40.1 PAUL BAPTISES DISCIPLES IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AT EPHESUS

- Paul arrives in Ephesus at the start of a nearly three year stay, and meets Jews who apparently left Palestine after being baptised by John the Baptist. They had not heard the full Gospel of Jesus, and like the Samaritans after the visit of Philip the Evangelist (Acts 8:15), did not know about the Holy Spirit and his importance in their Christian life:

Acts 19:2b-5 - (Paul asks ....) "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"

"No," they replied, "we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

"Well then, how were you baptised?" asked Paul.

"We were baptised with John (the Baptist)'s baptism," they replied.

"John's baptism was a baptism to show a change of heart," Paul explained, "but he always told the people that they must believe in the one who should come after him, that is, in Jesus (reported in Matthew 3:11)".

When these men heard this they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, .......

 - Towards the end of his stay in Ephesus, Paul wrote the First Letter to the Corinthians. Then on his way through Macedonia for his second recorded visit to Corinth, his Second Letter followed ...

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continuing preaching the "Gospel of Jesus", on to Part 41, 1 Corinthians OR back to Harmony of Jesus & Early Church