Acts 19:1-22
We got away from our chronology a bit when we read all of chapter 18 in one reading. Actually it was while Paul was in Corinth that he wrote both Thessalonian letters. His time in Corinth (his first visit there) is recorded in the first 18 verses of Acts 18. The remaining 10+ verses record his first visit to Ephesus; sailing and landing in Caesarea; going up to meet the church in Jerusalem; returning to his home base, Antioch; departing for his third missionary journey – traveling and revisiting the churches he had established on his first missionary journey; then his arrival in Ephesus that we pick up in today’s first verse.
Paul ministering to the Ephesian Christians: On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. (vv. 5-6) I have mentioned that our Men’s Group has been studying references to the Holy Spirit in Acts. One item of interest to us has been the gift of tongues being poured out on the disciples. We saw this first in Acts 2 at Pentecost, then in Acts 10 when Peter was preaching/teaching at Cornelius’ house, now here a third time in Ephesus. And each of these occasions had a different context. At Pentecost the disciples were simply “all together in one place” (Acts 2:1) when the Holy Spirit appeared and the disciples began speaking in tongues. At Cornelius’ house Peter was simply preaching/teaching and the Holy Spirit fell on his listeners (Acts 10:44). Now here in Acts 19 Paul lays his hands on the Christian believers and they receive the Holy Spirit (v. 6). Our Holy Spirit study has been fascinating. The Holy Spirit, Himself is a worthy study!!
See also: April 14 / Acts 19:1-10; April 15 / Acts 19:11-22