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 (4)
Descent of the Holy Spirit
“And when Paul had laid hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.” When Paul laid hands on them and prayed, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. (a) Speaking in tongues and prophesying became signs of the Holy Spirit’s descent. (2) This was a sign to demonstrate that they had become true disciples. (3) They transitioned from being disciples of John the Baptist to disciples of Jesus. “There were about twelve men in all.” The number 12 does not hold symbolic meaning in this context. (1) The number 12 should not be used as a basis to conclude that the church is spiritual Israel. (2) Rather, the twelve disciples serve as forerunners of the Jews who will eventually be saved. ③ Ezekiel 36:26-27 contains a prophecy about the salvation of the Jews: “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.”
The phenomenon of speaking with tongues
(1) The phenomenon of speaking with tongues occurred four times: (a) Acts 2: The salvation of the Jews on the Day of Pentecost. (b) Acts 8: The salvation of the Samaritans. (c) Acts 10: The salvation of Cornelius, a Gentile. (d) Acts 19: The salvation of the disciples of John the Baptist. (2) However, these phenomena should not be applied as universal truth. Luke is simply recording historical events. The gift of tongues as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit still exists today, but not everyone receives this gift. (3) There is no fixed pattern in how the Holy Spirit descends: (a) Acts 2: in the case of the twelve apostles, they repented through John’s baptism, then came to faith in Jesus, and then the Holy Spirit descended upon them. (b) Acts 8: in the case of the Samaritan believers, they came to faith in Jesus, then received water baptism, then the laying on of hands by the apostles, and then the Holy Spirit descended upon them. (c) Acts 10: the Gentile believers believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended, and then they received water baptism. (d) Acts 19: in the case of the twelve disciples, they came to repentance through John’s baptism, then came to faith in Jesus, received water baptism, followed by the laying on of hands by the Apostle Paul, and then the Holy Spirit descended upon them. One should attempt to derive any doctrine from the Acts of the Apostles. In Paul’s letters are the truths to be applied. Paul teaches that there is no believer who does not have the Holy Spirit (ref. Rom. 8:9 and 1 Cor. 12:13). Also, we must not evaluate Scripture’s teaching based on experience. Instead, we must evaluate experiences based on Scripture’s teaching. Even if God’s promises are not immediately understood experientially, they will eventually become clear.
Today's prayer
Gracious Father God, please help me through Your Spirit to understand and apply the teachings of Scripture correctly. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.