[The Presence of the Holy Spirit]
Acts 19:1-7
To train one in the Holy Spirit, His presence is absolutely a prerequisite. Let us think about the presence of the Holy Spirit.
First, it is an absolute discernment about salvation.
Paul had perceived the city of Ephesus to be important and had been thinking about evangelizing there, but he bid the Holy Spirits farewell after giving discernments. And now, he was here in Ephesus after taking many detours. How could he discern the will of God? In 2 Corinthians 7:10, it says, 'Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.' It seems like he was a bit worried about Apollos. Apollos was an outstanding figure as he came from Alexandria, but his name was not mentioned in Romans 16 when Paul bid greetings to a list of people. Apollos knew about the Christian doctrines and redemption history more than others, but he and Paul did not get along in some way. Why would this be the adequate time to visit Ephesus? The city of Ephesus was a good place to evangelize, but Paul discerned when to visit in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Apollos taught about Jesus in Ephesus, but he only knew about the baptism of John. Maybe that was the reason Paul visited the city urgently. Paul had not visited this place because it had been Apostle Peters district before, and he also did not go there when Apollos was evangelizing there. He knew that Ephesus was a very convenient place for evangelism, but he had to discern continuously because salvation of the church in Ephesus was at stake. The discernments made in the presence of the Holy Spirit make a great history.
Second, we have to be Jesus disciples, not 'some disciples'.
The teacher of the 'some disciples' was unknown, but Paul was worried that they might have been influenced by Apollos because he was the last teacher there. So Paul started his ministry by asking them if they had received the Holy Spirit. However, the disciples answered that they had never heard of the Holy Spirit. WIthout the Holy Spirit, it was going to be impossible to live as Jesus disciple in the tough city of Ephesus. For that, Paul had to ask them. To build a church in the heart of an uncontrollable person, an Ephesus-like person, we have to be disciples of Jesus, not some disciples. Then how could we receive the Holy spirit? As it is said, 'did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed', we can receive the Holy Spirit when we have faith. The word 'believe' in this passage is not a prerequisite, but an expression of a simultaneous action. In other words, if we believe in Jesus, we must show the fruits and
Third, one has to receive baptism in the name of Jesus.
These some disciples answered the question about what they had received: Johns baptism. Through the question, they were able to reflect on themselves with the Word and were being trained. After hearing their answer, Paul told them what John had spoken. Jesus baptism is a baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, and salvation and judgment come together through this baptism which means that we might not prosper in the world but receive judgment even if we believe in Jesus. It also means that we would realize our judgment is lighter than our sin. Because we receive salvation as a prize through judgment, we would not be affected by our environment. If our family is broken because of our sin, we have to mourn and shed our tears till the end. However, those who only know about Johns baptism, they would not understand why they are going through suffering when they have lived diligently and have been forgiven. It is a blessing to have the experience of falling down on this earth. Therefore, we must receive Jesuss baptism, not Johns. In other words, we have to have accurate knowledge in the Gospel and Jesus. Reading the Bible as a story of Jesus who had died for our sin is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is death, and therefore we have to carry the cross. The baptism of the Holy Spirit brings us a new standard in looking at people and whom we favor.
Fourth, one speaks in tongues and prophesies.
When we think of receiving the Holy Spirit, we mostly focus on miraculous gifts. This thought came from our misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit, thinking that He is some energy we could use. Speaking in tongues is about power in communication and empathizing with others. Our souls have fallen and we cannot communicate with the Lord, but the Holy Spirit comes and makes us able to communicate with the Lord speaking in tongues also includes speaking and praying through the Word. We will be entrusted with the Word and interpret our lives with it so that we may convey the message to others and witness their changes. The gift of speaking in tongues and prophecy are given for salvation, and salvation is the purpose of the Holy Spirits presence. In verse 7, there were about twelve men. The number 12 signifies the community entrusted with the Word, in other terms, our small groups at church. The presence of the Holy Spirit is a community of perfect restoration.
This is a testimony of a young adult from our church. She was sexually assaulted by her senior at college. She hurt herself and tried to commit suicide. However, while she listened to the sermons at the recent church online retreat, she realized that she was in agony because she did not have the Word in her. And she finally shared her story for the first time. The pastor and her teammates comforted her and cried with her. She now has learned about the joy of the prison guard who was saved by believing in Jesus. She had thought that she could never date a man again because of the assault, but one young man from church made a contact with her showing his good feelings for her. She said that it was such a big encouragement to know the fact that someone was having a good impression on her. She also said that she could never forget the Word, 'We are all here.' Because she communicated in the twelve men community, she could speak in tongues and prophesy. And by revealing her shames, she became a disciple of Jesus, not some disciple. I pray that every one of us will have the presence of the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues and prophesy to communicate and empathize with others, sharing our shames and being restored.
