Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
March 14, 2010
Good afternoon.
Too many things going this morning...including a time change...so I didn't get this off before we ran off to church.
Keep looking up. Our ultimate redemption is nearer than when we believed.
Blessings.
Dad/Ray
14 March 2010
Passage: Acts 18:24-19:7
Focus: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” Acts 19:4.
The “disciples” that Paul encountered in Ephesus were apparently disciples of John the Baptist’s ministry and, for whatever reason, had not yet been updated and upgraded with a fuller understanding of the theme of John’s ministry role and function—to help people get their dirty hearts cleaned up and prepared by means of repentance (a sincere seeking of God with a desire to please Him) to receive the Christ. And receiving Him not optional, you know. Christ Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). Sounds pretty important to me.
There are many ways to connect dots in this passage, but I think it would be helpful to let Eugene Peterson retell the account in his paraphrased modern English (Acts 19:1-7, THE MESSAGE):
Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?”
“We’ve never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?”
“How were you baptized, then?” asked Paul.
“In John’s baptism.”
“That explains it,” said Paul. “John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptized in John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.”
And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day.