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Again, we need to be reminded of our stated purpose of this study is:
The Spirit of God using the word of God to make people of God and changing the people of God into Spirit-empowered, effective, edifying, disciples of Jesus Christ.
Being Spirit-empowered people of God is a prime theme of the Book of Acts. The last segment in Acts 18 showed us that the acts of the Spirit were not performed by merely those who were educated or naturally gifted, like Apollos. No, those used by the Holy Spirit were ordained or anointed to do so. Such an anointing is an empowerment of the Holy Spirit. This empowerment was first introduced to us by Jesus in Acts 1 where He spoke of the Promise of the Father, a baptism with the Holy Spirit that empowers to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). This empowerment is described as being baptized with the Holy Spirit because it is a total surrender of self, an emersion in the Spirit. This experience is necessary for serving the Lord. This experience is described as a coming “upon” (Greek preposition epi) and is an overflowing. This is what Jesus was referring to when He spoke of “rivers of living water” that would gush from the heart of the one baptized with the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). It is Jesus who pours out the Holy Spirit in this way upon those who desire it (Acts 2:33). This is an experience received as a gift of God’s grace through faith (Acts 15:8-9).
What we see in the Book of Acts is that, according to Jesus, being baptized with the Holy Spirit should be normalized and a necessity for those desiring to serve Him. In Acts 1, Jesus insisted His disciples wait and proceed no further in the Great Commission until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, 8). In Acts 2 at Pentecost, the hundred and twenty in the Upper Room were baptized with the Holy Spirit, demonstrating spiritual gifting. Of those, Peter stood and preached the gospel with newfound power, resulting in the conversion of three thousand. In Acts 4 we see the refilling or refreshing of the early disciples with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31). In Acts 5 we see a powerful rebuke of the Spirit to those faking hypocritically this life in the Spirit. In Acts 6 and Acts 7 we see the powerful service rendered by the Spirit filled. In Acts 8 we see the insistence by Peter and John that the converts in Samaria receive this empowerment. In Acts 9 we see the enemy Saul converted into servant Paul. He was converted on the Damascus Road as no one can call Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). He is then empowered as Ananias lays hands on him and prays (Acts 9:17). In Acts 10 we see the Gentile Pentecost and those of Cornelius’ house saved and empowered by the Spirit. We then see the Spirit leading the Apostles on the First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14), and Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15-18) where they encountered all kinds of people and difficulties but were used powerfully to preach the gospel and overcome opposition.
We are now on the Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:22 – 21:17). What we see throughout the acts of the Holy Spirit in this book is that Holy Spirit empowerment is essential for ministry and fulfilling the Great Commission and should be the norm. We see the normalcy of this empowerment in the inquiry of the Apostles to the disciples they meet along the way. In Acts 19 we will see that upon encountering the disciples in Ephesus, Paul asks if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed. We will dig into the meaning of that inquiry in this chapter, but the thing we should understand from the Book of Acts at this point is that the baptism with the Holy Spirit should be the norm in our walk with Jesus, but that is not always the case. Therefore, we should be asking, “Am I baptized with the Holy Spirit?” Are you baptized with the Holy Spirit? Have you received the Promise of the Father from Jesus?
What is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
This would be a good place to review our study of Acts and, based on what we have seen thus far, summarize what the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is.
First, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is something that Jesus said was necessary; it is something we need to wait for, something we should make sure to have, before we try to serve Him – Acts 1:4. We may accomplish some things for the Lord in our own strength, but we will never accomplish or do as much as we could, as fruitfully as we could, as God–glorifyingly as we could, if we have the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Without the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we will be more like the disciples who were pre-Pentecost; confused, fearful, boastful, ineffective. With the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we will be more like the disciples in the Book of Acts. Jesus wants us to be more like His Church in Acts, which is why He insisted the disciples wait in Jerusalem until they received it. That is why He wants us to be baptized with the Holy Spirit as well.
Second, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the “Promise of the Father” – Acts 1:4. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is something the Father has promised to give us. As a “promise,” it is a gift of His grace. If it is by grace, then it is received by faith, not by our works. This is an important first step relating to this experience that is important for us to grasp.
Third, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is something Jesus gives us – Acts 2:33. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter said that Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God the Father, and that the Promise of the Father, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, is something Jesus “poured out” on the recipients of Pentecost. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is something we should ask Jesus to provide to us.
Fourth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an enablement provided by the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:5. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a Person, not a force or energy. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an immersion in the Spirit in terms of us fully surrendering to Him and His will. It is when the Holy Spirit not only fills us as at conversion (i.e., being born again – John 3) but overflows us as He comes “upon” us. This is, like water baptism, an immersion of self in the will and power of the Spirit.
Fifth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an empowerment – Acts 1:8. Jesus described it as “power,” (Greek dunamis) or the power to do. This power transcends our own strength. It is not our talent or ability but an empowerment that is the result of the Holy Spirit coming upon (Greek epi preposition) us.
Sixth, the Baptism with the Spirit is the power to witness – Acts 1:8. The word “witness” (Greek martys – pronounced mar-tus) means a witness in court, one who testifies to historical facts like the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, an example of the impact Jesus has in your life, one who shares the truth as it is laid out in Scripture. We get the English word martyr from this word and sometimes a Christian witness gives their life to be a witness, e.g., Stephen in Acts 7. This witness can only truly be lived out in the power of the Spirit.
Seventh, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is something received by waiting for it in prayer – Acts 1:12-14. About 120 disciples waited in the Upper Room praying for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is an experience we should wait on the Lord for in prayer.
Eighth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit involves spiritual gifting – Acts 2. On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they spoke in tongues. Tongues is a spiritual gift that enables a person to worship God and enhances their prayer life. It is not the only spiritual gift that accompanies the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, and you don’t necessarily have to speak in tongues to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost, Peter demonstrated the spiritual gifting of tongues, discernment, faith, wisdom, prophecy, teaching, and evangelism. In Acts 3, the spiritual gift of healing is given by the Spirit. In Acts 5 the spiritual gift of discernment is seen. Etc. A good study would be to study through Acts, looking to identify the spiritual gifts used in the power of the Spirit. At the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit provides us with gifting or enablement to serve Him beyond our own capacities.
Ninth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit gives us holy boldness – Acts 2 and Acts 4. The Apostles stood before their enemies at Pentecost and in Acts 4 and boldly testified to Jesus. The Holy Spirit enables us to be brave and courageous in our witness for Jesus.
Tenth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an experience that needs to be refreshed – Acts 4:31. In Acts 4, when the disciples prayed, it states that they were “filled with the Holy Spirit” (an expression used to often refer to the Baptism with the Holy Spirit). This was a refilling and is due to our own human limitations.
Eleventh, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is given to serve – Acts 6; Acts 7. Being filled with the Spirit was a prerequisite for those serving just as much as it was for the Apostles who were giving themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word of God. No matter how or where you serve, do it with the power of the Spirit. Indeed, serving the Lord is an outlet for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Twelfth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an experience subsequent or following being born again – Acts 8 and Acts 9. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost came after the disciple’s conversion (Gospels and Acts 1; Acts 2). Peter and John prayed for the Christians in Samaria to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). Saul, who was knocked down off his high horse by Jesus, was instantly saved (“Who are you Lord?” – Paul referred to Jesus as “Lord”, which can only be done by the enablement of the Spirit – 1 Corinthians 12:3), and then empowered by the Holy Spirit when Ananias prayed for him (Acts 9). In Acts 10 the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles concurrently with their conversion. Apollos received the empowerment of the Spirit after his conversion (Acts 18). The disciples in Ephesus received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit after they were saved (Acts 19). Sometimes, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit comes concurrently with conversion (i.e., at the same time or in close proximity to) and sometimes it comes after conversion.
Thirteenth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit involves the Spirit’s directing us – Acts 11-14. The disciples were directed by the Spirit to embark on their missionary journeys. This doesn’t mean the one baptized with the Holy Spirit will necessarily be directed to foreign lands by the Spirit. It does mean the Holy Spirit will direct us where He wants us to minister. Fruitfulness is found in places where we minister by the direction of the Spirit, but also opposition. Fruitfulness is not necessarily seen in the conversion of souls but involves the presentation of the gospel, giving people an opportunity to respond to the gospel.
Fourteenth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit involves heart purity – Acts 15:8-9. When Peter described the experience of the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house being converted and baptized with the Spirit, he did so, saying it involves, “purifying their hearts by faith.” the Baptism with the Holy Spirit involves a purification of the heart from those things that are displeasing to God and that hinder the Spirit from using us. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit, therefore, is connected to holiness and sanctification in our walk with the Lord.
Fifteenth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is received by faith – Acts 15:8-9. When Peter describes the Gentile Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he says their hearts were purified “by faith.” As we mentioned earlier, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a “promise of the Father.” If it is a “promise,” then it is a gift of God’s grace. A gift of God’s grace is not something we work for, but something we simply receive, by faith. Pray for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and receive it by faith.
