Month: October 2015

(1) And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. 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.” (3) And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” (4) Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” (5) When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (6) And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. (7) Now the men were about twelve in all.
Acts 19:1-7

We were challenged in our study guide last week with the question of whether or not these men were saved when Paul first encountered them in v. 1. I felt the question was a difficult one to answer definitively because of the uniqueness of the time. The book of Acts is full of unique, visible experiences which were not intended to continue as the church walked by faith and not by sight. The salvation experience also clearly changed after Christ came. Faith has always been the issue of salvation (Rom 3:28-30), but before Acts 2, the experience of that faith included a visitation of the Spirit which Christ described as the Spirit being “with you”. (Joh 14:17) Jesus went on to say, however, that there would be a new experience (which came to pass in Acts 2 and following) in which the Spirit of God would be “in you”. With that in mind, let’s see what evidence the Scripture sets forth concerning this question of the salvation of these men at the outset of Act 19.

We understand that these men had been followers of the teachings of John the Baptist. (v. 3) That was all well and good at the beginning of John’s ministry, but John made it clear that his purpose was to lead men to One greater than himself. John’s view concerning Christ was, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Joh 3:30) Some of John’s disciples realized this goal in Joh 1:35-37: “Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” For these two, John’s mission had been accomplished! But for others, they stopped short of the fuller revelation in Jesus Christ and remained attached to John. This mistake led to a lack of understanding as in Mar 2:18 where, instead of agreeing with Christ, John’s disciples actually aligned with the Pharisees! “The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, ‘Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?’ ” They actually questioned the spirituality of Jesus and his disciples just like the Pharisees did! There is a tremendous warning in this text against exalting men to an unhealthy status in our lives. Our spiritual instructors must never take the place of the Lord, but we should only follow or imitate them as they follow Christ! (1Co 11:1)

So, if these men in Ephesus had stopped with John and had not gone on to Christ, they had come short of the goal. For this reason, they had not yet received the Holy Ghost. With this in mind, we need to understand a truth that many are confused about today. If a man is truly saved today, redeemed by Jesus Christ, he possesses the Spirit of God! 1Co 6:19 makes the following general statement about those who have been born again: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” Paul reiterates this thought in his second letter to the Corinthians: “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ ” (2Co 6:16) It’s clear that Paul recognized the indwelling Spirit to be an experience common to every believer.

Perhaps the best passage to consider is one that’s written to the very people Paul was preaching to in our text in Acts. In Eph 1:13-14, he wrote, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Saving faith was evidenced by the giving of the Spirit within. In fact, this passage tells us that the Holy Spirit is like earnest money you put down on a new home that you’ve promised to buy. God gives us His Spirit as a guarantee that He is taking us home to eternally dwell with Him as joint heirs with Christ! (Rom 8:17) Simply put, if God has saved you, His Spirit lives in you. If you don’t have the Spirit of God, you need to be saved! “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Rom 8:9)

With all the confusion today concerning the Spirit of God, I’m thankful for the plainness of God’s word. Jesus made a promise to all believers, and that promise has come to pass. He has given His Spirit to each of His children! Let us rejoice in that which our Savior has provided as evidence that He will indeed never leave us nor forsake us. “ ‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive…” (Joh 7:38-39)

Jamie

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
Act 18:24-26

Please excuse my lame reference in the title to Rocky Balboa’s opponent Apollo Creed. It’s sometimes hard to hide being a child of the 80’s. 🙂 If nothing else, maybe the title will help you remember our topic today. As we encounter this Jew named Apollos in Ephesus, it’s worthy to note the creed by which he lived. What guided his actions? What goals motivated him from day to day? As we see what this man was made of, I think we’ll find an example worthy of us to follow.

1) He was fervent in spirit.

The Greek word translated “fervent” means to be hot or boil. It speaks of the zeal for God which Apollos possessed. I’m reminded of Psa 45:1 which explains how the psalmist felt as wrote the psalm and considered His Lord: “My heart is overflowing with a good theme…” The Hebrew word translated “overflowing” is much like the word “fervent” in our text. It means to boil or bubble up, to keep moving, to stir. Like the psalmist, Apollos could hardly contain himself when it came to the Lord–the word of God was bubbling over inside of him! He loved to study it and was driven to declare it which brings us to our next point…

2) He spoke and taught what he knew.

Preaching that word was no mere hobby for Apollos. His zeal for God and his love for His word prompted a sincere burden for souls around him. He had an earnest desire to help them understand the things of God. His passion was undeniable! He knew that God gives us what He does for us to share, not to hoard up for ourselves. Christ taught His disciples in Mat 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” If Apollos got it from God, you were going to hear it!

3) He taught accurately.

