Listening With an Open Spirit

  

DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

LISTENING WITH AN OPEN SPIRIT

Acts 19:1-7

19:1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

NIV

Paul makes his way to Ephesus, where Apollos had just been some short awhile ago. We cannot be absolutely certain how many people Apollos brought into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, but we do know from the previous verses regarding his reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue there in Ephesus that all he was aware of was the baptism of John. We also know that Aquila and Priscilla had invited him into their home to explain the scriptures more adequately, which we would have to think meant including teaching him of the baptism in the Spirit. However, we also would think that Apollos did not go back to all those he reasoned with to correct his error in only speaking of the baptism of John. The reason for our thinking along this line is that Paul upon arriving in Ephesus found some of the disciples, which would have been those who accepted Jesus through the ministry of Apollos. After speaking with them and finding out that Apollos did not speak to them about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, informed them about the Holy Spirit and the power that he works in and through believers. Here is where it gets a little dicey for the denominations that are not of the Pentecostal persuasion. The reason is all about this Greek word Glossa. This goes back to chapter two of the Acts of the Apostles when the Holy Spirit came upon all those disciples waiting in the upper room, as per instructions from Jesus for the Spirit that he would sent to them and when the Spirit arrived and came upon them, they all spilled out into the streets of Jerusalem speaking in languages they had not naturally acquired, which is referred to by the Pentecostal denominations as speaking in tongues. This speaking in tonguse is explained in further detail by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians along with many of the other gifts the Spirit manifests in believers. This doctrine of glossolalia has been at the center of much debate over the years creating a great divide within the body of Christ. Those believers who have fallen on the side against speaking in tongues want to believe this action, this working of the Spirit was only for the early church, and that the Spirit no longer works, in the same way, today, while those who fall on the side of the doctrine of glossolalia believe the Spirit has not changed in his working in the lives of believers, as the Spirit is God and God does not change. We will refrain from making any judgement regarding either side’s view, but only know that it is up to the Spirit and not up to man to determine how the Spirit works in and through the people of God. Where a problem could exist is when the Spirit desires to manifest any of his gifts in a believer’s life, and they either refuse or deny his gifts, whatever that gift or gifts are, they could be much like those disciples that Paul encountered who only knew of the baptism of John, and thus do not have a full understanding of all the scriptures. What we know is that we have to be open to the working of the Spirit in our lives, and whatever that means. Let us continue to listen to his voice with an open spirit.