Sixteenth, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a baptism in the love of the Spirit – Romans 5:5. The fruit of the Spirit, or what the Spirit produces in us, is “love” (Galatians 5:22-24). “Love” (Greek agape – pronounced a-ga-pe) is the term used to describe God’s love (e.g., John 3:16). This “love” is sacrificial and fully committed. This is a love that sacrifices self in the service to God and people. This is a supreme love of God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and a sacrificial love for our neighbor (e.g., Matthew 22:37-40). This love is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). This love should compel or motivate us in all we do (2 Corinthians 5:14-16). Without such love, what we do has no eternal value (1 Corinthians 13). The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a baptism or overflowing of His love. What we see in Acts is the result of the Spirit pouring out His love into the hearts of the disciples. Their sacrifice, boldness, risking their lives, persistence in the face of persecution, all of it, is the product of the Spirit’s overflowing love in them.
This is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as we have seen in Acts. The question remains, “Are you baptized with the Holy Spirit?” If you have any doubt, pray and seek the Promise of the Father, in the name of Jesus, in the power of the Spirit.
The Spirit Acts – Are you Baptized with the Holy Spirit?
When the apostle Paul was on his third missionary journey (Acts 18:23-21:14) he came to the major city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Once in Ephesus, Paul came across some “disciples.” As Paul met and began to fellowship with these disciples, he perceived that something was lacking in their walk with the Lord. Paul’s spiritual gift of discernment led him to ask, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” These disciples weren’t acting or living in a way that someone would normally act if they had the fullness of the Holy Spirit in their lives. If the Holy Spirit is in and upon you, the love of God will rule your heart and overflow you (Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Perhaps Paul didn’t see the presence of God’s love in them. Perhaps he didn’t see the power of the Spirit in them (Acts 1:8).
The Problem – Spiritual Life without the Fullness of the Spirit
The disciples Paul saw at Ephesus lacked something in their spiritual walk. Perhaps there was a dryness or lifelessness he perceived in them. Whatever Paul saw, it raised his attention and the pastor-teacher in him sought to get to the bottom of the problem.
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our Helper, our Advocate (John 14:15-18, 25-26; John 15:26; John 16:3-15). He is a Person, the Third Person of the Trinity. We have seen that there are three relational positions a person can have with the Holy Spirit:
1.) The Holy Spirit is “with” you as He is striving with you to draw you to a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ (Genesis 6:3; John 14:17; John 16:8-11);
2.) The Holy Spirit comes “in” you when you receive Jesus as your LORD and Savior (John 14:17; John 20:22; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20);
3.) The Holy Spirit will come “upon” you subsequent, or after you accept Jesus as LORD and Savior to empower you for service (Acts 1:8).
(And also there is an ongoing refreshing or refilling that the Holy Spirit does in the believer according to Acts 4:31 and Ephesians 5:18. See the notes on Acts 4.) The disciples at Ephesus apparently lacked this third experience with the Spirit and Paul sought to address this problem.
Signs of Spiritual Weakness – The Flesh –The Corinthian Example
How do we know if we need to be empowered by a baptism with the Holy Spirit? We may be a Christian and in full possession of the Spirit received at conversion, but we may also feel as though something is missing. What are the signs of spiritual weakness and that we need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he is inspired early in the letter to make the following comments:
Notice first that Paul refers to these people at Corinth as “brethren” (1 Corinthians 3:1). These were people who had accepted Christ as their Savior and were a part of the body of Christ. But there was definitely something wrong with the Corinthian believers and Paul identified it as “carnal.” The word “carnal” here is translated from the Greek term SARKIKOS (Strong’s #4559 – sar-kee-kos´) which means, “pertaining to flesh,…bodily, temporal,…animal, unregenerate…carnal, fleshly.”272 This word is derived from the root word “flesh” which in the original language is SARX (Strong’s #4561 – sarx) meaning, “flesh.” This can refer to the actual flesh and skin of an animal or human. But more importantly, it refers to “the body as opposed to the soul [or spirit],…human nature” with its limitations and passions.273 Your “flesh,” spiritually speaking is that part of you that is self-oriented, self-centered, self-promoting, self-serving, preoccupied with self, self-reliant, the “me,” ‘myself,” and “I” of our nature as it is in opposition to the work of the Spirit in us (Romans 7).
Now these were definitely Christians Paul was addressing at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:4-9; 1 Corinthians 6:9-12). The problem, therefore, that Paul was identifying was that these Christians were acting more like unbelievers than Spirit-filled disciples. To be “carnal” is to be worldly oriented: your priorities, purposes, pleasures, and prizes are in line with a worldly perspective of things. Furthermore, a carnal person relies on their own strength, their own wisdom, their own understanding rather than on the Spirit’s leading and empowering. A carnal person is one who, therefore, is self-reliant and seeks selfish, self-promoting, self-centered things.
This passage in 1 Corinthians 3 gives us several signs of the carnal, spiritually weak believer who needs a baptism with the Holy Spirit. What are these signs?
First, the carnal, spiritually weak person in need of a baptism with the Holy Spirit is unwilling to receive the truth of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:1b). Paul said, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people…” Paul could not talk to them about the things of the Spirit. They were unwilling, their flesh, or sarx, tried to shut out anything that would challenge its rule, especially things of the Spirit. It is the flesh that rationalizes and redirects that sent by the Spirit to correct and root out sinful self in the believer. The flesh wars against the Spirit (Romans 8:5-13; Galatians 5:16-26). Such a person sits in church and when the Spirit seeks to do spiritual surgery on them, to cut out cancerous flesh with the scalpel of God’s word, the hand of the flesh pushes the scalpel away by rationalization of one kind or another. This is the person who never sees that they may be the one the Lord is speaking to; they always assume what is being taught or said is for someone else, not for them. Such people are polluted with the sin of prideful self and, therefore, like Paul said, are not willing to receive a word from the Spirit.
Second, the carnal spiritually weak person in need of a baptism with the Holy Spirit is immature in their faith (1 Corinthians 3:1-3a). Paul describes such a person as a “babe.” Interestingly, the word “babe” here is translated from the Greek term NEPIOS (Strong’s # 3516 nay´–pee-os) which refers to a pre-verbal infant or, “a simple-minded person, an immature Christian…babe, child (–ish).”274 Paul did not use this term to express the idea that the Corinthians were cute. Babies are cute, at birth and in the early stages of development. But should that person remain babyish and pre-verbal as they reach an older age of say 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, and onward, that becomes a tragic situation of retarded development. The Corinthians were not growing spiritually and that was not cute or pretty, it was tragic. The first sign of a carnal Christian is that they are not growing spiritually. How about you, as you look back at the end of the year and review where you were at the same point a year ago and where you are now, do you see growth, maturity, advancement in your walk with the Lord? Are you eating and digesting solid spiritual food, or are you still on milk, still on baby food? (Hebrews 2:1-3; Hebrews 6:1-3). If not, perhaps you need to do some self-examination and get more serious with the Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Third, the carnal, spiritually weak person in need of a baptism with the Holy Spirit is envious (1 Corinthians 3:3b). The idea here is one given to jealousy, one who often compares themselves to others and proudly negates good in others. (Strong’s #2205 – dzay´–los).275 The carnal person looks at relationships from a worldly dog-eat-dog perspective with an eye to manipulate, use and, if necessary, abuse, others to rise above them in status and position. The Bible says if we compare ourselves with anyone, it should be ourselves (Galatians 6:3-4). Compare your own progress over a period of time. Ultimately, we should seek to be like Jesus (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). If you’re going to play the envy game, compare yourself with Jesus.
Fourth, the carnal, spiritually weak person in need of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is given to strife (1 Corinthians 3:3c). When we have that envious attitude it always leads to friction and strife with those around us. Envy is a very fleshly sore in our spirit. The word “strife” means to be given to quarrels, debating and wrangling (ERIS – Strong’s #2054).276 Such a person is always looking to pick a fight in some way. They are negative and opposing. These are the people who always look to twist what is said to create a debate over some issue, real or imagined, so that they can show themselves knowledgeable. Later Paul tells the Corinthians that knowledge puffs up, but love edifies (1 Corinthians 8:1). We ought to speak the truth in love, not simply nitpick and quarrel with those around us (Ephesians 4:15, 29). The servant of the Lord who is mature is not to be quarrelsome, but rather looks to teach and edify those around them (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
Fifth, the carnal spiritually weak person in need of a baptism with the Holy Spirit is divisive (1 Corinthians 3:3d–4). Envy and a quarreling spirit inevitably lead to divisions because it puts people on the defensive. There is a constructive and destructive way to deal with differing opinions and issues in the body of Christ (Galatians 6:1). It is true that sometimes those who refuse to receive the truth need to separate from those who do. When Peter stated that we should have a fervent love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins, he did not at all mean that the body of Christ should overlook heresy and welcome cults and false teachings into the church (1 Peter 4:8; 2 John 7-11; Jude 1:3). But what is sad is when the body of Christ divides over non-essentials, over carpet colors, pews or chairs, service times, et al. When that happens it is a sure sign the flesh is in control and God’s name is tarnished as the world looks on and laughs as well as does Satan.
I like the word sarx to describe the fleshly nature of the Christian. Doesn’t it just sound like what it refers to? Say it out loud, “sarx.” It makes you think of something that clogs up, like hair and soap scum that clogs a shower drain, or the stuff that clogs one’s arteries, or some other filthy thing that clings to you like chewed discarded gum off the ground that sticks to your shoes or tar that you step in. The word sarx is the perfect word to refer to that ugly, sticky, disgusting aspect of humanity that opposes the Spirit’s work in and through us.
