Written by Paul J Bucknell on April, 26, 2022
Acts 19:1-7 Baptizing John’s Disciples with Bible Study Questions
In Acts 19, the Apostle Paul relates a complete account of the One who John the Baptist prophesied to come. He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. These twelve disciples manifested how the Gospel of Christ transferred them from Old Testament law to New Testament grace. Particular discussion includes remarks on the use of signs by the Holy Spirit.
“1 It happened that while Apollos was at 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, “No, we have not even heard whether 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 the 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 his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 There were in all about twelve men” (Acts 19:1-7).
This passage affirms that Jesus is the One John spoke about and also helps others who were governed or instructed by the Old Testament or other religious teachings to know the grand entrance into Jesus Christ’s new kingdom by the Holy Spirit.
For many, Acts 19 provides a scene that heightens their inquiry, “Does Luke provide any special insight into early Christian customs, expectations, and teachings, especially about the laying of hands and the baptism of the Holy Spirit?”
Christians have many questions about the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives. This interest is good and natural. The Spirit, like the unseen wind (John 3:8), works invisibly in hearts; we can only see its after-effects. However, as we better understand the work of the Spirit, this passage reminds us that the Lord first clarifies deeper questions for which we might not be searching for answers. Hopefully, we will explain how Jesus was the prophet John prophesied and the use of signs in life and ministry.
What happened in Acts 19:1-7?
Let me briefly capture this scene. Paul, on this missionary journey, visited Ephesus. He met up with a group of devoted disciples of John—about twelve men. They had heard the gospel from Apollos, who was not then present in Ephesus (Acts 18:24;19:1). Paul must have noticed some deficiency in their thinking or approach to the Gospel and so inquired, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2) After finding that they were only familiar with John the Baptist’s baptism, he clarified the difference between John’s and Jesus’ ministries. Having heard of Jesus’ ministry, which John foretold, they were willing to be baptized in Jesus’ name. Afterward, Paul laid hands on them, and “and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:6).
Readers may ask, “Is this indicative of what should happen to all who are baptized in Jesus’ name?” Should we all have the pastor lay hands on us to receive the Holy Spirit and expect to speak in foreign languages and prophesy?
I’ll answer this more in the next section, but for now, focus on what the passage says and leads us to understand. Were they baptized in Jesus’ name? No. “And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism” (3). They, unlike ourselves, were baptized into John. So, already, as Jesus’ disciples, we are not to unthinkingly imitate what they did.
I wrote a comprehensive book, Life in the Spirit!, which worked through the foundational teachings of the Holy Spirit. I hope to clarify my position on this particular text here, but the book clearly sets out how this scene helps Luke’s purpose for the Book of Acts.
The Strategy of the Book of Acts
Why was the Book of Acts written? The Book of Acts provides a framework for understanding the transition of God’s work with Israel under the Old Covenant (Testament) to how He works through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the New Covenant (Testament). Believers are keen to understand their own spiritual lives but must remember the larger purposes of books, including Acts. Once we grasp the larger perspective, we can properly and more easily assess what this passage means for our lives.
In my book, I shared how Luke, compelled by the Spirit, traced God’s way through how the Spirit of God undeniably expanded His work in different groups of people. In Acts, the Lord highlights how He transitioned a closed Jewish sect into a world-welcoming people. He brought them from the Old Testament mindset to the New Testament community, catching many disciples in between the transitions, including John the Baptist’s disciples. Here are some key lessons and questions for Acts 19:1-7.
Luke, in his Gospel, introduced John the Baptist, in four different passages (Luke, chapters 1,3,7,9). Luke wrote,
- What does belief in Jesus mean for Jewish believers?
- Can Gentiles who accept Jewish scriptures believe?
- How do John the Baptist’s message and baptism relate to Jesus’ message and baptism?
- Is Jesus the Prophet of whom John the Baptist spoke?
- Are Jewish and Gentile believers part of the same church under Jesus Christ, and if so, how do they interrelate with each other?
- Do the Jewish believers have greater standing in the church?
“16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:16-17).
Luke, also the author of Acts, now ties together what he had written earlier, informing us about how those disciples of John needed to relate to Jesus’ teaching and baptism.
The Larger Picture of the Book of Acts
It’s proper to think of the Book of Acts as mainly providing a framework to answer the more significant questions that faced the earliest Christian community after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Acts provides a handle to interrelate the Old with the New, including the many disciples baptized by John or influenced by his teaching.
