Acts 19:1~7
1 Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
7 There were about twelve men in all.
Salvation of the Twelve Disciples (1)
The context
The third missionary journey began (Acts 18:23-21:17, from the spring of 53 AD to the spring of 56 AD). This journey primarily focused on follow-up ministry. Luke describes Paul’s ministry in Ephesus using a “sandwich structure”: (1) The episode of the twelve disciples (v 1-7). (2) The ministry in Ephesus itself (v 8-10). (3) The episode of the seven sons of Sceva (v 11-20).
Arriving in Ephesus
“Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus.” (1) Apollos moved from Ephesus to Corinth. He visited the Corinthian church with a letter of recommendation from the Ephesian church and was greatly used there. Around that same time, Paul arrived in Ephesus. (2) Paul’s journey proceeded as follows: (a) He traveled on foot for over 186 miles (300 km) from Antioch to Ephesus. (b) There were two routes from Antioch to Ephesus. The northern route passed through the inland (highlands). It was rugged but shorter. The southern route followed roads built by the Romans. (c) Paul chose the northern route.
The city of Ephesus (review)
(1) Ephesus had an important port connecting Asia and Europe. (2) It was a commercial city founded in 1044 BC. (3) From the 4th century BC onward, it became a Greek-style city (built and expanded by Alexander the Great and his successors). (4) At the end of the 2nd century BC, it came under Roman rule. (5) Ephesus was a flourishing commercial city and naturally became the capital of the province of Asia. However, by Paul’s time, it had passed its peak as a commercial hub because the Cayster River had deposited silt into the port. (6) The city was tolerant of Jews, which led to a significant Jewish population residing there. (7) Ephesus was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. This massive temple measured 216 ft (66 m) by 427 ft (130 m), making it four times the size of the Parthenon in Athens. (8) Artemis was a goddess of fertility depicted with many breasts. This city was a center of idolatry and prostitution in Asia. The local economy also thrived due to the worship of Artemis. In such a pagan city, Paul continued his ministry for about three years, achieving the greatest results of his life. The “seven churches” mentioned in Revelation chapter 2 were established during this period. When the activity of the devil intensifies, the power of God becomes even more evident. Let us fight the spiritual battle with faith.
Today's prayer
Father God, in this world, there are spiritual battles, but allow me to experience Your power within them. Today, I will walk by faith. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.