Now the Greek word for “spiritual” is pnĕumatikŏs, and I really like that word too. Say that word, “pnĕumatikŏs.” You have to blow air out of your mouth to say it and that is what it refers to; the spirit in us and the Spirit in us. Pnĕumatikŏs makes me think of the sweet light aroma of a beautiful perfume or cologne left by a person who walks by you. It makes me think of the smell of a flower, a sweet pleasant fresh smell. It makes me think of the sweet smell of a flower attached to the vine of Christ (John 15). I think of light and free instead of sloggy and enslaved when I think of that word. I also think of the power of the wind when it blows hard. Pnĕumatikŏs is the perfect sounding word to refer to the spiritual-Spirit filled person.
In his book The Power of the Spirit, William Law, writing in the early 1700s, makes the following statement about the church living in the flesh rather than the Spirit:
A letter learned zeal has but one nature wherever it is and can only do that for Christians which it did for Jews. As in ancient times it brought forth scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, and crucifiers of Christ; as it afterwards brought forth heresies, schisms, popes, papal decrees, images, and anathemas; so in Protestant churches it will do the same things, only under different names. The empty idolatry of Rome will show itself even without crucifixes and indulgences. Images of wood and clay will only be exchanged for images of doctrines. Grace, works, imputed sin, imputed righteousness, and election will all have their worshiping advocates, dividing the body of Christ in their very zeal to defend their own good opinions about Scripture doctrines. And so great will be the blindness thus generated that every kind of gossip, slander, and hatred will be pursued by brother against brother, all of it done in the name of Him who prayed that we might be one. …Our divine Master compares the religion of the learned Pharisees to ‘whited sepulchers, outwardly beautiful, but inwardly full of dead men’s bones.’ How was it that a religion so serious in its restraints, so beautiful in its outward form and practices, and commanding such reverence from all that beheld it, was yet charged by Truth itself with being ‘inwardly full of hypocrisy and iniquity’? It was only for this one reason: because it was a religion of self. Wherever self has power and keeps up its own interests, even in teaching or defending sound Scripture doctrines, there is that very same Pharisee still alive whom Christ with so much severity of language constantly condemned. The reason for such heavy condemnation is that self is the root and sum total of all sin. Every sin that can be named is centered in it. Self is nothing else but the creature broken off from God: the power of Satan living and working in us the sad continuance of that first turning from God, which was the whole fall of our first parents.277
Unfortunately, what William Law wrote 300 years ago was not heeded by much of the church, and today we have a church that is more carnal and centered on its sarx, than filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We cannot afford to allow our flesh, our sarx, to rule us; we need the Spirit to overcome it and empower us to do all that God has wonderfully laid out for us to do.
The Solution to Such Sarxy, Spiritual Pollution
What is the answer to such fleshly, sarxy (i.e., fleshly) pollution of the spirit? Paul contrasts these sarxy, fleshly Christians in 1 Corinthians 3 with those who are “spiritual.” The word “spiritual” here is translated from the Greek term PNEUMATIKOS (Strong’s #4152 – pnĕumatikŏs", pnyoo-mat-ik-os´), which means, “supernatural, regenerate, religious…spiritual.”278 These verses imply Paul wished he could have referred to the Corinthians as spiritual people, those who lived in, were guided by, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The answer to such carnal sarxy behavior is to refocus on Jesus in the Holy Spirit as the only viable foundation worth living for and uniting in serving Him. Paul goes on to say in his first letter to the Corinthians:
Who we are is not what is important; what is important is that we understand that it is God who brings victory, success, and spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 3:5-8). We need to unite and rely on God’s grace, not our own “strength” (1 Corinthians 3:9-10). If we try to build on anything other than on Jesus and our relationship with Him, our living for Him, it is all superficial slush that will be burned up when our works are judged by Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). We need to examine ourselves and see that the Spirit is in control and that we are not living according to worldly ways (1 Corinthians 3:16-18). We need to live in the Spirit; that is the answer!
The Spirit is the Life Breath of the Church and the Believer
In the epilogue of Pastor Chuck Smith’s book entitled Living Water – The Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Life (p. 291-292), Pastor Chuck Smith quotes Charles Haddon Spurgeon as saying,
I believe brethren, that whenever the Church of God declines, one of the most effectual ways of reviving her is to preach much truth concerning the Holy Spirit. After all, He is the very breath of the Church. Where the Spirit of God is, there is power. If the Spirit be withdrawn then the vitality of godliness begins to decline and we are backsliding. Let us turn to the Spirit of God crying, “Quicken Thou me in Thy way!” If we sorrowfully perceive that any church is growing lukewarm, be it our prayer that the Holy Spirit may work graciously for its revival. Let us return to the LORD. Let us seek again to be baptized into the Holy Spirit and into fire and we shall yet again behold the wonderful works of the LORD. He sets before us an open door and if we enter not, we ourselves are to be blamed.
It is possible for a believer to be “dry” spiritually. It is possible to fall back in our relationship with the Lord and enter a state where we are relying on our own strength, ability, and understanding rather than walking in the Spirit. This is what must have happened to the disciples of Ephesus who Paul came across. Let’s examine Paul’s interaction with the dry Ephesian disciples so that we can see how we can enter into the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Who Were These “Disciples” and What Happened to Them Here?
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.”279 Some would say they were not Christian but had only been baptized “into John’s baptism” (Acts 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 filled with the Holy Spirit at their conversion and 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 (Acts 1:15; Acts 6:1, 2, 7; Acts 9:1, 19, 25, 26, 38; Acts 11:26, 29; Acts 13:52; Acts 14:20, 21, 22, 28; Acts 15:10; Acts 18:23, 27; Acts 19:1, 9, 30; Acts 20:1, 7, 30; Acts 21:4; Acts 21:16) and the five (5) occurrences of the term “disciple” in Acts (Acts 9:10, 26, 36; Acts 16:1; Acts 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 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 and therefore, having received the Holy Spirit to indwell them (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 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 is not filled with the Holy Spirit.
Third, Paul’s inquiry as to whether these disciples had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2) indicates 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 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 (Acts 19:2). This indicates they are uninformed about the true and revealed nature of God (i.e., Trinity – Father; only Son Jesus; and the 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?
John’s Baptism
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 God’s word. How is “John’s Baptism” described by Paul? Does Paul’s description of their belief as being associated with John’s baptism mean they had not been indwelled by the Holy Spirit? Not necessarily. Context is critical to the right interpretation. When we examine the context of this passage, we see that the way Paul describes John’s baptism supports an interpretation that these disciples had been filled with the Holy Spirit at their conversion. 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 necessarily indwelled by the Holy Spirit at their conversion. And if they had been saved and indwelled by the Spirit, it indicates that Paul, in asking them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed, was 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. How about you? Do you feel as though there is something missing in your walk with the Lord? Has the Holy Spirit come upon you since you accepted Jesus as Savior?
A Twofold Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer
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 (Acts 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 and two, 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).
Once baptized in the name of Jesus, they are saved by grace through faith. If they were believers in verse one, why be baptized again? Perhaps they hadn’t been adequately taught or hadn’t grasped the full significance of baptism and now wanted to be baptized again now that they fully understood what baptism meant (i.e., death and burying of sin; death to self and life in the Spirit to God). My daughter received Jesus into her heart at a very early age. Later in her life, as she came to more fully (i.e., “more accurately”) know the Lord and His word, when she was entering high school she asked if I would baptize her again as a sign of renewed empowerment by the Spirit. This we did and it was a real blessing. Something similar may have been happening here to these disciples. I know of no Scripture that prohibits a person being baptized again once they have come to understand baptism in a more meaningful way to them or even at times of re-commitment. Remember, baptism is a symbol, it does not, apart from faith, have any magical power over the recipient.
What they had been taught evidently had omitted a clear and thorough teaching on the Holy Spirit (Acts 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 (see the above introductory remarks on 1 Corinthians 3:1). Many believers march on in their faith with self as the commander. Many a believer has Sergeant Sarx 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 (Acts 19:6).
Grammatical and Contextual Support for a Twofold Work of the Holy Spirit
The grammar and context of this passage supports a twofold work of the Spirit being sought for these disciples. Evidence in support of these disciples being believers is found in the grammatical form of the Greek phrase “when you believed” in the sentence, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). This phrase is a single term in the Greek, PISTEUSANTES having a grammatical form of Aorist/Active/Participle (more on this form below), which is from the root term PISTEUO which means, “to have faith.” The literal translation of this sentence in the original language would be “having believed have you received.”
The Greek term PISTEUSANTES is in the Greek Aorist tense. What’s a Greek “aorist” tense? An aorist is simply 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.) What’s a participle? 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 (Acts 19:4 – based on our discussion above).
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, the baptism with the Holy Spirit would empower them to serve the Lord. This would be consistent with what we have seen throughout the Book of Acts. The context confirms this interpretation.
Like the First Disciples
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 is that I find it very interesting that Luke comments here, that there were “twelve” of these disciples in all, met and ministered to by Paul. Perhaps that there were twelve here is the Spirit’s way of reminding us that something similar is occurring to that of the original twelve. 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 to believers just as the first disciples received the baptism of 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 then believers in Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior, and still needed the baptism with the Holy Spirit, then we can observe with 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 as we mentioned above (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 consequences 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?
