And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
At Ephesus Paul found about twelve disciples who had not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit, and when he asked into what they had been baptized they answered John's baptism. Their answer showed their baptism had come with only incomplete knowledge of Christ and His mission. John's baptism was the baptism of repentance that told the people to believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus, and it was not the full Christian baptism. When they received clearer light about Christ's life, death, resurrection, and the promised Comforter and gladly accepted Him as Redeemer, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came upon them so that they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Historical Setting and Dialogue
Paul's question belongs to his work in Ephesus, a major commercial center in the Roman province of Asia and a promising field for missionary effort, which he reached by coming through the upper coasts while Apollos was at Corinth. There he found certain disciples, about twelve men, who said they had not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit.
In answer to his question unto what then they had been baptized, they said unto John's baptism, showing that their baptism had preceded fuller Christian teaching about Christ and the Spirit and marking their limited knowledge of Christ's mission and the Holy Spirit. John's preaching at the Jordan had proclaimed Jesus as the Promised One, and those who heard him carried that news throughout the world, preparing the way for the apostles' work.
From John's Baptism to Christ
The twelve at Ephesus, about twelve men, had been baptized with John's baptism with sincere faith yet only incomplete knowledge of Christ's life and mission. They knew something of Christ and His mission but had not learned about the Holy Spirit. As Jewish converts they had not fully comprehended the mission of Jesus as sin-bearer and Redeemer. They still held serious errors.
John's baptism was the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. It was not the full Christian baptism. Their answer, Unto John's baptism, revealed why Paul needed to teach them further. He explained to them Christ's life, death, and resurrection and the promised Holy Spirit and Comforter.
When they received clearer light they gladly accepted Christ as their Redeemer. With their purer faith came a corresponding change in life, and their obligations changed with that step of advance. They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and that baptism was the token of that change and the acknowledgment of their faith in Christ. When Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Afterward Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months concerning the kingdom of God.
Baptismal Principle and Application
The kind of baptism a person had received mattered, for study of the Bible after witnessing a man put to death for being rebaptized brought the discovery that Scripture gives no support for infant baptism and requires repentance and faith as its conditions. That principle is illustrated when Paul asked, Unto what then were ye baptized, and received the answer, Unto John's baptism.
The Ephesian experience stands for the instruction of the churches today, showing Paul at Ephesus finding certain disciples who had not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit. His question brought out that they knew only John's baptism, which was the baptism of repentance telling the people to believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When the men, about twelve in number, heard this fuller teaching they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied, after which Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months concerning the kingdom of God. From this it is learned that the Holy Spirit is given to those especially set apart who minister before the Lord, fast, pray, seek His counsel, humble their hearts, surrender the will to His will and submit to His guidance. The same presence, power, and help pledged by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with angels working for them, will go with every laborer together with God.
Some who heard and were convicted by the preaching of John the Baptist and were baptized unto John's baptism rejoiced in that faith at first but afterward forsook that faith and were left without spiritual strength. They did not hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. The message to the church in Sardis is sent to such people, who believe as those without faith, who quibble about matters of no special importance which were not given as tests and dwell upon differences of opinion till the differences become as mountains separating them from Christ and from one another, destroying unity and love.
At Ephesus Paul found about twelve disciples who had not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit, and when he asked into what they had been baptized they answered John's baptism. Their answer showed their baptism had come with only incomplete knowledge of Christ and His mission. John's baptism was the baptism of repentance that told the people to believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus, and it was not the full Christian baptism. When they received clearer light about Christ's life, death, resurrection, and the promised Comforter and gladly accepted Him as Redeemer, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came upon them so that they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Historical Setting and Dialogue
Paul's question belongs to his work in Ephesus, a major commercial center in the Roman province of Asia and a promising field for missionary effort, which he reached by coming through the upper coasts while Apollos was at Corinth. There he found certain disciples, about twelve men, who said they had not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit.
In answer to his question unto what then they had been baptized, they said unto John's baptism, showing that their baptism had preceded fuller Christian teaching about Christ and the Spirit and marking their limited knowledge of Christ's mission and the Holy Spirit. John's preaching at the Jordan had proclaimed Jesus as the Promised One, and those who heard him carried that news throughout the world, preparing the way for the apostles' work.
From John's Baptism to Christ
The twelve at Ephesus, about twelve men, had been baptized with John's baptism with sincere faith yet only incomplete knowledge of Christ's life and mission. They knew something of Christ and His mission but had not learned about the Holy Spirit. As Jewish converts they had not fully comprehended the mission of Jesus as sin-bearer and Redeemer. They still held serious errors.
John's baptism was the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. It was not the full Christian baptism. Their answer, Unto John's baptism, revealed why Paul needed to teach them further. He explained to them Christ's life, death, and resurrection and the promised Holy Spirit and Comforter.
When they received clearer light they gladly accepted Christ as their Redeemer. With their purer faith came a corresponding change in life, and their obligations changed with that step of advance. They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and that baptism was the token of that change and the acknowledgment of their faith in Christ. When Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Afterward Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months concerning the kingdom of God.
Baptismal Principle and Application
The kind of baptism a person had received mattered, for study of the Bible after witnessing a man put to death for being rebaptized brought the discovery that Scripture gives no support for infant baptism and requires repentance and faith as its conditions. That principle is illustrated when Paul asked, Unto what then were ye baptized, and received the answer, Unto John's baptism.
The Ephesian experience stands for the instruction of the churches today, showing Paul at Ephesus finding certain disciples who had not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit. His question brought out that they knew only John's baptism, which was the baptism of repentance telling the people to believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When the men, about twelve in number, heard this fuller teaching they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied, after which Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months concerning the kingdom of God. From this it is learned that the Holy Spirit is given to those especially set apart who minister before the Lord, fast, pray, seek His counsel, humble their hearts, surrender the will to His will and submit to His guidance. The same presence, power, and help pledged by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with angels working for them, will go with every laborer together with God.
Some who heard and were convicted by the preaching of John the Baptist and were baptized unto John's baptism rejoiced in that faith at first but afterward forsook that faith and were left without spiritual strength. They did not hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. The message to the church in Sardis is sent to such people, who believe as those without faith, who quibble about matters of no special importance which were not given as tests and dwell upon differences of opinion till the differences become as mountains separating them from Christ and from one another, destroying unity and love.