Today, I am reading and commenting on  Acts 19-20.

At the end of yesterday’s passage, Apollos met Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus, where he was preaching about Jesus even though he had never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Luke writes that Priscilla and Aquila explained the way of Christ to Apollos more adequately.  Apollos then travelled to Corinth where he publicly debated those Jews who opposed following Christ.  Meanwhile, Paul returns to Ephesus and discovers some believers there who have not experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Reading between the lines suggests to me that these believers had obtained their faith by listening to Apollos before he met Priscilla and Aquila.  All told this passage indicates the importance of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  This always troubles me because of those who insist that if you have not experienced a dramatic experience comparable to what the disciples experienced on Pentecost you are not truly saved.  I am also troubled by those who downplay the importance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  I believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not always as dramatic as what the disciples experienced and I believe that some people are saved without experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit (I believe that Apollos, and the believers Paul found in Ephesus were saved before they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit).  However, the true power of our faith comes about when we are filled by the Holy Spirit in that baptism and we should seek that experience.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.