The Baptismal Connection – Symbol of Death to Self and Surrender to Christ
As seen in Acts 19, water baptism and the baptism with the Holy Spirit are inextricably linked. Baptism is an outward sign of an inner work of the Holy Spirit that He has regenerated the sinner’s heart and come to indwell the one who puts their faith in Jesus (Titus 3:5). But the coming upon of the Holy Spirit to empower the believer is also closely connected to this symbol.
We see this close connection in the life of our Lord Jesus. The Spirit in the form of a dove descended upon Jesus as he came up from the water at His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17).
In Peter’s message at Pentecost we see the closeness of the link between water baptism and the coming upon of the Holy Spirit to a believer.
Water baptism signifies death to self and surrender to or rising to newness of life in Christ. It signifies giving the entirety of your being to the LORD. Therefore, water baptism is the perfect symbol of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The person baptized with the Spirit is totally immersed in the Spirit.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit can occur simultaneously with conversion. Ideally, the person who accepts Jesus Christ as Savior will also be empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is very possibly what happens when the Gentiles are converted in Acts 10 (Acts 10:44-48). But this is not always the case. Sometimes the baptism with the Holy Spirit comes after a prolonged period of time during which the Spirit is working on the heart of the believer to show them the necessity and need for His empowerment. We must be open to the diversity of ways in which God works in our lives. The Holy Spirit enters our hearts at conversion (John 3:3-6; John 20:22; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). After our conversion, the Holy Spirit comes upon us to empower us for service (John 7:37-39; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4). And the Holy Spirit refreshes us in an ongoing way (Acts 4:31; Ephesians 5:18). But sometimes the first two works of the Spirit mentioned here occur near simultaneously, yet remain distinctive from each other.
Two Baptisms
Let’s review a bit of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer by considering the meaning and purpose of baptism itself. Baptism is a symbol of dying to self and our sinful life (immersed under the water) and being resurrected to new life in Christ (raised out of the water). Baptism is a witness to the world that we are dying to ourselves (self-rule and life of sin) and being raised to a new way of life in the Lord. Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17). He commanded disciples to be baptized (Matthew 28:19-20). Obedience is evidence of our love of Jesus (John 14:21). Therefore, we should obey and be baptized. The Bible speaks of two baptisms.
First, the Bible speaks of being, “Baptized into Christ.” This refers to the believer’s salvation experience and the beginning of the inner working of the Holy Spirit in their lives (John 3:5; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:48; Acts 22:16). We see reference to this baptism in the following passages:
At the baptism of Jesus we are born again, born of the Spirit (John 3:5). The Spirit’s work of conforming us to the likeness of Jesus begins at our conversion at the new birth (Romans 8:29). Note: The Bible does not teach infant baptism, (an infant is unaware and incapable of any experience with God – infants are under God’s grace, and should they die in infancy or in the womb, they would go to be with the Lord). Baptism is an outward sign of God’s inner work of the Spirit in you.
Second, the Bible speaks of being, “Baptized with the Holy Spirit.” This refers to the subsequent empowerment of the believer for service by the Holy Spirit. Jesus referred to this in Acts 1:4-5, saying:
This is a second work of God, received by grace through faith just as the first work is (see Acts 15:8-9). At Pentecost, the saved disciples (who are converted and receive the Holy Spirit in them in John 20:20-21), are baptized with the Holy Spirit after their initial saving experience. Another example of this was seen earlier in Acts 8 where the disciples were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, then hands are laid on them and the Spirit comes “upon” them. (Acts 8:16). Two works are pictured in these portions of Scripture.
Baptism does not save anyone, and it doesn’t necessarily mean a person has been baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is not the outward work but the inward surrender in faith to Jesus to experience the work of the Holy Spirit in and upon you. The question remains, have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?
Laying On of Hands and the Holy Spirit
In the Old Testament we see the laying on of hands associated with blessing (Genesis 48:18), installation to office (Deuteronomy 34:9) and being set apart for service (Numbers 8:10). On the Day of Atonement, we see the use of laying on of hands by the worshiper who brings their sacrifice to the Temple. They would lay their hands on the sacrifice as a way of symbolizing the putting of their sins on the sacrifice as it was killed. Laying on of hands in this fashion communicated the seriousness of sin and the need to deal with it through a sacrificial substitute (Leviticus 16:21).
In the New Testament, Jesus laid His hands on children and prayed for them (Matthew 19:13, 15) and laid His hands on the sick when He healed them (Matthew 9:18). The apostles also laid their hands on those being set apart for ministry (Acts 6:6) and people during healing (Acts 9:17). When people were commissioned for a task, hands were laid on them by the leaders (Acts 13:3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6).
You don’t have to have hands laid on you to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, as evidenced in Acts 10:44. The laying on of hands is a symbol of unity, acceptance in Christ. It’s an act that communicates, “We’re with you on this.” What better way to symbolize the coming together to life of those who had before been like dry bones spiritually?! There was no magical force in the hands of Paul in Acts 19:6. The laying on of hands, therefore, communicated to these disciples’ approval from the representative of God.
One word further on the laying on of hands. In Hebrews, we are warned to grow beyond elemental things, of which “laying on of hands” is listed.
Don’t get sidetracked by whether you will receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit if someone lays hands on you. Be spiritually mature in your understanding. Seek for whatever God has for you and, in whatever way He chooses to give it, simply receive it in faith.
Receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus states:
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. Just ask God. Just receive what He has for you IN FAITH. Perhaps the following illustration will clarify this important truth.
William Randolph Hearst, one of the wealthiest people to have ever lived, in his later years became an obsessive-compulsive collector of art. He bought everything he could and accumulated a tremendous collection. On one occasion, he desired a particular sculpture, and he dispatched his aides to locate and purchase this rare piece of art. They searched the world looking for this piece of art. They came back and reported the piece could not be found. Randolph Hearst was furious and sent them back out with the command, “Do whatever it takes to get it, but just get it!” He was obsessed with the piece. He sent ten aides out and five months later they returned with news that they had found the art piece. “Where did you find it” Mr. Hearst asked. The head aide said, “Sir, it was in your warehouse, it was there all the time.” (Author unknown)
The same is true of the Holy Spirit. He is there, always has been, always will be, He’s there for the asking. To be baptized with the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean you get more of Him; it means He gets all of you! Since it is a question of you surrendering, how about it? Will you surrender to God for His empowerment and His use? Will you do it now?
The Holy Spirit Doesn’t Make Couch Potatoes
It is true that the Bible states, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). But that truth should never be manipulated in a way that relegates a person to that of a Christian couch potato! Listen, we need to WALK by faith in the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Spiritual gifts relate to the baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:6b). Spiritual gifts are given to serve in love, to be used to edify the body of Christ. God wants to involve us in His plan and work. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is an empowerment TO SERVE. THE POWER FROM THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IS RELEASED WHEN WE STEP OUT IN FAITH AND SERVE. LISTEN, WITHOUT HIM, WE CAN’T. WITHOUT US, HE WON’T!
If you are dry and feel as though there is something lacking in your walk with the LORD, why not go before the LORD and ask Him to search your heart. Why not go before the LORD and ask Him to send His Holy Spirit upon you? He’s there, just ask Him. Receive and walk in the Spirit. Put out your arm and let the Spirit take you on the divine appointments God has scheduled for you this day, tomorrow and for eternity! Amen.
The Effect When the Spirit Acts
Ministering 3 months in a synagogue without a major disturbance was a bit of a record for Paul.
Paul left when opposition did arise and turned to minister to the Gentiles in Ephesus. Here it says Paul ministered for two more years, but in Acts 20:31 it says he was in Ephesus 3 years. This is not really a discrepancy, since parts of years were often counted as years and, therefore, Paul was in Ephesus between 2 and 3 years ministering.
“The Way.” “The Way” was simply how the early Church was referred to. This way of referring to the Church is found eight times in Acts (Acts 9:2; Acts 16:17; Acts 18:25-26; Acts 19:9, 23; Acts 24:14, 22). Jesus is “the way” (cf. John 14:6). But what is significant about “The Way” is that it encompassed all the Christian teaching, all that Christianity and the gospel means.
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit doesn’t guarantee people will accept “the Way.” Paul spoke boldly no doubt in the power of the Holy Spirit for three months. He reasoned and persuaded in the Spirit about the kingdom of God. But some rejected the teaching of God’s truth about “the Way.” But some rejected the message.
Some were hardened and didn’t believe. The phrase “some were hardened” translates into a single Greek term esklerunonto (Imperfect/Passive/Indicative of skleruno – to make hard, stubborn, resistant to movement or change). Those hardened “did not believe” (Greek epeithoun – Imperfect/Active/Indicative of the apetheo– disobey, be unpersuaded, be disobedient of disloyal). The idea conveyed by these words is that those who persistently rejected Paul’s message (esklerunonto Imperfect tense) were hardened (esklerunonto Passive Voice). These persistently actively did not believe (epeithoun Imperfect Tense).
You reap what you sow. A person reaps what they sow (Galatians 6:7-9). If you receive the things taught by the Spirit, you will be saved from your sins and grow in your faith. If you reject the things taught by the Spirit, you will be “hardened.”