Christians will ask these questions today if they read much of the Old Testament. But frankly, the situation that John’s disciples faced, differs significantly from our experiences today. These disciples of John, perhaps Hellenistic Jewish ‘half’ believers, probably instructed by Apollos (Acts 18:24-28), have been baptized in John’s baptism of repentance and lived in the pagan city of Ephesus. They have not yet learned much about Jesus. Apollos, possibly their teacher, also missed some key facts about Jesus. Perhaps he did not know of His death and resurrection (Acts 18:25-26). John’s disciples lived during a huge transition period.
John the Baptist, the last Old Testament prophet, introduced them to The Prophet that Deuteronomy 18:18 referred to. John notably preached, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). They had never heard of who this “He” was.
The Book of Acts serves as a transition manual, guiding them from the Jewish system into the Christ-led international church. It helped those facing all these changes to rightly access what was happening. That enabled them to properly understand God’s Word and how they, as individuals and churches, fit into God’s overall eternal plan.
Though we can gain insight into our personal spiritual lives from Acts, that is not the book’s primary purpose. Acts answers the most fundamental questions about the power of the Gospel, what the church is, its leaders, and how the Jews or Gentiles need to react to the Gospel.
An Explanation of Acts 19:1-7
The Apostle Paul provides insight into John’s disciples, showing that they needed to gain salvation, though devoted. Paul helped those caught between the ages know how to relate to Jesus’ message. Paul spoke forthrightly, bringing immediate response.
“4 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.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
John the Baptist had spoken openly about the One coming to replace him. John’s disciples heartily responded to this message, agreeing with Paul’s affirmation that Jesus Christ was the One of whom John had spoken. And so, they transitioned into this new age by confirming their own allegiance to that One, Jesus Christ, which they did through baptism. The next verse is where things can get tricky.
Acts 19:6 Baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire
“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying” (6).
The signs of speaking in various foreign languages and prophesying marked John’s disciples’ entrance into Jesus’ community of faith. The signs proved they had Christ’s Spirit on them just as He anointed the disciples in the Upper Room: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 1:4).
This manifestation of the Spirit of God marked their true membership in the church. This proved to Paul, Apollos, and the earliest believers, and to themselves that they were full members of Jesus’ body; they had the Holy Spirit whom Jesus had promised (Acts 1:8). Jesus widely broadened the borders of His church, making it open to all. These signs proved Jesus’ intentions to those who wanted to keep it special for themselves alone (eg. Judaistic believers).
We can understand why some believers today conclude that laying on of hands, speaking tongues, and prophesying should become normative for the church, since we all need the Holy Spirit, but this would be a mistaken conclusion. How do we know?
We are not dismissing the need for the Holy Spirit’s presence or avoiding the issue of speaking in tongues and prophesying. However, we need to return to the framework that Luke sets out for us early on in the Book of Acts. I spoke about this in my book that lays down the foundational expansion of the Gospel to the world. Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
I’m sure the apostles couldn’t comprehend the ramifications of that statement at that point, but it would soon raise many questions for these Jewish apostles responsible for the church. What is the nature of the church? Who are full members of the church? Who can be its leaders?
To be brief, the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1-2 marked a completely different way in how God would work in His people. People could detect the Holy Spirit’s inward presence by His outward signs, such as the disciples’ speaking in foreign languages, their boldness to preach the Gospel, healing, exalting God, etc.
Acts 10 and Cornelius
One example of how the Gospel expanded to the Gentiles occurred when the Jewish apostles saw the Holy Spirit come upon the Gentiles, i.e. Cornelius. His speaking in foreign languages by the Holy Spirit proved to them and others that the Gentiles could also be forgiven through Jesus; they were equal in church membership with the Jews. Though the apostles were involved, Jesus through the Holy Spirit, orchestrated these expansions, manifesting this is part of His plan.
We see how the apostles took these signs as verification for Christ’s purposes for the church.
“44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also” (Acts 10:44-45).
Notice “all the circumcised believers” were amazed and convinced that these Gentiles, the uncircumcised, were part of Jesus’ community, even as they were. The same was true with John’s disciples.
Similar to Acts 10, the Holy Spirit had a twofold impact when coming upon them in Acts 19. First, they became convinced that Jesus was the One of whom John preached; they were baptized with His fire. The message of Jesus was true; Jesus was alive.
Second, the manifestation of these outward signs assured the apostles and all of John’s disciples of its legitimacy. It closed any questions on how those associated with John the Baptist were to connect to the church of Jesus Christ. This event settled the fundamental questions on membership and leadership, forming a solid unified church under the leadership of Jesus Christ and His apostles, all powered by the same Holy Spirit.
What about the Signs?
