“he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” – Acts 19:2
The Book of Acts records the history of the dynamic birth and growth of the early Church. This is a record of an incredible move of the Holy Spirit that the Church has been trying to recoup since the beginning. The Church of Jesus Christ continues to grow today and there are still dynamic Christians, but not always with the same dynamic as that early Book of Acts Church had. Now, there are certain things like tongues of fire over the heads of those at Pentecost that were one-time manifestations. Hypocrites have not been falling down dead in churches on a regular basis. (Though you will find some who claim to be “slain in the spirit.”) But the Church has spread and grown from its beginning until now, even if at a much slower pace. [1]
Even in the early Church we see the need of the Apostles to teach and minister to early believers about the fullness of the Holy Spirit in their lives. As the early Church grew not every believer knew everything they needed to know to continue the spread of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. As the Church grew young believers had to be trained and guided as they grew into being disciples of Jesus. It was because of this discipleship in the power of the Holy Spirit that the name “Christians” or little Christs was coined at Antioch. The ministry of the fullness of the Holy Spirit led to “Christian” becoming a common name for those in the early Church.
But today, while a person may claim the name “Christian,” the nature first associated with that name is often missing. Today there are all kinds of “Christians,” and their characteristics are not always good. Today there are many, too many, “Christians,” who are not too Christlike. Today, and throughout history, there are found many Corinthian carnal Christians as we saw in Part 2 of this series.
How did the Apostles handle those early Christian disciples who were missing the dynamic of the baptism with the Holy Spirit? How can, and should we address the unchristian-like Christians in our day? How can we recapture the dynamic Spirit-filled life? Is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit still relevant for today?
Some followers of Jesus have adopted what is called a Cessationist position. A Cessationist generally believes that with the finalization of the Canon of scripture, spiritual gifting is no longer necessary. But there is scanty evidence in the scriptures for the cessation of spiritual gifting and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Some Cessationists contend that when Paul states, “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:10) refers to a time when spiritual gifting ceases. The context of that verse, in this author’s opinion, would lend itself more likely to Paul using the word “perfect” (Greek teleios) to refer to spiritual growth of the ones he was writing to. He continues in the context saying, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:11-13). Love is the focus of 1 Corinthains 13. Love is the pinnacle in all we do as Christians. Indeed, 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that what we do is given worth by the love in which it is done. If we do anything without love, it becomes worthless. Therefore, rather than reading the Canon of scripture and the cessation of spiritual gifting into the context, I believe it is more likely, and more accurate, to interpret these verses as referring to a more mature Spirit loving understanding and application of spiritual gifting. The Holy Spirit is the One who pours out God’s love into our heart (Romans 5:5). The Holy spirit produces the spiritual fruit of love in us (Galatians 5:22-24). Spiritual gifting and their use are the issue in 1 Corinthians 12-14. It’s more likely that Paul is teaching the carnal Corinthians to use spiritual gifts in a Spirit filled loving way rather than alluding to a time yet future where spiritual gifts would cease. [2]
The problems and powerlessness of the Church and Christians today can be directly connected to the Spiritless practices of those ministering. Some have been taught to use “carnal” means to reach “carnal” Christians. But a wiser more Spirit empowered response to carnality would be returning to the cross of Christ and seeking a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Church and Her members. That is what this teaching series is all about. Until we as Christians answer the question “Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit?” we will continue to experience a frustrating, futile, and failing power outage in life and ministry as Christians.
The problem or issue of lack due to the absence of Christians baptized with the Holy Spirit is something the early Apostles dealt with as well. Early disciples of Jesus had to be taught about this second work and provision of God’s grace. Today we need to return to this teaching and seek in faith to experience what the early Apostles and Church knew was necessary for the Great Commission to be forwarded. Seeing that happen and calling Christians to this second work of God’s grace is the impetus for this study.
With this in mind I call your attention to Acts 19 where the Apostle Paul ministers to some disciples in Ephesus. What he finds and what he does in response is instructive for us.
What is a “disciple” in Acts?
Acts 19:1-2 – “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
Were these “disciples” Christians? The word “disciples” comes from the Greek term MATHETES (Strong’s # 3101 – math-ay-tes´), which means, “a learner, pupil, disciple.”[3] Some would say they were not Christian but had only been baptized “into John’s baptism” (19:3). Such commentators say that in Acts 19:6 when these disciples have the Holy Spirit come “upon” them that it is their conversion. Such an understanding would deny the subsequent nature of the empowering of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. There is evidence that these disciples are believers already born again and indwelled with the Holy Spirit at their conversion. The evidence will show that what is being addressed here is the subsequent baptism with the Holy Spirit. What does the evidence show?
