Dublin, OH
Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
19:1-10 Paul Encounters Disciples of John. At Ephesus Paul led some disciples of John the Baptist to Christ (vv. 1-7). His Ephesian ministry then extended throughout the entire Asian province (vv. 8-10).
19:1 while Apollos was at Corinth. See 18:27. Inland country refers to the main highway that went westward through the mountainous region from Phrygia into Asia and on to Ephesus on the coast. Disciples here refers to followers of John the Baptist; they did not know of Jesus (19:4).
19:2 That they had not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit indicates they had not heard of the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost (ch. 2), and therefore they probably had not heard much of Jesus' life and ministry, and certainly not of his death and resurrection. (Cf. note on 18:25.) They had evidently relocated from Palestine to Ephesus before Jesus' own ministry began. As followers of John they would have known his message that the Messiah would bring the Spirit (Luke 3:16).
19:5 Having learned how Jesus had fulfilled the message of John the Baptist, these disciples of John submitted to baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus (in contrast to their former baptism of "repentance" only, v. 4). On baptism in the name of Jesus, see note on 10:48.
19:6 The Holy Spirit came on them means they received the new covenant fullness and power of the Holy Spirit, something that happened to Jesus' disciples for the first time on the day of Pentecost (see notes on 1:8; 2:4; 8:17). They had not previously known about Jesus' death and resurrection, so their earlier belief (19:2) was one of looking forward to the Messiah to come, a state similar to that of OT believers. Their speaking in tongues and prophesying was an outward demonstration and verification of their receiving the Spirit. (See discussion of these gifts in note on 1 Cor. 12:10 and notes elsewhere on 1 Corinthians 12-14.)
19:9 the Way. See note on 9:1-2. the hall of Tyrannus. Some Greek manuscripts in the "Western text" tradition add that the daily lectures were held between the hours of , which included the hottest part of the day, when people would take off work for a midday nap. reasoning daily. See note on 17:17.
19:10 Paul ministered in Ephesus for (; see 20:31). That he reached all the residents of Asia reflects his missionary strategy of setting up in the major cities and sending coworkers into the surrounding region to establish churches. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians near the end of his time at Ephesus (see note on Acts 19:22).