Our responsibility is to speak forth in the power of the Spirit, the gospel message. People then must make a decision about whether to accept or reject that message. These words indicate that when someone persists in rejecting the message of the gospel, they are likely to be hardened to it. The more you reject the gospel, the less likely you are to ever accept it. The Holy Spirit empowers us to speak God’s truth boldly, and the Spirit will work to convict the sinner of their sins (John 16:8-11) and will work to draw a carnal Christian into a deeper Spirit-filled life. But when God’s truth is rejected, hardening always happens.
Sometimes it’s time to move on. When Paul’s message was rejected and some went so far as to “speak evil of the Way” (“evil” – Greek kakologountes – Present/Active/participle of kakologeo – curse, speak evil of, revile, insult), he didn’t force the issue. “He departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning in the school of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9). Sometimes it’s time to move on.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t bypass human free will. The Holy Spirit doesn’t superimpose His will against the will of people. The Holy Spirit empowers His servants to proclaim the truth of “the Way.” The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and reveals the truth and reasons with the heart, but then it is up to the individual to receive or reject what He offers. The Holy Spirit brings people to a point of decision. Then they must decide how they are going to respond to the Spirit’s overtures. Indecision is decision. If you refuse to decide one way or the other, in an effort to straddle the fence of salvation, you will find yourself left out of heaven and occupying Hell. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30).
Power to teach enduringly. Of the school of Tyrannus one commentator adds the following word:
Apparently Tyrannus made his lecture hall available to traveling teachers. One Greek manuscript adds that the school was available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when most people would have their noon meal and an afternoon “siesta.” This tradition is probably correct. The rest of each day Paul worked with his own hands (Acts 20:34).280
Certainly, Paul took advantage of such an opportunity to teach and reason from the Scriptures. And it was the Holy Spirit Who empowered Paul to share God’s truth with people during this 11 am to 4 pm period each day. The Holy Spirit can invigorate us, and empower us to teach beyond our own human resources.
Paul was not discouraged by those who rejected his teaching. Paul’s ministry in the Spirit was effective enough to spread the gospel throughout Asia (Acts 19:10). Paul didn’t sulk when some rejected his message. He simply moved on to greener pastures where people hadn’t yet heard of “the Way” and where the message would be received.
The Spirit Acts in Ministry and Miracles Not Magic
The name of Jesus is not magical. You cannot use Jesus’ name to get whatever you want. The name of Jesus is not a spiritual winning lotto number. The name of Jesus means something so much deeper and more profound than being a winning ticket to get whatever our heart desires. I will prove that in this study.
Too often the church and Christians have used the name of Jesus in a very carnal, self-serving, selfish way. For instance, “in the name of Jesus,” Christians concoct self-serving prayers demanding worldly indulgences in many forms. From financial windfalls to brands of luxury cars, romantic success to a curse on enemies, everything and anything their heart desires can be had, they think, “in the name of Jesus.” Such prayers should remember first that no one is in any position to “demand” anything from God, and second, but just as importantly, that is not the meaning of “in the name of Jesus.”
When genuine or even counterfeit Christians misuse Jesus’ name in this way, they expose their spiritual immaturity or bankruptcy. If Jesus taught us anything, it is that it’s not about “me” it’s about “Thee.” That is the fundamental truth bound up in the name of Jesus. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, not ourselves. We need to focus on what His will is for us, not what we want for ourselves
There is a passage in Acts that makes this point powerfully. When those unknown to Jesus try and use his name against the dark forces of the devil, they are beaten to a pulp and stripped of all their earthly possessions, including their clothes. What is the right understanding of the name of Jesus? Let’s consider the passage to find out.
Notice, the blessing of handkerchiefs and aprons by God so that people were healed by them was an “unusual” thing. Today and throughout history, people have tried to manipulate such things to their own advantage by making them a common occurrence. Charlatan ministers send prayer clothes and other items through the mail to solicit money from people. “Kneel on this cloth and pray in the name of Jesus, and your prayers will be answered.” This and other similar cheap tricks are an obviously ridiculous misuse of an unusual method used by God in Acts. God can still do such things today if He chooses, but it is questionable if God is in much of what some ministers are claiming today (Acts 19:11-12). It’s never a good idea to presume that which God calls “unusual,” and try to make it usual. It’s never right to take what God calls “holy” and make it common.
This passage introduces us to the concept of “magic” (Acts 19:19). It’s interesting that the world “magic” (Greek periergos) means working all around, meddlesome, busybody, trifles, and curious esoteric arts. These magicians meddled in people’s affairs, offering to help people manipulate their personal circumstances. “Need money to pay a bill? I have just the trick for that.” “Someone against you? I have just the formula to gain the victory.” These magicians played on people’s ignorance and superstitions, profiting at every opportunity they could create.
Magic involves deception. Deception is an area the devil is very privy to. In fact, Jesus referred to the devil as the father of lies and deception (John 8:44). Deception is used in military strategy; it is an acceptable tactic. But when deceiving people try to push false information or to manipulate and take advantage for themselves in an evil way that is sinful.
Magic is akin to sorcery. The idea behind these dark arts is that by doing something I can get what I want. If I do “A” then I will get “B.” In other words, it is a way to control and manipulate your reality. It is a way to determine your own destiny and control the destiny of others. It is a way to play “God.” Such manipulation is called sinful by God (Deuteronomy 18:10). Whenever we try to circumvent God’s sovereign position and authority, by inserting ourselves in His place, that is rebellion and that is sinful. That indeed is the nature of the original sin of Lucifer (cf. Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). That is at the core of magic, sorcery, and the occult.
The name of “Jesus” is not a name that can be used magically. You can’t just name the Name and poof; you get what you want. That is apparently what we see in the rest of this passage. The Spirit won’t allow the name of Jesus to be abused or misused. There are consequences for trying to abuse or misuse the name of Jesus. This passage shows us the bankruptcy and impotence of magic. It shows us the alternative victory of the gospel over the occult practices (See also Acts 8:9-24; Acts 13:6-12; Acts 16:16-18). Compared to the gospel and work of the Holy Spirit, the magicians saw their empty arts and burned their wealth of wizardry books (Acts 19:19). They provided the ashes when God provided the beauty (Isaiah 61:3).
“In My Name” – In the name of Jesus. When Jesus spoke of praying in His name, He wasn’t giving us cart Blanche to fulfill our every carnal desire. To do anything in the name of Jesus means to do it the way Jesus would do it. To ask anything in the name of Jesus is to ask for something Jesus would ask of the Father. “In the name of Jesus” means in the nature of Jesus.
Jesus said that when two or three gathered in His name, He would be there (Matthew 18:20; Luke 9:48). Jesus said that whoever does a kindness to you because you are His and known by His name, they will be rewarded (Mark 9:41). He said whoever receives a child in His name was receiving Him (Matthew 18:5; Mark 9:37). Jesus loves children. Jesus said we ought to be gracious with those who do a miracle in His name, because the one that does such cannot soon speak evil of Him (Mark 9:39). Jesus spoke of signs that would follow those ministering the Great commission in His name (Mark 16:17). But He also warned that in the future false christs would come “in My name” (Matthew 24:50; Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8). Therefore, it’s important to be aware of what it means to do something in the name of Jesus.
When Jesus taught His disciples that “whatever you ask in My name, that I will do…” it meant to do something according to His nature, or the way He would do it. Can you picture Jesus waving His coat over a bunch of people to knock them down, in His name? Is that what Jesus was talking about when He spoke of asking for things in His name? I doubt it. Jesus didn’t trifle with people or stoop to perform just to attract a crowd. In fact, the devil tempted Jesus to do just that and Jesus rejected the offer (Matthew 4:5-7). Jesus was never a showman, but there are many today abusing His name that has turned the church into a circus. They are clowns.
We know what Jesus would do by the Holy Spirit who leads us. Jesus qualified what “in My name” meant by saying, “that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). When we do that, then it is true, “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:14). The Holy Spirit comes “in the name” of Jesus.” The Spirit comes and leads us in the way Jesus would do something (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit leads us in holy paths. When we are in alignment with all of this, then we will be fruitful in the name of Jesus (John 15:16; John 16:23-27).
Another aspect of “in the name of Jesus” we need to consider is whether we have the proper Jesus at all. There are many groups (e.g., cults; religions) who claim to believe in “Jesus.” But naming the Name of Jesus doesn’t guarantee you have the right Jesus. There are groups who believe in what Paul referred to as “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). For instance, Mormons (i.e., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) say Jesus is a separate God from the Father, Elohim. They hold that Jesus is the brother of Lucifer. Jesus and Lucifer, according to them, is the product of the sexual union of Elohim and Mary. They also believe that Jesus was married. That’s not the Jesus of the Bible.
There are a host of other groups following “another Jesus.” Jehovah’s Witnesses flat out reject that Jesus was or is God and say He is a created being. They claim Jesus is Michael the archangel. The once popular Unification Church (i.e., Moonies) says Jesus was a perfect man, but not God. They teach that Jesus failed in His mission and Reverend Sun Myung Moon has come to complete that mission. Christian Science says that Jesus is not the Christ, but only someone who displayed the “Christ idea.” They do not believe Jesus is God because they do not believe God could become a man in the flesh. The Baha’i cult teaches that Jesus is one of many manifestations of “God.” The New Age movement sees Jesus as a spiritual model, an ascended master or guru, an avatar. He is nothing more than a New Ager who tapped into divine power like anyone else can. All these groups use “another Jesus.”