First, the use of the word “disciples” or “disciple” in the book of Acts refers to believers in Jesus. Of the twenty-seven (27) occurrences of the term “disciples” in Acts (1:15; 6:1,2,7; 9:1,19, 25, 26, 38; 11:26, 29; 13:52; 14:20, 21, 22, 28; 15:10; 18:23,27; 19:1,9,30; 20:1,7,30; 21:4; 21:16) and the five (5) occurrences of the term “disciple” in Acts (9:10,26,36; 16:1; 21:16) the association of these two terms is clearly with a person who has committed themselves to Christ as LORD and Savior. If these “disciples” at Ephesus that Paul encountered were not believers, they were the only disciples mentioned in the book of Acts who were not believers. The evidence appears to weigh heavily in the direction of contradicting the view that holds that these “disciples” were not believers in Christ.
Second, as disciples, they would have received the Holy Spirit “in” them at their conversion. You cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ without having been born again (John 3:3,5). Being born again means a person has repented and confessed their sins to God receiving forgiveness by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. As disciples of Jesus they would have received the Holy Spirit to indwell them (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20). To be a disciple in Acts means you have been born of the Spirit. It is inconceivable by New Testament standards and scriptural context that a disciple of Jesus is indeed a disciple of Jesus if they have not been indwelled by the Holy Spirit.
Third, Paul’s inquiry as to whether these disciples had received the Holy Spirit (19:2) indicates that Paul observed something missing in them. Perhaps when Paul met and fellowshipped with these Ephesian disciples he noticed something missing in their countenance. Perhaps they lacked the joy that normally accompanies the fullness of the Spirit (Acts 13:52). Perhaps they seemed frustrated in their attempts to serve in Ephesus lacking the power and spiritual gifting to serve that the baptism with the Holy Spirit provides (Acts 1:8). Maybe Paul noticed they were spiritually immature and worldly, envious, strife laden and divisive (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). Whatever it was Paul saw or didn’t see in these disciples, Paul focused on ministering to them in a way that would bring them into the full experience of God that the baptism with the Holy Spirit provides.
Fourth, these disciples say they hadn’t heard of the Holy Spirit (19:2). This indicates they are uninformed about the true and revealed nature of God (i.e., Trinity – Father; only Son Jesus; and Holy Spirit). Like Apollos in the previous chapter, they needed to be taught “more accurately” about the work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 18:24-28). This tells us their understanding of God is incomplete, and it also tells us that their understanding of the full gospel experience is lacking as well. What the disciples do say is that they were baptized into John’s baptism. What did being baptized into John’s baptism entail?
Grammatical and Contextual Support for a Twofold Work of the Holy Spirit?
There may be grammatical and contextual support for a twofold work of the Spirit being sought for these disciples. Evidence in support of these disciples being believers is supported by the grammatical form of the Greek phrase “when you believed” in the sentence, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (19:2). This phrase is a single term in the Greek, PISTEUSANTES, and has a grammatical form of Aorist/Active/Participle which is from the root term PISTEUO. PISTEUO is defined as, “to have faith.” The literal translation of this sentence in the original language would be “having believed, have you received?” [4]
If they were saved and indwelled by the Spirit, when Paul talks to them about the Holy Spirit, and later lays hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit, it is for them to receive not the Holy spirit at conversion, but to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit that would empower them to serve the Lord. This I believe is more consistent with what is seen throughout the book of Acts.
Furthermore, in the tried and true A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament by H.E. Dana and J.R. Mantey in Section 149 “The Absence of the Article” it states:
Sometimes with a noun which the context proves to be definite the article is not used. This places stress upon the qualitative aspect of the noun rather than its mere identity. An object of thought maybe be conceived of from two points of view: as to identity or quality. To convey the first point of view the Greek uses the article; for the second the anarthrous [i.e., noun without an article] construction is used. [5]
In Acts 19:2 the question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Εἰ πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐλάβετε πιστεύσαντες), the article “the” provided in the translation is not there in the original Greek. This could be significant. When an article does not precede the mention of the Holy Spirit, based on Mantey’s comment, what was being emphasized by Paul was that he perceived that the empowering qualities of one regenerated by the Holy Spirit were apparently absent in these disciples. He was reading these living epistles, observing them, and he thought a chapter had been left out. Paul may have made this assessment by simple interpersonal observation. Or Paul himself could have received a spiritual gift of a word of knowledge or word of wisdom or spiritual gift of discernment regarding these disciples. The Holy Spirit was working in this encounter at Ephesus.
