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Bible Question: What
happened in Acts 19:6-7? Were these believers in Jesus or disciples
of someone or something else?
Bible Answer:
The passage you are referring to is as follows:
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And it came about that while Apollos was at Corinth,
Paul having passed through the upper country came
to Ephesus, and found some disciples, and he said
to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when
you believed?” And they said to him, “No,
we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And
he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And
they said, “Into John’s baptism.” And
Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism
of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him
who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” And
when they heard this, they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands
upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they
began speaking with tongues and prophesying. And
there were in all about twelve men. (NASB) Acts 19:1-7
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The Men.
When the apostle Paul found these men, they were disciples
of John the Baptist. They had been baptized by John and had
followed him. John's baptism was symbolic of a change in their
heart attitude and of their faith in the coming Messiah - Jesus
Christ. John only baptized those who were confessing their
sins and were getting ready for their Messiah - Jesus Christ.
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And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and
all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being
baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their
sins. (NASB) Mark 1:5
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These men had done that. The Acts 19:6-7 passage also tells us something
not revealed in the gospels. It tells us that John the Baptist told those who
were baptized to believe in Jesus
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Believers in Jesus.
The passage also reveals that these men believed in Jesus.
Apparently, there was a conversation between Paul and these
disciples that is not given to us. They had been baptized as
a symbol of a changed heart - a heart that is committed to
Jesus. They were now ready to receive the Holy Spirit. Paul
laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Why did
they receive the Holy Spirit at this point? The answer is found
in the fact that they believed before Pentecost and the Holy
Spirit had not yet come. Therefore, the Lord used the apostle
to help them understand that Jesus, their Messiah, had come.
Conclusion:
When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit becomes active in
our lives. It is His presence in our life that convinces
us that we belong to Him. It is His presence that empowers
us for victory over sin. It is He who helps us pray. What
a joy to know that God has not left us here on this earth
by ourselves!
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