Soap Box 49- Progressive Revelation And How Paul Unfolds Truth

In the last study on progressive revelation dealing with Acts 18, we saw how the disciples of Paul ( Aquila and Pricilla ) meet a teacher named Apollos, who knew only the baptism of John.

In this study of Acts 19:1-7, we find Paul, the Apostle and teacher meeting twelve disciples, who seem to be disciple of Apollos, who was a disciple of John the Baptist.

We will see how the teacher ( Paul ) practices what he taught his disciples, Aquila and Pricilla.

19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having
passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ?
And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be
any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized ? And they said,
Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying
unto the people , that they should believe on him which should 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 his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon
them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.

In this study, we shall note the word, 'disciple', because this is the word used by Luke in his two writings, his Gospel and the Acts ( or First and Second Luke ). Names for the writings of the so-called New Testament are not inspired, as well as the words, 'New Testament'. There is a great difference in the words used by Luke and the words used by men, who sincerely or not, use 'man-made terms that are many times misleading. We need to chip-away at these names and ideas that have creeped into our minds as well as the printed Bibles, which make for creepy doctrines and teachings that are hard to eradicate from sincere seekers of truth and impossible many times from those who are satisfied with things as they are and care not to further their education and spiritual illumination.

We need to note also, that just as many of the conversations and speeches in the Bible are not full blown, word for word recordings of what has been said or done, we are given what is considered to be enough to get a point across to the original readers. We make mention of this, to show that we recognize much that could have been in this story of Paul and these disciples.

So, as Paul meets these disciples, he asks a question that would be considered normal, since this meeting should remind us of a like situation, when Aquila and Pricilla heard Apollos for the first time in chapter 18. Remember how God asked in the Garden of Eden, "Where art thou ?" ( Gen. 3:9 ) This was not asked because God did not know where Adam really was. God was well aware of what Adam and Eve had done and where they were. Even so, it should seem to be clear that Paul was well aware of the circumstances and asked for clarification, more for the benefit of these disciples than for Paul. We should see also, that Paul recognized their level of learning and asked to have them focus on their situation.

We want to emphasize that the mention of the Holy Spirit also brings up the subject of baptism. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, performed by the Lord Jesus, Acts 1:5, 2:33.

As we study Luke/Acts, we are able to see that there were more 'baptisms' than just 'water baptism'.( Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5). We should know that there are no verses that identifies a so-called 'Christian' Baptism. John and his disciples practiced a ceremony of purification called baptism. Jesus' disciples practiced the same kind of purification ceremony, a water baptism before the cross ( John 3:22, 26, 4:1) and after the cross ( Matt. 28:19-20; Mk 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, 8:12,16, 9:18 ). There were not two baptisms here, one before the cross and one after the cross, one Jewish , before the cross and one, now 'Christian', since it is after the cross. Both of these water ceremonies were under the authority of the Lord. Both of these water ceremonies were only purification rites. Both of these water ceremonies, were performed by disciples, who were instructed to perform it. Both of these water ceremonies are indistinguishable from each other. There was only one baptismal ceremony, but it existed before and after the cross. This why the apostles/disciples were not amazed, doubtful or questioning about the Matthew 28:19-20 command to go and baptize. There was no formula here. This command was old hat to them.

There is no conflict between baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19) and the various wordings found in Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48 and 19:5. Simply put, this is only saying the same thing, differently. There is no case here for a 'Jesus only' formula, versus a Trinitarian formula. ( We repeat, there are only man-made formulas) The strife that surrounds water baptism has its root in the minds of men and not in the harmony of Scripture. This is a case of men seeing what is not there. While Dispensationalists are many times accused of breaking up the unity of the Bible through 'right division', it should be made clear that there are many dividers out there with many divisive doctrines about water baptism. Little wonder, when discussing things with uneducated 'Christians', one of their main proofs of being a 'Christian' is by stating, "Well, I've been baptized !!!" That kind of a confession, basically means, a dry person becoming wet, but it changes nothing in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

[One of the things that may have troubled John the Baptist, when he was in prison, and sent his disciples to see the Lord, was the fact of a delay in the coming of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire to be performed by the Lord. The Lord began baptizing through his disciples with water, but not (yet) with the Holy Spirit. The other question might have been, 'Why am I in prison ? ]