Similarly, in Acts 8:15-17 the Holy Spirit is referred to anarthrously (i.e., without the article) indicating the qualities of the Holy Spirit rather than the Person of the Holy Spirit are being referred to. The Apostle Peter here met disciples and apparently something was missing in them. So they inquired of these believers in Jesus not so much about whether they were saved from their sins, but whether they had been baptized with or empowered by, the Holy Spirit.
If there were early disciples missing the baptism with the Holy Spirit, there may be some reading this today who have not been empowered by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, there are churches today who do not teach the importance of Christians being empowered by the Holy Spirit for service. This is one reason much of the Church today and many Christians are weak and weary. We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit! Have you been empowered by the Holy Spirit? Have you received spiritual gifting? When people read you, do they see the empowerment, the spiritual gifting, and fruit of the love of the Holy Spirit in you?
John’s Baptism
Acts 19:3-4 – “And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
Some interpret these disciples being baptized into John’s baptism as meaning they are something less than saved from their sin. But we need to be Bereans and look at the Scripture and what is said to understand and rightly divide Gods’ word. How is “John’s Baptism” described by Paul? Does Paul’s description of their experience with John’s baptism mean they had not been indwelled by the Holy Spirit? Paul describes John’s baptism as, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” John’s baptism here is associated with belief in Jesus Christ. Paul associates John’s baptism with belief in Jesus. When they believed on Jesus they were then converted and necessarily indwelled by the Holy Spirit at their conversion. If they were saved and indwelled by the Spirit, when Paul asks them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed, he is likely referring to a subsequent receiving of the Holy Spirit as it pertains to the baptism or coming upon of the Holy Spirit to a believer. Has the Holy Spirit come upon you since you accepted Jesus as Savior?
A Twofold Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer
Acts 19:5-6 – “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
Paul’s ministry to these disciples shows a twofold work of the Spirit sought by him on their behalf. In verses three and four Paul reviews the baptism of John and that it meant the disciples had believed on Jesus for salvation (19:3-4). In verse 5 it states they were baptized “in the name of the LORD Jesus.” At this point even if you still disagree that the disciples were born again from verses one through four, there is no doubt now. At this point in Acts 19:5, these disciples are solidly saved and indwelled by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-11; Titus 3:5).
What they had been taught evidently had omitted a clear and thorough teaching on the Holy Spirit (19:2). Now ask yourself something here. It doesn’t seem likely that anyone would be referred to as a disciple unless they were saved (see above). In Romans 8:9 it says that you can’t belong to Jesus unless you have the Spirit in you. Apparently, though these disciples didn’t fully grasp the doctrinal significance of their actions, they had believed, repented, and had been baptized. Even the apostles just prior to Pentecost had doctrinal questions prior to their being baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:6-7). The issue is not really whether they had the Holy Spirit, but whether the Holy Spirit had all of them. If you are a believer, you have the Holy Spirit in you. But every believer has not necessarily given themselves fully to the Holy Spirit to be empowered by Him for service. Many believers march on in their faith with self as the commander. Many a believer has Sergeant Sarx (i.e., flesh) barking out the orders rather than the Holy Spirit. Whatever the reasoning behind their being baptized again “in the name of the LORD Jesus,” it appears that the laying on of hands and the Holy Spirit coming upon them occurs after or subsequent to their water baptism (19:6).
Like the First Disciples
Acts 19:7 – “Now the men were about twelve in all.”
While some venture off into Biblical numerology in a way that results in enigmatic and speculative assertions, there are certain numbers in Scripture that have significance. The number three is a number associated with God as He is a Triune God. The number six is associated with humanity as God created Adam on the sixth day of creation. Seven is a number for completion since God rested from the work of creation on the seventh day. The number eight is the number of new beginnings. There are other such symbolic associations as well.
The reason I am introducing the idea of numerological association here is that I find it very interesting that Luke comments here that there were “twelve” of these disciples in all here. Perhaps that there were twelve here is the Spirit’s way of reminding us that something similar is occurring to that of what happened to the original twelve. The original twelve believed and were filled with the Holy Spirit at their conversions (John 20:21-22). Then Jesus instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2). Therefore, we see another possible piece of evidence connecting us with the twofold work of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers. In Acts 19 we see a recurrence of the coming upon of the Holy Spirit on believers just as the first disciples received the baptism with the Holy Spirit after their being born again (Compare John 20:22 and Acts 1:1-8).
