1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul took a route through the interior and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2 He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you came to believe?”
They replied, “We’ve not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 Then he said, “What baptism did you receive, then?”
They answered, “John’s baptism.”
4 Paul explained, “John baptized with a baptism by which people showed they were changing their hearts and lives. It was a baptism that told people about the one who was coming after him. This is the one in whom they were to believe. This one is Jesus.” 5 After they listened to Paul, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in other languages and prophesying. 7 Altogether, there were about twelve people.
Reflection
We don’t know what we don’t know. Whether it comes to travel, relationships, our profession, or faith – our worldview is limited by what we’ve experienced. Sometimes, what we view as “normal” may not be normal at all! We may be missing a whole lot – but never know it!
That was the situation of the church in Ephesus. In this passage, we see how early believers struggled to experience the fullness of the Christian faith. They had the baptism of John for the forgiveness of sins, the teaching about Jesus as the Messiah, the knowledge of the Resurrection, but even all that wasn’t quite enough. God still wanted to give them more: the blessing of the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and sustain them, to fill their hearts and transform them from the inside out.
By Joe Monahan
For Pondering & Prayer
Think about a time when your eyes were opened to a new reality through a simple shift in consciousness – some new facts that you learned, some new skill or interest you acquired, a trip you took, an experience you had. When was the last time this happened to you? If it’s been a while, maybe it’s time to get out and try something new! If you haven’t had any new spiritual insights recently, maybe it’s time to pick up a new prayer discipline, do some reading, re-commit to a regular worship habit, join a small group, or find a new way to serve!
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for shaking us up and opening us to new perspectives and experiences. Thank you for broadening our understanding of your world and our place in it. Thank you for revealing what the life of faith means in all its fullness. Amen.
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