Canonical Reading Plan for Nov 20, Act 18-20

Today's readings are Act 18-20.

After leaving Athens, Paul goes to Corinth, a bustling trade city through which much of the goods moving from the East to the West travel.

Corinth was a large city dominated by several large temples dedicated to pagan gods like Diana and Apollo. The Temple of Diana, one of the largest in the world, was dedicated to carnal love. That temple had thousands of courtesans who would venture out into the city at night to proselytize men. The Temple of Apollo was devoted to homosexuality and functioned similarly.

Paul taught at the local synagogue and lived nearby while he was in Corinth. Here's the synagogue in Corinth as it looks today. This is where Paul preached, at first:

In Act 18:17, we see that those associated with Paul and with the local churches are beginning to suffer persecution and physical harm. The violence against the church is spreading.

Act 19 begins with Paul in Ephesus, another major trade hub and port for the Western world, similar to Corinth but significantly more extensive and more prosperous. Worship of pagan gods was an even bigger issue in Ephesus. Here's the main thoroughfare of Ephesus, looking over the Library, at the end of the avenue, toward the Aegean Sea. The structures to the right were a series of temples and public bathhouses. The ruins on the left were a row of luxurious townhouses with amenities like running water and built-in baths.

There is a curious passage concerning some disciples Paul encounters (Act 19:2-3). While Paul was still in Corinth, his friend and co-workers in the gospel, Priscilla and Aquila met Apollos, who knew something of Jesus but needed further instruction. Apparently, the young churches in Macedonia, Greece and Asia are sharing the gospel. People are being changed but need additional guidance and clarification to fully understand. These disciples Paul meets seem to be even less informed than Apollos was in Act 18:24-25.

This is important. The disciples of John "believed" but not in Christ. They believed in the baptism of John. That belief is not salvation. It is merely preparing the way for salvation. These disciples were not yet saved. This is why Paul, upon hearing what they believe, presents the gospel to them (Act 19:4). Paul completes the teaching, and the disciples receive salvation. There is an undeniable supernatural manifestation that accompanies their salvation. It comes as a sign that the Spirit has genuinely converted them. Perhaps, because they thought they were already saved, they needed a sign.

Here’s why this is important. Some look at this passage and say, "Look! Here is proof that there is a 'second blessing.'" Others make a similar claim, "This is an example of believers being 'baptized in the Spirit." Note, these disciples were not yet believers in Christ. Whatever happens with the tongues and prophesying, occurs at the point of salvation, not at some time afterward. Paul does not say, "Oh! You were baptized by John. You need to be baptized with the Spirit." Instead, he shares the gospel with them then baptizes them in the name of Christ. The speaking in tongues is a valid manifestation but not a necessary one. Notice there was no record of tongues in Samaria when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit (Act 8:14-18).

It is most probably, given the intense pagan spirituality of Ephesus, that God was giving these first converts (there are twelve) undeniable proof of His sovereign presence in Ephesus. To make this a template for all believers would contradict what we've seen elsewhere. It would be much safer to assume that conversion is sometimes accompanied by supernatural signs, but not always.

This passage also supports the Scriptural principle that believers receive all of the Holy Spirit upon receiving salvation. The Spirit does not come in stages. There is no bifurcation of the body of Christ, no "have" and "have-nots." We are all equal and precious to the Father.

Here's Paul's Third Missionary Journey, the last half of which is detailed in Act 20-21:

Act 20 establishes Paul’s credentials as an apostle and an extraordinarily gifted man sent by God. A man is raised from the dead (Act 20:7-12). This is what Jesus was talking about when He told the disciples to heal the sick and raise the dead (Mat 10:8). Here is no record of all the disciples raising the dead and working miracles. From the evidence we see in Scripture, this admonition to perform miracles may have been limited to the original twelve as a means of validating their ministry and founding the new church. Those who claim all believers are called to do this have little to no empirical evidence to support their claim. While it is indeed possible that God will raise a dead person, it is an unnecessary and unfair burden to place on believers, as some do, that they lack enough faith to do this sort of thing.

Paul reveals to the Ephesian elders that the Holy Spirit has constrained (bound) him to go to Jerusalem (Act 20:22-23). The Spirit tells Paul he will be imprisoned and afflicted. Knowing Paul’s motivation will help to clarify some of the events in Act 21.