As Paul begins a conversation with these disciples in 19:2, we run into a seeming example of "second blessing" teaching. That is, some believe that after conversion, there is the teaching that believers can experience a second work of grace, a second work of the Holy Spirit. We can recognize several "long stretches of time in between" John the Baptist's call for repentance and the time when "the Coming One would baptize with the Holy Spirit. John said, I baptize with water, but the Coming One would baptize with the Holy Spirit. John never lived long enough, to see the Coming One, Who Came, actually perform this baptism with the Holy Spirit. When the Coming One did come, he started to baptize with water, just like John and his disciples. Cf. John 3:22-4:2. There may be a small qualification here, as to the literal act of personally performing a water ceremony by the Lord. On the one hand, we are told that Jesus' disciples did the baptizing and that "Jesus himself baptized not" (John 4:2), while John 3:22, 3:26, 4:1 indicates that HE DID. To the keen eye of a careful student, this is another case of saying the same thing, differently. That is, the important point to be gleaned from these verses is that these disciples did not baptize on their own. They were told, commanded, directed to baptize.

This telling, commanding, directing came from the LORD. Those submitting to this baptism, were baptized just as if, and just as good as if the LORD had baptized them himself. Those who saw ( the Jews, 3:25) recognized this relationship between Christ as the commanding one and the disciples as the ones obeying the command. But, they recognized the net result, that those being baptized, were baptized by the Lord, even if it was by the Lord and through the disciples. We see a likeness here to the ministry of John the Baptist. ( Luke 7:29-30) The people and the tax collectors justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized by him. When you go against God's messenger, you go against God's message, you go against God.

Now, all the disciples/followers of John and Jesus experienced a "long stretch of time in between" a ritual ceremony of purification ( water baptism ) which was an external rite that paralleled the repentance of which the rite was only an indicator for man of the change of heart/mind that should have taken place, and that God could see, but not man. In John 1:35, we find John the Baptist and two of his disciples. John points to the Lord Jesus and says, Behold the Lamb of God. These two disciples began to follow the Lord Jesus. We learn the name of one of these two disciples ( 1:40 ) as being Andrew, brother of Peter. It is here that both Andrew and Peter became followers/disciples of the Lord Jesus. There is no indication that John's baptism was of some kind of lesser value, and needed to be up-graded by the baptism that Jesus was commanding, and then, to be received by those who became his disciples/followers. That is, Andrew, as a disciple of John, did not need another ceremony of water to become a disciple/follower of the Lord at that time ( or any subsequent time). He did not need a 'Christian' kind of up-graded baptism. These two disciples, as well as all other followers of the Lord, waited until Pentecost, in Acts 2, before they experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit. cf. Acts 1:5

[ Notice that although some would teach that the church, identified as the Body of Christ, began on this Jewish feast day, that none of the followers/disciples of Christ and/or of John the Baptist were knowledgeable concerning their lack of any kind of rite and/or water ceremony that God had made known as NOW being necessary. That is, if this was the beginning of the Christian church, they never saw their need, nor were they told by the Lord before he ascended, that indeed they must submit again to another new ceremony that is to be considered a new ritual for a new beginning of a new institution called the church, with this new ceremony called with a new name, 'Christian Baptism' ]

In other words, the Holy Spirit filled these disciples/followers/Apostles indiscriminately, without out a water check.

Another stretch of time between believing and receiving the Holy Spirit, was with the reception of the message of Phillip in Acts 8:5-16. These Samaritans believed, were baptized, but the Holy Spirit baptism did not fall upon them. WHY ? We know that on Pentecost, there was no laying on of hands to receive the 'gift of the Holy Spirit' then.

But, the situation in Samaria, historically, had become a deep and ruptured situation with almost no relations of any kind between these Samaritans with Jews. There was a great deal of misunderstanding, hate, envy and pride. It is possible that to heal this breach and reconcile these two groups together through the message of the Apostles and disciples, in order for this to happen AND to show forth this happening, there was this laying on of hands. On the one side, the apostles, Peter and John would 'touch' the formerly unclean Samaritans with their hands. The Samaritan believers, on their part, would 'submit' to this laying on of hands. Thus we would have Samaria submit to Jerusalem, in a manner of speaking AND have the believers of Jerusalem accept these unacceptable Samaritans. Never-the-less, we see here a stretch of time between believing and the baptism of the Spirit.

