INTRODUCTION
Outline.
1. Since Ye Have Believed
2. Received Ye the Holy Ghost?
3. What Then were Ye baptized?
Introductory Remarks.
1. In this invitation, we will conclude the sermon series: “Lord Who Hath Believed Our Report?” Please turn your bibles to Acts chapter 19, verse number 1. This lesson is an example of the "pattern of conversion" outlined in the Book of Acts. In this invitation, we will have completed Paul’s interpretation and explanation of Isaiah’s report. He will explain the blessings of God, being offered through faith and obedience to Isaiah's report.
2. Recall we concluded lesson 3, with the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, the Thessalonians, and the Cretians, all obeying Isaiah’s report: “through belief of the truth, and the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost,” Titus 3:5. Recall our analysis of these acts of faith and obedience?
3. Analysis: Paul has given us more clarity about the "pattern of conversion" than any other apostle, evangelist, or minister of Jesus Christ. Observe--
a. First, in his letters to the churches:
1) At Rome: “You have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine…Being then made free from sin,” Romans 6:17-18.
2) At Corinth: “But you were washed, sanctified, and justified in the Lord’s name; and, by the Spirit of our God,” 1 Corinthians 6:11. See the attachment at the end of this lesson.
3) At Ephesus: “Whom you trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: whom you believed, and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” Ephesians 1:13-14.
4) At Thessalonica: “God who chose you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth…to walk worthy, who called you into His kingdom and glory,” 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 2:12-13.
5) At Crete: “But according to His mercy, He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost,” Titus 3:5.
b. Second, Peter wrote: “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit…Being born again by the word of God,” 1 Peter 1:22-23.
c. Third, Jesus said: “Being born again out of the water, and of the Spirit,” John 3:3-5.
4. Summary: It has been irrefutably established by the scriptures that “obedience to the gospel” is through:
a. Being born again out of the water and the Spirit;
b. By purifying your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit;
c. Through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost;
d. Through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth;
e. By hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: and being sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise; and
f. By obeying out of the heart that form of doctrine…Being then made free from sin, in baptism “for the remission of sins,” or to “wash away our sins,” Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16. We have taken a holistic approach in answering Isaiah’s question: “Lord who hath believed our report?” Romans 10:16.
5. Paul is now on his return trip to Ephesus as he had promised the saints, Acts 18:19-21.
a. This is Paul’s preaching to “certain disciples” after his return to Ephesus. Let's see if both faith and baptism were a part of these disciples' obedience to the gospel of Christ.
b. He will now establish whether these disciples had “believed and obeyed" Isaiah's report as discussed earlier in this sermon series. I ask again: “Have you believed and obeyed Isaiah’s report?”
c. Can we find both the work of faith and the Holy Ghost in these “certain disciples?” Let's see precisely what first-century preaching of the gospel entails. Are your eyes on the passage?
BODY OF INVITATION
I SINCE YE HAVE BELIEVED
A. First, among these disciples, Paul, inquired: “Since you have believed, have you received?” Let’s be clear here, we are discussing the exact word "believed” in Isaiah’s question, i.e., “Lord, who hath believed our report?” Since you believed, have you received God’s blessings of the “remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost?” Acts 2:38.
1. The word believed here means the finished product of hearing the word, “the gospel of your salvation, and the belief of the truth,” Ephesians 1:13-14.
2. Recall to the Romans, Paul wrote: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” Romans 10:17.
3. Luke wrote of this conversion experience by:
a. The Samaritans: “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized,” Acts 8:12.
b. The Corinthians: “Hearing believed and were baptized,” Acts 18:8.
4. However, these 12 men, had heard, believed, and obeyed the teaching of John the Baptist, to become his disciples. Just as many who are here now have believed and obeyed some teaching that made them "certain disciples,” like these men in our text.
5. Paul’s initial return to Ephesus (while on the upper coast): he encountered these disciples. He asked them two important questions. We will consider each of them as we conclude this lesson and extend "heaven’s invitation” to those wanting to become disciples of Christ. Notice Paul’s questions to these disciples of John the Baptist.
II RECEIVED YE THE HOLY GHOST?
B. Paul inquired of these disciples: “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you have believed?” Please note it was after they had believed they were to receive the Holy Ghost. Believed what?
1. It was, of course, Isaiah's “report” of the Messiah that had come, completed His redemptive work, and had returned into the heavens to "set at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 3:20-22.
2. These disciples replied: “We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Ghost,” Acts 19:1-2. They had not heard that there be any Holy Ghost given to those that “believed.”
3. Peter preached such on Pentecost, when asked: “Men and brethren what shall we do?” He replied, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” Acts 2:38. In verse forty-one: “Then those that gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them,” Acts 2:41; Acts 2:47.
4. Peter taught later: “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Ghost whom God has given to those who obey Him,” Acts 5:32; Galatians 3:14; Hebrews 5:8-9. God grants to all believers the gift of salvation and the Holy Ghost when they obey Him.