This passage affirmatively answers these foundational questions, but many Christian do not ask them today, mainly because John the Baptist doesn’t baptize today! This is why I felt free to skip discussing this section in my book.
What do we learn from this section? This passage affirms that all believers need to be baptized in the Name of Jesus, no matter what religious background one comes. These disciples had deep religious experiences under John the Baptist’s teaching, probably influenced by Apollos, but all of that proved insufficient for Christ’s New Covenant ministry. They needed Jesus’ baptism and the Holy Spirit.
Many will gloss over the main teaching and focus on the signs. They will impatiently ask about the laying on of hands, the speaking of languages, and prophesying. These signs are secondary to the main point. These signs were all part of the process by which Jesus, the Head of the Church, affirmed equal membership and participation of these disciples.
“44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also” (Acts 10:44-45).
When we go back to Acts 10, the Holy Spirit confirms these signs in different steps. In Acts 10, the Holy Spirit came before they were baptized; there was no laying on hands.
If we use these situations as normative, we get confused. The point wasn’t the procedure or the necessary demonstration of outward signs of the inward Spirit’s presence. They confirmed their genuine belief in the Lord Jesus Christ through the signs of the Holy Spirit. These signs were necessary in their situation during these transitory times but are not needed today when the foundational questions about the church have been resolved.
For example, maybe one pastor states it’s biblical to lay hands on baptized believers so they can receive the Holy Spirit and effectively function as a believer. Are they ready to state those who haven’t had on the laying of hands have never received the Holy Spirit? It’s safer to see with the Old and New Testament that the laying on of hands is used for the appointment of leaders or special ministry.
Paul is not stating through this one event how God’s people are to receive the Holy Spirit but to confirm they have Him there! When we make this as the model for the church, we strip it out of its context.
After the establishment of the church, it’s only important to assure the person is a genuine Christian and explain how the Holy Spirit works in their lives. Mature Christians mentor younger believers to clarify this.
Speaking in foreign languages and prophesying are listed as spiritual gifts, but this is the Holy Spirit’s ministry rather than serving as a sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Conclusion
John’s disciples became convinced that Jesus was the One predicted by John, and the church and others could see how God wanted to integrate them into the church through baptism. Other disciples would be disciples too, but they would not need to speak in tongues to confirm they had the Holy Spirit. There was no need for that. No one questioned whether they were legitimate members of the body. They were full members through baptism in Christ’s name, only needing to be faithful followers of Jesus.
Those who use Acts 19:1-7 to prove the necessity of speaking in languages or prophesying should realize this passage is chiefly instructive, not normative. Once affirming Jesus was the One of whom John taught, other disciples of John only needed to be baptized in Jesus’ Name. They would, like the others, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, but there would not, at least in most circumstances, be a need for outward signs of confirmation.
Check out our Life in the Spirit! book!
Bible Study Questions on Acts 19:1-7
- Name five things that you know about the Holy Spirit.
- Read Acts 18:24-28. What information can we glean about Apollos from these verses?
- What do we know about the group of men that the Apostle Paul discovered in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7)? Do you think they had contact with Apollos?
- What might have Paul seen or heard that had him ask the question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (19:2)
- What is the difference between baptism by John the Baptist and baptism by Jesus?
- Did John’s disciples show interest in Paul’s clarification? How do you know?
- What happened after they were baptized in Jesus’ name?
- How do we know John’s disciples had the Holy Spirit? Why was that especially important for them?
- What does the author mean by saying that the Book of Acts sets a framework?
- Does every genuine believer have the Holy Spirit?
- Why is it sometimes important to prove the presence of the Holy Spirit to others?
- How did the process differ from Acts 10? Why is this significant?
- Why would it be wrong to conclude that what happened here after their baptism is normative, something all Christians must experience? Explain.
- How can you counsel Christians who feel insecure about their faith because they have not had such experiences?
Other Related Resources on the Holy Spirit by Paul J. Bucknell
Paul’s book (388p.):
Life in the Spirit! Experiencing the Fullness of Christ
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Therefore we are anointed with the Holy Spirit by Christ Jesus our High Priest (1 Pet 2:5, 9, Rev 1:5-6, 1 John 2:20, 27).
The Conviction of the Spirit (John 16:7-11)
The Holy Spirit’s Conviction (John 16:7-8). • The Spirit is sent to believers (the “you” in v. 7 are the disciples).
Psalm 119:156 Revive Me, O Lord
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14) The Gifts of the Spirit #2
tongues has ceased. Miracles, prophecy and tongues continues on. Such gifts only establish apostle’s authority. Such gifts have several.