Some of these groups diminish the importance of Jesus if they mention Him at all. L. Ron Hubbard’s Scientology, which has such famous followers such as John Travolta and Tom Cruise, rarely even mentions the name of Jesus. According to Scientology, Jesus was not one who was a “thetan” or one freed from mental defects that would enable him to perform the miraculous. Hare Krishnas don’t view Jesus as important. To them, He was only a vegetarian teacher who taught meditation. Transcendental Meditation teaches Jesus was not special, only that He had a “divine essence” that He was able to discover.
All these groups try to use the name of Jesus to their own advantage in one way or another, but the Berean, the student of the word in the power of the Spirit, can expose their false teachings and prevent the abuse of the name of Jesus. If you don’t have the genuine Jesus, you can’t benefit from His name.
Miracles vs. Magic
The Greek word translated “miracles” in Acts 19:11 is DUNAMIS. (Strong’s #1411 – doo´–nam-is). Sound familiar? This is the same word used by Jesus to describe the baptism with the Holy Spirit when He said:
The word DUNAMIS means, “miraculous power, ability, abundance, meaning, might (–ily, –y, –y deed), (worker of) miracle (–s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.”281 The thing to remember here is that this power, to do the miraculous, is Spirit empowered, engineered and directed. It is not something to be manipulated by humans for their own selfish ends. Genuine God glorifying miracles are a product of the leading and work of the Holy Spirit.
It appears that some in Acts viewed the unusual practices of God as magical practices rather than authentic Spirit-empowered works done by the apostles. But the work of the Spirit is not magic!
What is magic? One dictionary states:
Magic is “the science or practice of evoking spirits or inducing the occult powers of nature to produce effects apparently supernatural.” It formed an essential element in many ancient religions, especially among the Persians, Chaldeans, and Egyptians. The Hebrews had no magic of their own. It was so strictly forbidden by the law that it could never afterward have had any recognized existence, save in times of general heresy or apostasy, and the same was doubtless the case in the patriarchal ages. The magical practices which obtained among the Hebrews were therefore borrowed from the nations around. From the first entrance into the land of promise until the destruction of Jerusalem we have constant glimpses of magic practiced in secret or resorted to not alone by the common but also by the great.282
Another dictionary states:
Magic and sorcery attempt to influence people and events by supernatural or occult means. They may be associated with some form of *divination, though divination by itself is the attempt to use supernatural means to discover events without influencing them. …The magician tries to compel a god, demon, or spirit to work for him; or he follows a pattern of occult practices to bend psychic forces to his will. There is no doubt that magic and sorcery is not always mere superstitions but have a reality behind them. They must be resisted and overcome through the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ. …Magic is a rival to true religion, though it can be practiced in conjunction with false religious ideas. True religion centers in the personal experience of the one God, with an attempt to live a life that is conformable to his will. The believer walks humbly with his God, prays to him, and is prepared to accept the circumstances of life as the sphere in which to glorify him. Magic, on the other hand, deals with lower supernatural beings, or attempts to force issues by using psychic forces, irrespective of whether the issues are for the glory of God. The following practices come under the specific condemnation of the Bible.283
Such practices are an abomination to the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:11-12). What does this passage tell us about magic and occult practices? It tells us that the power of the Spirit is far greater than that in any occult practice.
The Spirit versus the Magical Mindset
What does this passage tell us about the nature (which is contrary to the Holy Spirit) and the ineptitude of the occult?
First, the Spirit does not work through hirelings to manipulate people. “Exorcists” here are described as “conjurers” (EXORKISTES – Strong’s #1845 – ex-or-kis-tace´) meaning, “one that binds by an oath (or spell),…conjurer; exorcist.”284 These were people who went around for hire to bind people or manipulate people by using oaths and spells. They were now trying to use the name of Jesus to manipulate people to do things against their will (19:13). The Spirit does not bypass the will of people. He persuades and reasons, but He does not force people to respond against their will.
Second, the Spirit does not allow Himself to be used by people for self-serving reasons. “They took it upon themselves”, indicates the root motivation for such practices was self-service. They were now trying to use the name of Jesus to serve themselves (Acts 19:13).
Third, the Spirit does not ever mix ministry or miracles with magic. The word “Also” connects the practice of the exorcists with that of the sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. Such practices were not corrected by the Jewish priests since seven sons of one priest tried to practice such things (Acts 19:14). The minister of God should never resort to such occult and magic schemes. What fellowship has light with darkness? None! (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Corinthians 7:1). To combine magic with ministry is to resort to the works of the flesh which are in opposition to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-25). Do magicians use smoke and mirrors? Do churches use smoke and mirrors? What does this mean based on our study?
Fourth, the Spirit does not permit the powerful use of the name of Jesus apart from a saving relationship with Him. The use of the name of Jesus without a saving relationship attached is powerless in fighting demons. Notice, the realness of the “evil spirit” is not questioned, only the way in which the evil spirit is approached by the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:15). When unbelievers try to use the name of Jesus, it’s like a person with a presidential costume trying to present themselves as an authentic president; it will only result in embarrassment and foolishness.
Fifth, the Spirit of Jesus is to be relied upon when encountering evil spirits. It is the power of the Spirit in the authority of the name of Jesus that can evict evil spirits from the possessed and heal the sick (Acts 19:12, 16). Evil spirits are not to be approached in one’s own strength. To approach evil spirits in your own strength is dangerous and doomed to embarrassing and painful consequences (Acts 19:16). We need to rely on the strength and authority of Jesus when fighting spiritual battles (Romans 16:20; James 4:7; 1 John 4:4).
Sixth, the Spirit will not allow the name of Jesus to be tarnished but will work to bring glory to Jesus’ name. The Spirit did not allow the name of Jesus to be tarnished by the attempted abuse of it, but rather brought glory to the name of Jesus (Acts 19:17). The Spirit illuminated the people’s understanding and showed the futility of such attempts to misuse the name of Jesus. Earlier in Acts, the Spirit not only exposed, but severely judged those misusing the name of Jesus (Acts 5). It's never a wise thing to misuse the name of Jesus.
Seventh, the power of the Spirit prevails over the power of the occult. The occult and magic are something that should be completely left behind by the believer. Don’t dabble in the occult or magic. The believer has no business in such things. Burn your magic books! (Acts 19:18-19). Throw away your Ouija boards and Taro cards. Jesus has a better way for you. The word of the Lord prevails over the occult (Acts 19:20).
The ministry of the Spirit is not magical; it is far more powerful than that!
In the name of Jesus, I challenge you to use the name of Jesus to secure all the spiritual wealth and wonder, work, and wisdom of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, I pray we all walk as He walked and follow in His steps. In the name of Jesus, I pray we will stop our selfish pursuits and instead fully surrender to Jesus. In the name of Jesus, I pray we all live like Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen!
The Spirit Acts Against False Religion
In the Book of Acts we have seen the early Church birthed at Pentecost referred to as “The Way.” In the remainder of this chapter we will see what happens when “The Way” clashes with the false religion of pagan idolatry. These verses will help us define “The Way” as well as false religion. It’s important for Christians to know what they are supposed to be based on the earliest development of the Church. It is important for Christians to also know the signs of false religion so that they don’t get caught up in it.
What things were accomplished? The context tells us that which was accomplished was the instruction to the disciples at Ephesus about the empowering baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7), the ministering to those in the synagogue and then moving on from those who refused the gospel (Acts 19:8-9), and the continuing for two years “so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). Among that which was accomplished was also the demonstration of the power of the Name of Jesus in contrast to the magic and sorcery practices in Ephesus which led to many who had practiced magic to bring their books and burn them (Acts 19:11-20).
Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
With such a victorious ministry, Paul “purposed in the Spirit” to move on “through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem.” After returning to Jerusalem, Paul felt compelled to go to Rome.
Notice, Paul moved by the Spirit (Acts 19:21 – “Paul purposed in the Spirit”). That is how all disciples should go about their lives, in the Spirit. The apostle Paul is a great example of this in Acts.
Paul’s normal practice was to take along travel companions “who ministered to him,” or for fellowship and friendship. But here he sent Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia and “he himself stayed in Asia for a time.” Paul stayed in Ephesus ministering.
The Way
As Paul moved toward his destination of Jerusalem, “a great commotion” arose. Sometimes, as we have seen often in Acts already, when the Spirit directs us, He directs us right into a great commotion! (Acts 19:22-23).
In the Book of Acts, the early Church birthed at Pentecost was referred to as “The Way.” We seldom see the Church referred to as “The Way” anymore. In fact, there are a lot of things that are done in the church and that the Church has become associated with that find no basis in Scripture. Some hide behind what they say are methods based on Biblical “principles,” but today’s Church leaves a lot to be desired when compared to the Church in Acts.
But at an even more rudimentary level, the Church of Jesus Christ was designed to facilitate a relationship with God more than what it has become, a religion. In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer He defined eternal life in the following way.
Jesus defined eternal life in distinctively relational terms, not as a religion. The idea of knowing “the only true God, and Jesus Christ,” is to know by experience (Greek ginosko). The objective of the Church for its members and the hope of about every human ever created is eternal life. That “eternal life,” according to Jesus, is having a relationship with Him and His Father. Jesus has made that possible through His redemptive work on the cross and His confirming resurrection.
