Back to Index

Back to The Good Fight

Question: Explain Acts 19:2 concerning the receiving of the Holy
Ghost.

1. First, some matters regarding the Holy Spirit.
     a. H.S. is in the Bible from Gen. 1:2 to Rev. 22:17.
     b. Must accept what the Bible teaches regarding the H.S. (Eph.
4:1-6.

2. Acts 19:2:"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
     a. This is not a reference to H.S. baptism. The only two
recorded cases are Acts 2 & Acts 10.
     b. Paul wanted to know if they had received the miraculous
gifts of the Spirit, which were necessary at this point to reveal
the word of God.
     c. Their answer showed that they were uninformed about the
events of Acts 2, re. the coming of the H.S., the establishment of
the church.
     d. Trace miraculous. This relates to what Simon saw. Acts
18:8-Note what is directly stated: "Now when Simon saw that through
the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he
offered them money"
          1) Reason Peter and John came to Samaria
          2) Gifts not available through prayer.
          3) Not transferable through Philip.
          4) Many today have not seen what Simon saw.

                        Notes on Acts 19

1-7: The twelve rebaptized.
Intro: The historian now reaches the point for which he had so
hurriedly passed over the voyage of Paul from Ephesus to Antioch,
and his land journey thence through Galatia and Phrygia (NMcG.150).
Paul is permitted at last to begin a work which he had in mind
when, on his preceding tour, he was "forbidden by the H.S. to speak
the word in Asia, 16:6; and also to fulfill the appointment which
he had left here on his journey homeward, 18:21 (ibid).

1) Disciples: word means a learner. In this particular passage the
word does not mean a Christian.

2) when ye believe as used here, refers to conversion.
     The Holy Spirit here would not refer to the ordinary gift of
the H.S. All believers receive H.S., Acts 2:38. Under consideration
then would be the miraculous. This is further shown "by the fact
that it is this which he conferred upon them at the close of the
conversation" (ibid.151). This of course could be given to them
only by an apostle (Acts 8:17,18).

     It is not likely that they had never heard of the existence of
the H.S. The O.T. is full of references to Him. Probable meaning is
that they did not know that the H.S. had been given. Thus they were
ignorant of the events of Pentecost, and of the N.T. being
revealed.

3) Since they not only could not work miracles, but did not even
know that the H.S. had come, this raised the question of whether
they had been scripturally baptized. They were either taught by
Apollos, or someone like him. They were ignorant of the baptism of
Christ.

4) Paul showed them the temporary nature of John's work in pointing
forward to Christ. Now that Jesus had come and had accomplished the
Father's work, men were to render obedience to Him.
     A baptism of repentance Mk.1:14,15.

5) Upon hearing and believing this, they were baptized into the
name of Jesus.

Lessons:
     Here were men who had been baptized but did not know of the
coming of Christ or of the H.S. Because of this, they had to be
rebaptized. Application: If today a person is baptized to enter a
denomination, he does not understand the purpose of baptism. If one
is baptized thinking he is saved, as is almost always the case
among denominations, he has not been scripturally baptized, for
scriptural baptism is "for the remission of sins. If a person were
baptized just to please someone else, the same would apply.

6) After their baptism, Paul laid his hands on them, imparting to
them miraculous gifts. This is the only way that men besides
apostles could work miracles. ONly apostles could impart miraculous
gifts.
     1 Tim. 4:14 is misused. with (meta) means to accompany. 2 Tim.
1:6 tells us how Timothy received gift. (dia)--"the means or
instrument by which anything is affected" (Thayer.133)
     Thus when the last apostle died, the power to impart the
ability to perform miracles ceased. When the last person on whom an
apostle laid hands died, miracles ceased. Therefore there is not a
man living on earth today who can perform miracles.

Extended preaching at Ephesus
8) Preached in synagogue 3 months. Some were hardened and
disobedient, thus Paul separated himself from them. cf. 18:5-6.
     We learn that when one becomes hardened and disobedient to the
Word, the time has come to look for someone else to teach (Mt.
7:6).

9-10) Paul then began to preach daily in the school of Tyrannus.
This was done for 2 years.

11) Special miracles. Similar to woman touching garment (Mk.5:25-
27). Purpose of these and all miracles (Heb.2:3,4).

13) Jewish impostors. These events manifested to everyone,
especially to magicians, the difference between the power of the
apostle Paul, and these impostors. Because of this, many gave up
their magic and burned their books, amounting to several thousand
dollars.

21) Paul's future plans.
     Planned on this trip to take up the contribution for the poor
saints of Jerusalem. 1 Cor. was written while Paul was in Ephesus
(1 Cor. 16:8).
     Paul did not know at this time that he would go to Rome as a
prisoner.

23-41: Riot at Ephesus
23) Ephesus, population 200,000+, worshipped Diana, a fertility
goddess. In Ephesus was a great temple which housed her statue, and
had an altar 20 feet square. Without doubt, in Paul's preaching he
had shown the uselessness of idols, and that God is the only true
and living God.

27) 2 complaints: a) this is hurting our business; it will cause us
to loose money, cf. 16:19. They made shrines--small portable
temples which probably contained an image of Diana. b) What he says
is against the worship of Diana.

29) Gaius and Aristarchus seized. Evidently Paul could not be
located immediately. When Paul heard what had happened, his friends
hindered him from entering, for fear he would be killed.

33) Perhaps the Jews put Alexander forward to make known that they
had nothing to do with this. When it was seen that He was a Jew,
they would not listen.

35-41 Speech of the city clerk.
35) A keeper of the public records, who presided over public
gatherings, and performed the duties of the chief magistrate when
he was away. Said: the worship of Diana has not been endangered.
(Actually, this was false). This should be settled in court, or in
a lawful assembly. there was the danger of their being punished
because of riot. Thus the mob was dismissed.

Idolatry:
When one is devoted and attached to anything more than God. God
only is to be worshipped Mt.4:10. Therefore, covetousness is
idolatry Co.3:5. can make pleasures, or self-gratification, or
self-will one's idol. Deut. 6:12-15; 1 Cor. 10:6-7,14.
Consequences:
     a) No inheritance in kingdom Eph.5:5.
     b) Wrath of God Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:5,6
     c) Lake of fire Rev.21:8
               Gift of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38.
     Here, ten dorean, not charisma. Also in Acts 8:20; 10:45;
11:17.


Back to Index

Back to The Good Fight