Acts 19 - Do You Know About the Holy Spirit?

Acts 19 - NIV

Enduring Word Commentary

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

This is the third time Paul had come to Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquila had taught the church there after he left, but apparently they did not know about the person of work of the Holy Spirit. There is some debate over whether these "disciples" were "believers" but most assume they were. Paul never uses the word disciples if they were not believers. 

But the question is why they hadn't heard anything about the Holy Spirit? Paul had written to the Corinthians extensively about the person and work of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12-14. They had received the gift of speaking in tongues but were not using in it in a way that built up the church. Then Paul asks the Ephesians what baptism had they had received? They said, "John's baptism". 

John's baptism was a preparatory baptism of repentance to prepare people's hearts to meet Jesus. But the baptism into Jesus was different. The word baptism means to "immerse" or "completely cover". When we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were are immersed in every aspect of the three persons of the Trinity, including the Holy Spirit. 

After these 12 men were baptized, Paul laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. This is a common way the early Christians received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Let me say that the reception and experience of the Holy Spirit throughout the early church is "messy". There is not one way people experienced the pwoer of the Holy Spirit, and not one particular manifestation of the Spirit in the New Testament.

Where the church has gotten into so many problems in regard to the theology of the Holy Spirit, is that we try to take our experience of the Holy Spirit and make it normative for all Christians. For instance in some Pentecostal circles, especially near the beginning of the Pentecostal movement in the early 20th century in America, if someone didn't speak in tongues, they were deemed to not have received Holy Spirit. 

Paul negates this kind of teaching in 1 Corinthians 12 when he teaches, 

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Note, Paul does not anywhere assume there is one gift like tongues that everyone gets. He says again later, 

And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Rhetorically he is saying no one gets all the gifts. Each person is given a gift as it is determined by the Holy Spirit. Paul says he speaks in tongues more than anyone, but he would rather have people desire the gift of prophesy. To prophesy is to speak the Word of God in a language people understand. In this way the person hears and understands God's Word. 

Importantly, when we believe in Jesus and are baptized, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is that simple. Just like you don't have to do anything to deserve salvation, you don't have do anything to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to all of the apostles at Pentecost to give them the power to do the things that he did. 

Though we receive the Holy Spirit once when we come to faith in Jesus, we need to be continually to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18

The word "filled" is in the continuous tense. Therefore you could translate it, "Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit!"

The bottom line is we can not be the disciples that Jesus has called and empowered us to be without the Holy Spirit. Famous Scottish preacher Charles Spurgeon,  

If someone doesn’t seem to know if they have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their life, it’s fair to assume that they don’t have it. If you have it, you should know it. “Give a man an electric shock, and I warrant you he will know it; but if he has the Holy Ghost, he will know it much more.” (Spurgeon) This isn’t something to hope about; we can know – one can know they are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? How would you know? Paul gives us a very clear test. He says, 

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against these there is no law" - Galatians 5:22

You may be a Christian and have the Holy Spirit, but there is none of this fruit in your life. Do you have peace? Do you have joy? If you have neither then, it is doubtful you are experiencing the power, peace, and presence of the Holy Spirit. Remember if you believe in Jesus as Your Savior, YOU HAVE the HOLY SPIRIT! But you need to seek him and welcome into your life everyday. 

Every day every our prayer should include, "Come Holy Spirit!" This was the mantra of the early church and should be ours too! 

Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit when you ascended to heaven. Come Holy Spirit and fill each of us with your power, presence, and peace. Amen.  

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