Relationship versus religion. What is the difference between a relationship with God versus a religious idea towards God? The answer to that question is found in what Jesus went on to state in His High Priestly Prayer.
There are two things in this statement by Jesus that are significant to delineate between relationship and religion. The first is Jesus’ statement, “I have glorified You on the earth.” The verb “glorified” (Greek edouxasa – Aorist/Active/Indicative of doxadzo – to ascribe glory to, to honor, to praise) speaks of something accomplished or simply completed. The second statement by Jesus of significance is, “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” The verb “finished” (Greek eteleiosa – Aorist/Active/Indicative of teleioo – make perfect, complete, finish, accomplish; bring to completion, perfect) also speaks of something completed. Now we need to keep in mind that Jesus made this statement to the Father in His prayer before He went to the cross. His life brought glory to the Father. The raising of Lazarus from the dead brought glory to the Father (John 11:4). But wasn’t the cross the primary mission of Jesus, to provide a way for our sins to be forgiven and have eternal life? Yes. Jesus Himself pointed to the cross as His glory (cf. John 12:23-24). The Father said, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again” (John 12:28). But Jesus speaks of glorifying the Father on the earth, as completed. Then He adds, “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” How was Jesus’ glorifying work finished, completed, perfected, if He had yet to go to the cross? The answer to that question is that Jesus was speaking proleptically.
A proleptic statement is a statement of something that has yet to be accomplished, as though it were accomplished, because it is certain to be accomplished. As a teenager one Halloween, I was out carousing with my friends doing a lot of mischievous stuff like throwing eggs and showering people with shaving cream. Well, our unruly behavior led to someone calling the police. When we heard the sirens and saw the flashing lights, we all scattered. We happened to be in a park at the time and so when I ran it required I hop a fence. I had gloves on but when I put my hand on the fence to hop over it, the jagged metal on the top of it cut through my glove, tearing my skin open. I later would need nine stiches to close the wound. But when I cut myself, I took off my glove and just looked at my hand. So stunned was I that I didn’t immediately notice the police officer coming up to me. He looked at my hand. He looked at me. I looked at him. We both knew when I got home, I was dead. Now, even though the gracious, merciful, understanding and helpful officer was kind enough to not charge me and rather brought me home and walked me to the front door of my home in the middle of the night, when my father, awakened from a dead sleep, answered that door and saw me, and the officer, and my hand, well, I knew, I was dead. I am here to tell the story. Yes, but my ride to the hospital, stitches, pain, and parental grounding penalty effectively killed me for any more fun for the foreseeable future. I may not have been literally dead, but I was socially dead. The fact of my impending penalty was so certain, though it hadn’t yet occurred; it was spoken of as a fact.
Now, that Jesus’ mission of the cross was so certain it could be spoken of by Him as being “finished,” is vitally important to distinguishing between relationship and religion. Someone who had a saving relationship with God in Christ can have that relationship because Jesus has completed the work of redemption by paying our sin-death penalty (cf. Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Someone who has a relationship with God in Christ285 bases that relationship on the completed work of Jesus Christ. That is good news because our forgiveness of sins and eternal life is not based on anything we do, but on what Jesus has already done. And if our salvation is based on the completed work of Jesus, not our works, then it is certain and secure. Because a relationship with God in Christ depends on Jesus’ completed work, we rest in that competed work and know with certainty that it is our possession. We have a blessed assurance that, by faith, Jesus is mine and eternal life is ours too.
A religious orientation has no assurance of salvation or eternal life because it is based on the individual’s good works. When you depend on what you must do to be right with God, you are never certain if you have done enough. When you depend on your works, it’s always uncertain, unknown, unassured that what you do is enough. Religions, including “Christian” versions of religion, depend on what people do as the basis for them to earn eternal life. This is a FALSE gospel that is really no gospel at all. Paul spends the better part of two epistles refuting the idea of anyone working their way to heaven (cf. Romans and Galatians). Religion, therefore, is reduced to a system where authorities assign and determine how much work is enough to satisfy the justice of God and to earn eternal life.
The relational good news of Jesus Christ is that He has done all the heavy lifting, He has completed all the work, and because He has, and made the benefits of His redemptive work available to us simply by receiving it by faith, then we can be assured of our salvation; as sure of our salvation and eternal life as God is faithful to keep His word. The gospel leads to strong, steady, certain, assured, confident saved followers of Jesus. By faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified or assured that God sees us legally just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned. The good news gospel relationship is one of peace and security. Religion, on the other hand, has no such peace and security. It is filled with uncertainty and obligation, work, and seat, and labor, and nervousness, and discomfort, guilt, and diminished glory to God. The gospel gives glory to God and creates a spiritually fruitful worshipful response to God. We exalt Him and praise Him for His glorious, merciful and gracious gospel. When we relate to God religiously, we see God as tyrannical, enslaving, harsh, mean, and vindictive. That is the difference between a relational versus a religious view of God.
Religionists will always oppose relationalists. Religion creates an environment where a person takes pride in their work. Relating to God relationally, on the other hand, because it is based on God’s grace, humbles us. The Bible states God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). Religion, because it is lifeless, ends up being a form of humanism or people-centered worldview. And when the life-giving water of the Holy Spirit is gushing out of true gospel Christians, it always creates a clash with the stone walls of religionists.
The Way. We see this clash between relationship and religion in the Book of Acts. On the Third Missionary Journey, Paul came to the city of Ephesus, a hotbed of pagan religion. In Acts 19 “there arose a great commotion about the Way” (Acts 19:23). In Acts, Christianity was known in the world as “The Way” (Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9, 23; Acts 24:14, 22).The word “way” (Greek hodos) means a road, a route, a journey. Metaphorically, it means a course of conduct, a way of thinking, a world view. The definite article “the” distinguishes this “way” as “The Way,” a particular worldview and way of living.
“The Way” emphasizes that early Christians were known by THE WAY of life they lived. The Way was composed of people transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Those who were a part of “The Way” had changed, they were different than they once were, better (e.g., Saul became Paul – Acts 9). “The Way” was “the way of salvation” and even demons who possessed people knew this (Acts 16:17). The Way was a powerful new group of people whose God, Jesus, was able to confront persecutors, knock them down off their high horse, convert them, and assimilate them into Spirit-empowered proponents of The Way, e.g., Saul to Paul in Acts 9. The Way was a particular way of living in Christ that involved new birth in the Spirit and the baptism with the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 18:24-28). The Way was made up of those led by the Spirit – like Paul in Acts 19:21. The Way spread the gospel far and wide (Acts 19:21-22). The people of The Way were fulfilling the Great Commission wherever they went (Mat 28:18-20). The Way cut into the profits of the religious because the REAL RELATIONSHIP with Jesus (e.g., John 17:3) exposed the bankruptcy and emptiness of pagan idolatry (Acts 19:23-27). The Way was violently opposed by religionists (Acts 19:28-34). The Way was civically opposed (Acts 19:35-41). The Way was cautious toward but not deterred by opposition (Acts 19:31; Acts 9:2).
Another aspect of The Way was that those of The Way, like Paul, had a testimony (Acts 24:10-16). Paul testified that The Way was a “sect” (Greek hairesis). A “sect” is a group made up of members who are a part of the group by choice. This group was distinguished by their own tenets or beliefs. Because a sect often broke off from a larger body of people, they were frequently accused of being heretical (Acts 24:14). Those of The Way like Paul didn’t go looking for trouble but didn’t avoid it either if it came. They were courageous in their witness (Acts 24:12-13). The Way was known for worshiping God and obeying His word (OT at the time – Acts 24:14). The Way’s central message for which they were known was that there is hope in Jesus because of His death and resurrection (Acts 24:15). The Way lifestyle was one that strove to have a good conscience without offense towards God and men (Acts 24:16). This is a good clear picture of the early followers of Jesus who were a growing group who came to be known as “The Way.”
The great commotion was linked to the diminishing worship of false idols due to the successful preaching of the gospel in the Spirit (Acts 19:26-27).
The particular idol worshiped in Ephesus was that of Diana. One dictionary states the following about this God:
ARTEMIS [i.e., Diana]. This was the Greek name of the God dess identified with the Latin Diana of classical mythology. The name Artemis is pre-Greek. She first appears in Greek literature as mistress and protectress of wildlife. (Cf. W. K. C. Guthrie, The Greeks, and their God s, 1950, pp. 99ff.) In Greece proper she was worshiped as the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. Horror at the pains her mother endured at her birth is supposed to have made her averse to marriage. She was God dess of the moon and of hunting, and is generally portrayed as a huntress, wild dogs in attendance. Her temple at *Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the world, and here worship of the ‘virgin goddess’ appears to have been fused with some kind of fertility-cult of the mother–goddess of Asia Minor. The temple was supported on 100 massive columns, some of which were sculptured. Tradition claims that her image fell there from the sky (Acts 19:35) and is thought to refer to a meteorite; Pliny tells of a huge stone above the entrance, said to have been placed there by Diana herself. Her worship was conducted by eunuch priests, called (Strabo, 14. 1. 23), and archaeologists have discovered statues depicting her with many breasts. The silversmiths who made small votary shrines, portraying the God dess in a recess with her lions in attendance, or possibly souvenir models of the temple, caused the riot when Paul was ministering there (Acts 19:23-20:1). Their cry of ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!‘ (Acts 19:28, 34) is attested by inscriptions from Ephesus which call her ‘Artemis the Great’ (CIG, 2963c; Greek Inscriptions in the British Museum, iii, 1890, 481. 324).286
The false God Diana/Artemis was no match for the Spirit-empowered gospel of Jesus Christ. But this didn’t mean the followers and profiteers of Diana were going to take their losses lying down. If Satan can’t win, he’s going to kick and scream and throw a tantrum. If Satan can’t deceive, he will try to intimidate and, if possible, destroy the work and workers of God.
