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From: Acts 19:1-8

Disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus

[1] While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and
came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. [2] And he said to them, “Did
you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have ne-
ver even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” [3] And he said, “Into what then were
you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” [4] And Paul said, “John bap-
tized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who
was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” [5] On hearing this, they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus. [6] And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,
the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. [7]
There were about twelve of them in all.

Paul’s Preaching and Miracles at Ephesus

[8] And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing
and pleading about the kingdom of God.

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Commentary:

1-7. This presence in Ephesus of a group of disciples who had received only
John’s baptism is open to various interpretations. The text seems to imply that
they were not, properly speaking, Christians but people who followed the Bap-
tist’s teaching and whom Paul regarded as incipient Christians, to the point of cal-
ling them disciples. We say this because in the New Testament being a Christian
is always connected with receiving Baptism and having the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3:5;
Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 12:3; Gal 3:2; Acts 11:17; etc.).

2. Leaving aside questions as to the origin and composition of this group of dis-
ciples, their simple statement about knowing nothing about the Holy Spirit and
his part in fulfilling the messianic promises points to the need to preach Chris-
tian doctrine in a systematic, gradual and complete way.

Christian catechesis, Bl. John Paul II reminds us, “must be systematic, not im-
provised but programmed to reach a precise goal; it must deal with essentials,
without any claim to tackle all disputed questions or to transform itself into theo-
logical research or scientific exegesis; it must nevertheless be sufficiently com-
plete, not stopping short at the initial proclamation of the Christian mystery such
as we have in the kerygma; it must be an integral Christian initiation, open to all
the other factors of Christian life” (”Catechesi Tradendae”, 21).

3-4. “The whole teaching and work of John,” St Thomas Aquinas writes, “was in
preparation for Christ, as the helper and under-craftsman are responsible for pre-
paring the materials for the form which the head-craftsman produces. Grace was
to be conferred on men through Christ: ‘Grace and truth have come through Jesus
Christ’ (Jn 1 :17). And therefore, the baptism of John did not confer grace, but on-
ly prepared the way for grace in a threefold way—in one way, by John’s teaching,
which led men to faith in Christ; in another way, by accustoming men to the rite
of Christ’s Baptism; and in a third way, through penance, which prepared men to
receive the effect of Christ’s Baptism” (”Summa Theologiae”, III, q. 38, a. 3).

5. “They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”: the view of most com-
mentators is that this does not mean that the Trinitarian formula which appears
in Mt 28:19 (cf. note on Acts 2:38) (”in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit”) was not used. The reference here may simply be a way
of distinguishing Christian Baptism from other baptismal rites which were fea-
tures of Judaism in apostolic times—particularly John the Baptist’s rite. Besides,
Christian Baptism was administered on Jesus Christ’s instructions (cf. Mt 28:
19), in union with him and using his power: Jesus’ redemptive action is initiated
by the Father and expresses itself in the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

6. This passage speaks of the laying on of hands, something distinct from Bap-
tism, as seen already in Acts 8:14-17, whereby the Holy Spirit is received. This
is the sacrament which will come to be called Confirmation and which has been
conferred, from the beginnings of the Church, as one of the sacraments of Chris-
tian initiation.

Referring to Confirmation, Bl. John Paul II has said: “Christ’s gift of the Holy Spi-
rit is going to be poured out upon you in a particular way. You will hear the words
of the Church spoken over you, calling upon the Holy Spirit to confirm your faith,
to seal you in his love, to strengthen you for his service. You will then take your
place among fellow-Christians throughout the world, full citizens now of the Peo-
ple of God. You will witness to the truth of the Gospel in the name of Jesus
Christ. You will live your lives in such a way as to make holy all human life. To-
gether with all the confirmed, you will become living stones in the cathedral of
peace. Indeed you are called by God to be instruments of his peace [...].

“You, too, are strengthened inwardly today by the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that
each of you in your own way can carry the Good News to your companions and
friends. [...]. The same Holy Spirit comes to you today in the sacrament of Con-
firmation, to involve you more completely in the Church’s fight against sin and in
her mission of fostering holiness. He comes to dwell more fully in your hearts
and to strengthen you for the struggle with evil [...]. The world of today needs you,
for it needs men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit. It needs your cou-
rage and hopefulness, your faith and your perseverance. The world of tomorrow
will be built by you. Today you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit so that you may
work with deep faith and with abiding charity, so that you may help to bring to the
world the fruits of reconciliation and peace. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit and
his manifold gifts [...], strive to be unselfish; try not to be obsessed with material
things” (”Homily at Coventry Airport”, 30 May 1982).

As is the case with Baptism and Holy Orders, Confirmation imprints an indelible
mark or character on the soul.

8-10. This summarized account of Paul’s activity in Ephesus is filled out by the
account we are given of the Apostle’s farewell to the elders of that city (cf. 20:
18-35) and by information contained in his letters to the Corinthians. Paul made
Ephesus the base for his missionary work in the surrounding region, for which
he counted on help from Timothy, Erastus, Gaius, Titus and Epaphras of Colos-
sae.

During his stay in Ephesus he wrote 1 Corinthians and the Letter to the Gala-
tians.

8. Paul returns to the synagogue where he taught previously (cf. 18:19-21); the
Jews’ resistance and lack of understanding do not lessen his zeal.

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.