Is Something Lacking in Your Walk with the Lord?
If these “disciples” were believers in Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior, and still needed the baptism with the Holy Spirit, then it shouldn’t surprise us when we can observe today, like Paul, that some believers are lacking something in their walk with the Lord, a lack of love, or the Spirit’s power. There is such a thing as a “carnal” or baby” believer in Christ (1 Corinthians 3; Hebrews 5:12-14). There are disciples (i.e., lit. “learners”) who have not matured spiritually; they are developmentally delayed in their walk with the LORD. Such was the case at Ephesus when Paul arrived. The disciples Paul met were lacking something, they were spiritually underdeveloped.
Are you where the LORD would have you to be in your walk with Him? Have you been lagging behind the leading of the Spirit? Have you been impulsively lurching ahead of the Spirit? Is there something lacking in your spiritual walk? If there is, you know it. God knows it. You may be able to disguise your developmental delay for a while before others. You may even fool yourself. But you can’t fool God and sooner or later you’ll suffer the consequence of spiritual developmental delay. Wouldn’t it be better to be blessed by His fullness? Wouldn’t it be better to leave what is lacking behind and experience the empowering relationship with the Holy Spirit? Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?
Receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
In the gospel of Luke Jesus states:
Luke 11:13 – “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
This tells us a very important truth about being baptized with the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to wait or go through spiritual contortions to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The empowering for service is a gift to be requested and received from God. Just ask God. Just receive what He has for you IN FAITH.
In Acts 1:4-5 Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Promise of the Father, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). They obeyed Jesus. They prayerfully waited in the Upper Room in Jerusalem and then in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon them I power. The empowered Apostle Peter explained what happened to them as, “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [i.e., Jesus] poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33). We still need today this empowerment with the Holy Spirit.
If you’ve been frustrated with your Christian walk and are looking for more, you might pray something like this:
Dear Father in Heaven, I come to You in Jesus’ name. I thank You for my salvation provided to me as a gift of Your grace and received by me in faith. I want to serve You. I want others to know You like I do. I want to bring glory to Your name. To do that, I need what Your Son Jesus called, “the Promise of the Father.” I need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. You have promised to “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask” You. I am asking. I fully surrender to You in faith and ask for You to fulfill Your promise in my life and empower me to serve You. I pray for You to give me the spiritual gifting You desire for me. Jesus, You poured out the Holy Spirit’s power at Pentecost. Would You pour out the empowerment of the Spirit on me? Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, I surrender to You. I ask You to empower me and enable me to serve You wherever and however You want me to serve. I pray You would empower me to make You known and to bring glory to Your name. I pray You would make me what I need to be, to do what You desire for me to do, for Your glory, until Jesus returns. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen!
[1] It’s interesting that, in parts of the world that are more modern, more technologically and economically advanced in the world, the growth rate of the Church is slow or even declining. On the other hand, in parts of the world where there is much less technology and relative economic poverty, the Church is growing greatly. An argument could be made that in parts of the world where the Church is persecuted, it is growing the most! Why is this? I would guess that perhaps Christians in the modern world are too distracted by or rely too much on the world than on the Spirit and so the disparity results. The truth is, things done for God are not by our might or power, but by the Holy Spirit, at least if we want them done right, powerfully, eternally worthful, and truly for His glory. (Cf. Zechariah 4).
[2] The Apostle John spoke of “perfect love” as evidence of spiritual maturity – 1 John 2:5; 4:12, 17-18.
[3]James Strong, New Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
[4] The Greek term PISTEUSANTES is in the Greek Aorist tense. What’s a Greek “aorist” tense? An aorist is a tense used in the Greek language. Just as in English there is a past, present, and future tense, in Greek there is amongst other tense forms, an aorist tense. The aorist tense indicates an action that has simply been attained. The “Active” case means that the subject is the one who does the action. A participle is defined as “a word derived from a verb and having the qualities of both verb and adjective.” Therefore, a participle actively describes the nature of the action referred to. These disciples therefore had believed “on Jesus Christ” and were saved from their sin (19:4 – based on our discussion above).
[5] H.E. Dana, Th.D., and J.R. Mantey, Th.D., D.D., A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, (Toronto, Canada: The Macmillan Co., 1957) p. 149.