Religious Resistance
In Ephesus, therefore, we see what happens when the Spirit encounters a false religion. What can we learn from this encounter? We can summarize the following things from this passage:
First, the underlying concern of the idol craftsman was loss of profit (Acts 19:24-25). Profit and religion often go hand in hand. This is true because religion is man’s attempt to reach God or a god and is a work of the flesh. When the flesh is involved in anything, the focus is ultimately on selfish gain. A religious person is out to get fire insurance for eternity, or they are out to secure blessings and benefits to enrich themselves in this life. All of it is based on profits.
Second, false religion is no match for Spirit-empowered gospel (Acts 19:26). Paul was directed by the Spirit to preach that gods made with hands are not gods. Paul spoke out against talismans or the charms of false gods. False religions lack the Spirit and are dead spiritually. That is why those who were sincerely seeking after God were leaving the false religion of Artemis for the new life in Christ found in the gospel presented by the Spirit through the apostles.
Third, false religion responds to the Spirit’s truth with wrath and fanatical anger (Acts 19:27-29). When confronted with the truth, a false religion doesn’t rationally weigh the evidence, it shouts in anger. (e.g., “Don’t confuse me with the facts!”). When Muslims are confronted with the logical facts that show the falsehood and errors of their beliefs and the “holy” book, the Koran, they often shut their ears and minds and raise the volume of their speaking to give the impression that their conviction is good enough. But it isn’t. No amount of shouting can squelch the truth of God as the Spirit reveals it in His word. Like Islamic fundamentalists, these Ephesians grabbed anyone associated with the Spirit’s truth and abused them.
Fourth, those led by the Spirit should use caution and restraint when confronted by fanatical religionists (Acts 19:30-31). Paul wanted to go into the crowd and try to reason with them, but when his friends advised him against it, he listened. There is no use putting yourself in harms way with a fanatical crowd. You may think such an action is brave and courageous, but it may just as well be a fleshly attempt to impress God and others. It could be you are testing God, which is sin (Mathew 4:5-7).
Fifth, the presence of confusion indicates these false religionists were not of God (Acts 19:32). God is not the Author of disarray or confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). You can be sure Satan is at work when there is confusion and chaos present in a situation. When such a situation arises, it would be prudent to pray for God to give you the peace that surpasses understanding (John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7).
Sixth, the fanaticism of a false religion does not listen to reason and only shouts louder (Acts 19:33-34). As stated before, when an opponent is faced with truth, especially truth that threatens to expose falsehood in his life or belief system, often they will shout in an immature attempt to drown out the words of truth (Jeremiah 10:14-16).
Seventh, the fanaticism of false religion is often controlled by government intervention (Acts 19:35-41). One reason for secular governments is to protect people from such fanaticism (Romans 13). When false religion and government are intertwined, (such as in Islamic states like Saudi Arabia), a very dangerous situation arises where persecution of believers (even unto death) becomes acceptable. In Islamic states, witnessing or winning a Muslim to faith in Christ is a crime punishable by death. Frequently, when a Muslim is won to Christ, the evangelist is persecuted and murdered by riotous mobs before the governments can even intervene. The Roman government was often a source of persecution, but here we see that the order it commanded (i.e., Pax Romana) led to the protection of the disciples.
Here we see that religious fanaticism is no match for the power of the Spirit working through people like Paul. It is because Paul was empowered by the Holy Spirit that God could use him in such a situation. What would you have done in such a situation? Would you have run for cover, or stood firm like Paul? Do you envy Paul’s power and the way he’s used by the Lord to confront such a false religion? You can have the same kind of power. Surrender to the Spirit and ask Him to empower you and use you. Request and receive by faith the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
In Ezekiel 47 it states:
In Ezekiel 47, the prophet Ezekiel is given a vision of the future temple and a river flowing out from its altar. The river proceeds out from the temple and out of the city eastward. Ezekiel is asked to walk into the river in graduated steps. First to his ankles, then to his knees, then to his loins, and finally up to and over his head, totally submerged in the river! I believe we can make an application here to life in the Spirit.
Getting our feet wet. When we are first saved, we step into the river of the Spirit as we plant our feet firmly on the promises of God. We get our feet wet as we stand by faith in the LORD. Our faith is new and immature. It’s like a child at the beach for the first time; they cautiously go up to the waterline and dip the tip of their toe in the water. Similarly, when we first accept Jesus as Savior, the Spirit indwells us, but we don’t know what that means, so we cautiously proceed to the waterline and dip our toe in the Spirit to see what He’s like, what He wants to do in us. We’ve perhaps seen a lot of weirdness and heard a lot of weird stories, so we move with caution in our new relationship with Jesus in the Spirit.
In up to our knees. As we continue in our walk with the LORD in the Spirit, we become aware of our need for a prayer life. We begin to walk in up to our knees in this river of the Spirit. We learn what it means to pray in the Spirit. We ask Him to help us with our weaknesses. We declare our dependence on God by praying to Him in the Spirit. We learn that by prayer we can be better prepared to take a stand in our daily lives. To go into the water up to our knees is to begin our prayer life in the Spirit, to open communication with the Lord.
Up to our loins (i.e., waist). As we pray, the LORD puts a burden on our hearts for the lost. He does this as the Spirit continues the process of conforming us to the likeness of Jesus. Jesus had a burden for the lost and so should we. We go into the river of the Spirit up to our loins, the reproductive area of our being.
Immersed in the Spirit. As we are involved in evangelism, the LORD leads us to go the final step, to immerse ourselves entirely in the river of the Spirit. This happens when we endeavor to evangelize like Jesus, to minister and be used by the Spirit, but we go about it in our own strength, our own understanding, and the result is that we do a body flop, slamming into the water. That hurts; it isn’t any fun. It’s like trying to body surf a wave and then tumbling to the shore out of control and being plowed headfirst into the beach. The result is we get up sore and with a mouth full of sand. Our intentions were good and pure, but we went about it in the wrong way. We must learn to trust in the Spirit to initiate ministry, to lead and empower in ministry. When we realize that, it is like going into the water over our heads. Ever tried to see how far you could walk upright into the ocean? It’s not hard to walk in up to your ankles, or even your knees, but when you reach your waist you can tell your movement is restricted. Then, when you go in up to your neck and then to your head, you can hardly move. Rather, it is the current of the water that is moving you. That is what the baptism with the Holy Spirit is like. The Spirit has all of you and moves you like the ocean has all of you.
At this point, the Spirit has all of you; there is nothing untouched by the water of the Spirit. The Spirit is in total control. Our heart’s cry is, “LORD, I’ll do whatever You want me to do. I’ll go wherever You want me to go. I’ll give whatever You want me to give. Whatever You want LORD, I’M YOURS!” This is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is when you fully accept by faith the substance of verses such as:
How far have you gone into the Spirit’s river? Are you willing to go in all the way? Have you given yourself to Jesus completely or do you still hold back and want to call some of the shots for some areas in your life? Give yourself totally to Jesus. Send up the white flag. Surrender! Receive the empowerment of the Spirit today!
The early church was powerful because the Holy Spirit was in complete control of those who had accepted Jesus as Savior and LORD. It’s as though the Spirit brought a flame to a powerful flashpoint within the Church. Those in the early Church were acutely affected by this fiery empowerment. They appear to have had a heightened spiritual sensitivity. They had an ear to hear what the Spirit was saying. They had an eye and alertness to divine appointments scheduled by God for them. Their lives were lived moment by moment seeking, praying without ceasing, “Holy Spirit, what would You have me do? How, where can I serve? Where would You have me go? What do You want me to say? What is Your plan for this day?” Vance Havner captures this sense of power when he writes:
We are not going to move this world by criticism of it, nor conformity to it, but only by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.
The early Church was combustible. They were the sparks that ignited the fiery spread of the gospel throughout the early world. As the Spirit worked, it was as though early believers said, “Pour it on LORD, pour it on!” Have you received the baptism with the Holy Spirit since you believed? The answer to that question will determine your effectiveness in ministry and the Christian life.
272 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
273 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
274 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
275 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
276 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
277 William Law, The Power of the Spirit, Edited by Dave Hunt (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade Pubs.) Reprinted 2003. Pages 28, 30.
278 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
279 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
280 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.
281 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
282 William Smith; revised and edited by F.N. and M.A. Peloubet, Smith’s Bible Dictionary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997.
283 The New Bible Dictionary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1962.
284 James Strong, New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.
285 The mostly Pauline expression “in Christ” refers to have a saving relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ; His paying the penalty for our sins on the cross, and His resurrection validation of that redemptive work and defeat of death.
286 The New Bible Dictionary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1962.
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