Chapter Nineteen — Part One: The Book of Acts
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 07/17/2022
Foundation Scriptures:Acts 19:1-7
1. Have You Received?
a. Acts 19:1a AMPC — While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the upper inland districts and came down to Ephesus.
b. While Apollos preached in Corinth, Paul was free to head on over to Ephesus.
c. The more ministers of the Gospel who obey God, and step up into their calling, the more laborers there will be in the harvest; therefore, more people are reached, and more can be accomplished.
d. Paul went through the upper and inland districts of Phrygia and Galatia, down to Ephesus, on the coast of the Aegean.
e. Pricilla and Aquila had met Apollos in Ephesus.
f. Paul realized that there must be more like Apollos, who had only heard and received part of the Gospel message—the baptism of John.
g. He went down to find them and to empower them with the Holy Spirit and the revelation of all that was available to them through Jesus Christ.
h. Acts 19:1b-2 NKJV — And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
i. They had never heard of the Holy Spirit or what was available to them by and through Him.
j. These disciples were not opposed to the Holy Spirit, they had just never heard of Him.
k. Many people miss out on God’s blessings because they do not know that they exist nor that they are available to them.
l. They were not like some Christians who have believed on Jesus and are convinced that they already have the fullness of the Holy Spirit and do not need anything more.
m. However, there is a next step—there is more that the Lord has for us.
n. When a person is converted and receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, they receive the Spirit of sonship, and have the Holy Spirit in a measure (Rom. 8:9; 14-16).
o. It is the Holy Spirit who recreates the human spirit and makes one a new creature, a new creation, in Christ (Rom. 8:9-16; 2 Cor. 5:17).
p. This is a work of the Holy Spirit but is not the same as the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is the fullness of the Spirit.
q. With the baptism in the Holy Ghost, we receive tongues, fire power, gifts, graces, anointings, and callings.
r. The fulness of the Holy Spirit is for ALL Christians—not just a few special people.
s. The Holy Spirit is the engagement ring—the seal, the earnest, the pledge, the down payment, of all that God has given to us and all that has been promised (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5).
t. Ephesians 1:13-14 AMPC — In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, and have believed in and adhered to and relied on Him, were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit. 14 That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the firstfruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it — to the praise of His glory.
2. Holy Ghost Power.
a. Acts 19:3 AMPC — And he asked, Into what [baptism] then were you baptized? They said, Into John’s baptism.
b. John was not the savior, but a messenger—Jesus Christ is the Savior.
c. John baptized in water, but Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Ghost and fire (Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16).
d. Acts 19:4 AMPC — And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, continually telling the people that they should believe in the One Who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus [having a conviction full of joyful trust that He is Christ, the Messiah, and being obedient to Him].
e. They were baptized in the name of John, which was not a bad thing, but there was another step they needed to take.
f. John’s baptism pointed people toward Jesus, but they still needed to receive Jesus, and after that, the Holy Spirit.
g. There is a baptism of repentance, but it is not the same thing as the water baptism we go through after being born again.
h. That is a washing of regeneration that represents the death, burial and resurrection we experience in and through Christ.
i. Our sins are dead and buried—we die to sin—it has no more power over us.
j. And we are raised up with Christ to newness of life and a good clean conscience.
k. 1 Peter 3:21 KJV — The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
l. Acts 19:5-6 AMPC — On hearing this they were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And as Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke in [foreign, unknown] tongues (languages) and prophesied.
m. They were baptized in water in the Name of Jesus, and also baptized in the Holy Ghost.
n. Paul laid his hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost—Holy Ghost fire and power—and spoke in tongues.
o. This is not exclusively an early Church blessing, but it is still available to us today.
p. In fact, the Lord still desires and expects that every one of us receive the Truth, believe on Him, and are empowered with the Holy Ghost and fire.
q. He offers it all, but we receive only whatever it is we believe (Jn. 1:31-34; 7:37-39).
r. Let us joyfully embrace all that He has made available to us!
s. Acts 19:7 AMPC — There were about twelve of them in all.
t. Twelve is a good Bible number.
u. These twelve were set on fire to continue the work of God in their town, or wherever He took them after that!