. The things that convince people are the Christian’s life and upright walk.
“Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified” (Acts 19:13-17).
Notice how far the prior people of God had fallen: seven of the Chief Priest’s sons practicing exorcism! But the unbelieving cannot invoke the Lord Jesus’ name, since “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 12:3). The demon in the man knew Jesus (just like in the days when He was here in the world: “I know Thee who Thou art; the Holy One of God” — Luke 4:34); he also knew who Paul was and could not do anything against this servant of the Lord. But a person possessed by a demon has a supernatural power: so, the man jumped on top of Sceva’s seven sons, stripping them and wounding them. This was well-known to everyone and, as a result: “the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” The devil had not thought about that!
“And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:18-20).
There is power in the name of the Lord Jesus! Holy power. The devil is a defeated enemy.
“After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome” (Acts 19:21).
It was not in God’s Spirit that Paul purposed to go to Jerusalem, but rather in his spirit, since the Lord had commanded him many years ago not to go to Jerusalem. And, the last time he undertook the journey, the Spirit of God reprimanded him multiple times (Acts 20:23; 21:4, 11). (Some of the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have the possessive pronoun “his” spirit). Paul did not realize that his disobedience (caused by his great love for his own Jewish people) would bring him to Rome in the chains of Caesar, the emperor.
“So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:22-28).
We note here that they cried: “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.” Not of Asia, much less of the whole world, but, strictly speaking, their goddess: taking pride in their idol.
“And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre” (Acts 19:29-31).
Paul, always ready to preach the testimony of the only living and true God, as he did in Athens — and also possibly motivated by love to his companions Gaius and Aristarchus who were caught by the irritable pagans — wanted to enter the theatre, but the disciples would not let him.
There were also among the honorary magistrates some who respected Paul and were his friends; they advised him not to appear in the theatre, well-knowing that he would be found among enraged enemies.
“Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused: and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:32-34).
Poor idolaters! They are the devil’s toys. Even today he knows how to dominate them through their passions, lusts, and popular opinion. Secular history reveals the depraved immorality of Diana’s temple.
“And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another. But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. For we are in danger to be called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse” (Acts 19:35-40).
God is always over everything and arranges everything according to His will. He used “Gamaliel” to prevent the priests’ from their intention to kill the apostles (see Acts 5:29-42). And in Ephesus he used the town clerk to pacify the idolaters’ anger (being himself an idolater!), and save the lives of the Lord’s servants.