Partakers Bible Thought – The Spirit Explodes 18

The Spirit Explodes
Part 18 of 22
~Success and trouble in Ephesus.
~Acts19:1–41

by Roger Kirby

Some time has passed since the main events we read about in the last study. Since Paul left Corinth he has been to Jerusalem and Antioch, travelled through the area he has already been to in the south of what is now Turkey and then travelled over land to Ephesus in west Turkey. As already noted Ephesus was a large city, third largest in the Empire, and correspondingly important both to Rome and the developing churches. Though it is interesting to note that in the book of Revelation the church in Ephesus is warned that ‘if you do not repent I will remove your lamp stand from its place’ and they did not repent and the city no longer exists today except as ruins.

This episode has clearly been put next to that about Apollos not knowing the baptism of Jesus. This time the situation is much clearer: although they are called disciples they did not have the gift of the Holy Spirit. When asked whether they had received the Holy Spirit their reply was literally ‘we have not heard that the spirit is’ probably meaning something like ‘we have not heard that the Spirit is available to the likes of us’. John had spoken about the Spirit so they must have known of his existence.

Question 1: - They answered ‘no’. What can we conclude from that?

Read Acts 19:8–16.

Question 2: - Why do we find it so much more difficult to get everyone to hear the word of the Lord than they did?

Question 3: - What is the essential difference between magic and miracle?

Question 4: - Where in this passage do we hear of the direct challenge of miracles to magic?

Question 5: - Where, in your culture, can you see similar things happening?

Read Acts 19:17 – 22.

Question 6: - Is there anything you should be burning or dumping?

Read Acts 19:23 – 31.

Question 7: - For the second time in this chapter Christian faith is called ‘the Way’. What does this title emphasise?

 Read Acts 19: 32 – 41.

 

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