And he (Paul) said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 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. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (vv.3-5)
Paul was last in Ephesus on his way back from Corinth on his second missionary journey. Now he came from the east, arriving in Ephesus from the region of Phrygia. He came back to Ephesus as he had promised in Acts 18:21. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (v.2). Apparently there was something about these disciples that prompted this question from Paul. We don’t have any indication that it was his custom to ask people if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed.
These Ephesian disciples had only a basic understanding of the Messiah Jesus and His ministry, only what could be gained through the message of John the Baptist. Paul points out that John’s baptism was one of repentance (John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance), not necessarily faith unto salvation. John’s message pointed to Jesus, but did not take men there itself. One can imagine that these Ephesian disciples heard about the coming of the Messiah through John’s message, and they heard their need to be ready through repentance to receive the Messiah. Yet they actually do not seem to have heard that the Messiah had in fact come, and had not heard of their need to trust in His specific person and work.
"When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (v.5) Having been completely prepared by their response to the preaching of John the Baptist, they were ready to embrace Jesus fully, and were baptized in the name of Jesus. Then after they were baptized, Paul… laid hands on them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and received His gifts.
An often-debated question is, “Were these 12 Ephesian disciples actually Christians before this remarkable filling of the Holy Spirit, or not?” On the one hand, they were called disciples – and appeared to be part of the company of Christians in Ephesus, things that would not usually be said of them if they were not actually Christians. On the other hand, they knew so little about Jesus; and they were baptized in water again, this time in the name of Jesus.
It is difficult to say with certainty if they were already Christians or not, but one can say with certainty that Paul perceived they lacked something of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
These Ephesian disciples sensed their need to get right with God, and knew the answer was in God’s Messiah – but they had gone no further than that. They need to go all the way, to trust in everything Jesus is and everything He had done, and to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
If someone doesn’t seem to know if they have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their life, it’s fair to assume that they don’t have it. If you have it, you should know it. Concerning the Holy Spirit Spurgeon writes, “Give a man an electric shock, and I warrant you he will know it; but if he has the Holy Ghost, he will know it much more.”
The Truth: And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