With the conversion of Saul/Paul, we find a little delay between believing on the road to Damascus and the time when Ananias was convinced to go see Saul and lay hands on him, and then he ( Saul) would receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Again, the laying on of hands was NOT necessary to receive the Holy Spirit, but this could have been the way Ananias and others would see and accept the true faith of Saul, his willingness to submit and their willingness to touch AND accept Saul.

In the case of the Gentile, Cornelius, we, again, find no set pattern, standard or practice as we would compare the happenings at Jerusalem, Samaria Damascus and Caesarea. Before Peter finished his message to Cornelius, the Holy Spirit 'fell' on Cornelius even on all them who heard the word. Acts 10:44 Here we would say, that they all were believers who received the Holy Spirit here. There was no long stretch of time between believing and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These Gentiles began to speak with tongues and magnify God. 10:46 This experience has three descriptions : It is said that the Holy Spirit 'fell' on them, 10:44, that the Holy Spirit as a gift, 'was poured out', 10:45, and that these Gentiles 'have received' the Holy Spirit., 10:47.

As we return to Acts 19, we can understand Paul's reference to the Holy Spirit, 'Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed ?' It is possible that Paul here, 'discerns' a lack on the part of these 'disciples, and seeks to find the cause. Their answer is just the very reason why Paul had asked in the first place. They said, 'We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit.' It would not seem possible that any disciple of John the Baptist did not have some knowledge of the Holy Spirit. cf. John 7:39 It states in this verse, that the Holy Spirit was to be received by those who believe on him ( on Christ) but, the Holy Spirit was not yet (given). From this verse, we may deduce that this is what these disciples of John the Baptist meant, not that they were ignorant of the Holy Spirit, but they did not know that this Holy Spirit was (given ). John the Baptist could not teach any of his disciples that the Holy Spirit had been given. He never lived long enough. Therefore, he could only teach what he knew. Any of John the Baptist's disciples were limited also to what John knew and taught. Therefore these twelve disciples and Apollos were not aware of what happened after John died. They did not know of Jesus' teachings being rejected, the crucifixion, the burial, the resurrection and/or the ascension and last of all, they were unaware of the coming of the Holy Spirit that began to be given on Pentecost in Acts 2.

In the light of the fact that these disciples did not know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Paul asks, 'Unto what then were ye baptized?' Their response was, 'Unto John's baptism.' Like Apollos, these disciples were dispensationally living doctrinally at the point just before the death of John the Baptist. This may be a point in Matthew's Gospel between Chapter 11, where John, who is now in prison, sends two disciples to Jesus and Matthew 14 where the story is given how John died, sometime earlier than Matthew 14.

Paul then relates the ministry of John, with his baptism of repentance, encouraging the listeners to believe on the one coming after him, that is, the Lord Jesus. This is in verse 4.

Most commentaries make a brake here and start with Paul baptizing or re-baptizing these disciples in or with so-called 'Christian Baptism'. While this could be an interpretation, it is only a weak option, when compared to the previous information given to show the sameness, equalness and acceptableness all the water ceremonies performed by John the Baptist and/or the baptisms performed by the disciples/followers/Apostles of the Lord, whether before the cross or after the cross and the following perspective on these two verses, 19:4 and 19:5.

Actually, the two verses (19:4 and 19:5) need to be read together as taking place during the very time these twelve listeners became disciples ( of John ). Paul remarks are inclusive of the people called 'they' in verse 4 and the same people called 'they' in verse 5. 'They' ( of verse 4) were to believe in Christ. And when 'they' ( the same 'they' of verse 4) heard, 'they' were baptized in the name of the Lord. As stated before, there were not several different water baptisms, one better than the other, with any or all disciples needing to submit to any and all, again, in a distinct order of value. There were no sub-disciples with a sub-par valued water ceremony. One did not pass through several levels in order to gain top level position. Just like salvation by grace through faith, there are NOT steps to salvation.

These 'disciples had been baptized. And just like other converts to John or to Jesus or to Jesus' followers after he ascended, as in Acts 2, their need was not re-baptism, but the gift of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

That need was cleared up ( Acts 19:6 ) when Paul laid hands on them and the Holy Spirit came on them. Again, the Holy Spirit did not need 'the extra step' as it were, of having the laying on of the hands in order for the Spirit to come. But, this particular laying on of hands may have been needed for these twelve disciples in order for them to submit to the progressive unfolding of truth that they needed to yield and to accept. Again, they were theologically and Dispensationally several chapters behind God's program that had (after John's death, and after they had accepted John's message) developed and changed.

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