(མཛད་པ། 19:1-10)

 

And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all.

And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:1-10)

 

When Paul did return to Ephesus he met a group who seemed to be disciples, but he found out that they also, like Apollos, had not been taught the full gospel of the way of salvation. They had repented of sin as John the Baptist had urged, but did not know Jesus’ promise to enter them in the form of his Spirit.

So when they were baptized in the name of Jesus, they could follow ‘The Way’*, that is, having his Spirit inwardly to help them in their changed lives and in their worship and in their speaking.

* ‘People-of-the-The Way’ was a name given to ‘Christ- men’. At Antioch they were known as ‘Christians’ ( see Acts 11:26).