Paul stayed longer in Ephesus in his third missionary journey. He stayed there for nearly two and a half years.
When Philip the deacon baptized the Samaritans in the name of Jesus, he was not able to give them the Holy Spirit. The Samaritans had to wait for Peter and John from Jerusalem to confer the Holy Spirit upon them (Acts 8:14-17).
In Ephesus, Paul found some 12 disciples of the Baptist movement. Paul baptized them in the name of Jesus. This time, the Ephesian disciples did not have to wait for the apostles from Jerusalem to confirm them.
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
There were about twelve of them in all (Acts 19:5-7).
Paul was able to give them the Holy Spirit. This action affirms the apostle status of Paul. In the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul painfully defended his apostle status.
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?
If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1-2).
In the Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul did not have to defend his apostle status. His status was taken for granted. From this, perhaps we could deduce that Paul had not conferred the Holy Spirit to the Corinthians. In fact, when he reprimanded the Corinthians for factionism, siding with Apollos, Peter and himself etc., Paul claimed that he had only baptized two to three Corinthians. They were Crispus, Gaius and the household of Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:14-16). Luke did not record any incident of Confirmation in Corinth. Paul did not have an opportunity to prove his apostle status in Corinth. Luke did not record any miracles Paul worked in Corinth.
When Philip the deacon baptized the Samaritans in the name of Jesus, he was not able to give them the Holy Spirit. The Samaritans had to wait for Peter and John from Jerusalem to confer the Holy Spirit upon them (Acts 8:14-17).
In Ephesus, Paul found some 12 disciples of the Baptist movement. Paul baptized them in the name of Jesus. This time, the Ephesian disciples did not have to wait for the apostles from Jerusalem to confirm them.
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
There were about twelve of them in all (Acts 19:5-7).
Paul was able to give them the Holy Spirit. This action affirms the apostle status of Paul. In the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul painfully defended his apostle status.
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?
If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1-2).
In the Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul did not have to defend his apostle status. His status was taken for granted. From this, perhaps we could deduce that Paul had not conferred the Holy Spirit to the Corinthians. In fact, when he reprimanded the Corinthians for factionism, siding with Apollos, Peter and himself etc., Paul claimed that he had only baptized two to three Corinthians. They were Crispus, Gaius and the household of Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:14-16). Luke did not record any incident of Confirmation in Corinth. Paul did not have an opportunity to prove his apostle status in Corinth. Luke did not record any miracles Paul worked in Corinth.
In Ephesus, Paul earned his own living as usual. He was more successful. God worked miracles and exorcised demons through Paul.
And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them (Acts 19:12).
Paul was so successful that the Ephesians brought out their books of witchcraft and burnt them in public.
And a number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
So the word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily (Acts 19:19-20).
His successful proved detrimental to the livelihood of silversmiths in Ephesus. A riot led by the silversmiths who made statures of Artemis, the goddess of Ephesus, broke out and brought the whole city into confusion. After the riot died down, Paul left for Macedonia. The gospel of the Lord meets different kinds of opposition in different places.
And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them (Acts 19:12).
Paul was so successful that the Ephesians brought out their books of witchcraft and burnt them in public.
And a number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
So the word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily (Acts 19:19-20).
His successful proved detrimental to the livelihood of silversmiths in Ephesus. A riot led by the silversmiths who made statures of Artemis, the goddess of Ephesus, broke out and brought the whole city into confusion. After the riot died down, Paul left for Macedonia. The gospel of the Lord meets different kinds of opposition in different places.
Dear Lord, help us overcome obstacles in spreading Your gospel of reconciliation. Amen.
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