5. Their answer to Paul was a signal that there was an error regarding their faith when they became disciples. What was it? Paul now asks his second question to these “certain disciples.”
III WHAT THEN WERE YE BAPTIZED
C. Paul's final question to these disciples: “Unto what then were you baptized? And they said: Unto John’s baptism,” Acts 19:3; Matthew 3:11.
1. Paul now explains the preparatory work and baptism of John the Baptist unto them. Luke wrote: "Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus,” Acts 19:4.
NOTE: Download our lesson: From Heaven, or Men? From SermonCentral.com, it discusses the baptism of John and the Jew's rejection of it by refusing to be baptized. It also entertains Jesus' question to the Jewish leaders regarding John's baptism, Matthew 21:23-27.
2. Luke continued: “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord,” Acts 19:5. Observe, that John did not baptize "for the remission of sins," Matthew 3:11. He did, however, preach a "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins," Mark 1:4. This baptism was to be preached first in Jerusalem, after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ into the heavens, Luke 24:44-47; Acts 1:8.
3. Luke concluded: “And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve,” Acts 19:6-7. The men had “obeyed the report of the Lord” and became “disciples of the Lord,” as those had done on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:38; Acts 2:41; Acts 2:47.
4. These twelve men heard the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation, believed in Christ and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to be "sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise," Ephesians 1:13-14. In this act of faith and obedience, they received the "remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost," Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16.
5. These 12 men became the first recipients of the gifts of God to the church, “by the laying on of hands by the apostle,” Acts 19:6-7. Paul would further strengthen them while preaching in the city of Ephesus. Luke wrote: "So that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks," Acts 19:10. His work in Ephesus was fruitful, and "many believed and came confessing and telling their deeds," Acts 19:18.
6. Now, it’s time for you to decide. Have you believed and obeyed Isaiah’s report? Have you: “Obeyed out of your heart that form of the teaching? Being then made free from sins, you became the servant of righteousness,” Romans 6:17-18; Romans 6:22-23. You can do it right now!
D. Motivation, Acts 2:39-41.
E. Persuasion, 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
References:
1. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible, Matthew Henry, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Grand Rapids, MI, 1706.
2. The People's New Testament, by B. W. Johnson, Christian Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1891.
3. The New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament; United Bible Societies,’ Fourth, Corrected Edition, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL, 1990.
4. The New Greek / English Interlinear New Testament, United Bible Societies,' Fifth Revised Edition, Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois, 2020.
5. Textus Receptus, taken from the Greek Text of Stephens 1550, The Englishman’s Greek New Testament, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, First Zondervan Printing, 1970.
We acknowledge here our consultation of their work in this lesson.
ATTACHMENT
BUT YOU WASHED THEM AWAY
As mentioned in the introductory remarks of this lesson, I referenced this attachment. This attachment has to do with the Corinthians’ “washing, sanctification and justification,” 1 Corinthians 6:11. We take this time to explain the word “washed” as it pertains to faith and obedience to the gospel. The lesson is incomplete without this understanding of the phrase: “but you washed them away.” We are “digging a little deeper!” Observe,
The word “washed” in Gr., is apolouo or ap-ol-oo'-o, which means to wash fully, i.e., to have put away or remitted, or to: —wash (away), 1 Corinthians 6:11. In The New Greek/English Interlinear New Testament, this verse is translated: “And these things some of you were: but you washed them away, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of the God of us,” 1 Corinthians 6:11. Observe these three phases:
1. But “ye were washed,” is translated as “but you washed them away,” i.e., these things, that some of you were, or had been guilty of committing: the sins aforementioned in verses 9-10. This translation speaks to what has been washed away, and not who was washed. “These things” were washed away, not you were washed. This translation agrees with Acts 2:38; and Acts 22:16.
2. But “ye were sanctified,” is translated as “but you were sanctified.” In this washing, they had been “set apart” for the service of God, as the servants of righteousness, Romans 6:17-18; Romans 6:22.
3. But “ye were justified,” is translated as “but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of the God of us,” verse 11. It was in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God, that they were made justified by their faith and obedience to the gospel. They became like the Galatians, “the children of God by the faith in Christ Jesus,” Galatians 3:26-27; Galatians 2:16; and Galatians 3:14.
4. See pages 582-583 of reference mentioned above.
All these phrases refer to the act of conversion. These Corinthians and all sinners are unclean, polluted by the filth of sin. To obtain remission of their sins, or “these things,” the Corinthians “washed them away,” Acts 18:8. Thus, their “sins” have been washed away and put out of God's sight. They also “arose and were baptized” -– to “wash them away.” What? “These things, their sins.” This was made possible through: “the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost,” Titus 3:5. Like Paul, they obtained the forgiveness of sins “by washing them away in baptism,” Acts 22:16.