This adverb “accurately” is important, and I wish all who taught the word of God today where likewise concerned about the accuracy of what they taught! To teach accurately does not mean a person has all the answers. Rather, it involves faithfully teaching all the Lord has revealed–not adding to it or taking away from it. (Rev 22:18-19) Such a person will give men the “whole counsel of God” as Paul said he did to the Ephesians in Act 20:27. Equally important in teaching accurately is being teachable yourself! Apollos was not puffed up with pride because of his knowledge. He was able to become a student if necessary as in Act 18:26 when Aquila and Priscilla “took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” 1Co 8:1-2 says, “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.” Apollos knew that he always had more to learn and this realization kept him humble and able to be taught.

So, I hope the next time you hear Apollo Creed’s name you’ll think instead of Apollos’ creed. May we follow the godly principles that guided his life. I pray his zeal for God would inspire us to faithfully share all that God has revealed to us. I can assure you that if we will walk obediently in all the light we have, God will give us more light! He will teach us His ways “more accurately” so that we, like Apollos, may “speak boldly” His gospel to a lost world which needs it so desperately! (Act 18:26)

Jamie

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Mat 16:15-17

There is no question more important. Who do you say Jesus is? There are many ways men would answer that question today. Some would give an answer of respect while others would blaspheme, but on this point we must be clear. Jesus was not merely a good man, a gifted teacher, a prophet of God, or only the Son of God. He was and is the Christ. He is both the Son of God AND God the Son. He is the ONLY access to the Father. Along these lines, let us make three points of clear distinction between what Christ taught about Himself and what multitudes accept today.

1) He is THE great Prophet

Many years ago, I worked closely with a man who was a Muslim. I had never spent much time with anyone of that persuasion, and so, as I always try to do, I asked him what he personally believed rather than assuming something based on what I had heard. One thing that surprised me was the great respect this man had for Jesus. As I encountered other Muslims, I learned this attitude to be common. In corresponding with one man, he wouldn’t even write the name “Jesus” unless he followed it with “PBUH”, or “Peace Be Upon Him”. But though Christ was well-respected, to them, He was merely one of many messengers God had sent to specific groups of people over the ages. It was clear that Muhammad, the greatest and last of their prophets, was held in higher esteem for he came with a message for all mankind. Only through Muhammad’s teachings could men know Allah, their word for God. Even with all the respect they gave to Jesus, we must understand that Jesus claimed to be more! He was not merely one of the prophets, He is the great Prophet, the one of whom Moses said, “‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” (Act 3:22-23) It is to Christ that all the other prophets pointed. He is the One Prophet to whom you must be rightly related.

2) He is God the Son

The Son of God and God the Son…does the distinction really matter? Absolutely! Nicodemus described Jesus in a pretty lofty manner: “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” (Joh 3:2) He acknowledged Christ as a great teacher, one who came from God, and one with whom God was, but Jesus says in the next verse that Nicodemus hadn’t made it yet. He still needed to be born again! Jesus wasn’t simply a teacher come from God. He was God Who had come to teach! God wasn’t just with Him. He was God! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (Joh 1:1-2) In case there’s any doubt Who the Word is, v. 14 reads, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Many will accept Jesus as the Son of God, but you’ve gone too far if you claim He is God the Son. Just ask any Jehovah’s Witness. But, what did Jesus think? If He was not God the Son, surely He would have rebuked Thomas who addressed Him as, “My Lord and my God!” (Joh 20:28) When John fell down before the angel to worship him in Rev 22:9, the response was immediate: “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” Jesus confessed the same thing when Satan said he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world if He would worship him. Jesus responded quickly, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” (Mat 4:10) But just a few chapters later, after Jesus walked on the waves and calmed the wind, Mat 14:33 tells us, “Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God.’”

3) He is the ONLY access to the Father

In this day of political correctness, such a statement is not very popular, but this truth has been set forth in the Scriptures over and over again. Jesus never claimed to be a way to God. Rather, He boldly declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” And just in case there was any doubt, He makes it clear in the next statement that He is the only Way! “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Joh 14:6) This message was repeated by the apostles. Peter testified of it in Act 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Even if Oprah Winfrey is confused on this issue, there’s no excuse for any student of the word of God to be. As Paul writes to Timothy, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus…” (1Ti 2:5)

Christians, we are called to be closed-minded on these points.  There is no room for deviation. The message of Christianity is Christ! Just prior to His ascension, Jesus spoke of the effect of the Holy Ghost in this way: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Act 1:8) To make it plain, if we’re not witnesses of Him, we don’t possess the Holy Ghost! He is the only hope for mankind. To water that message down is to depart from the faith because He is the object of our faith. Men are lost and need saving. There is only one answer when a man asks as the Philippian jailer did, “what must I do to be saved?” May we be just as clear as the apostle Paul was: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…” (Act 16:30-31)

Jamie