Acts 19:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The beginning of the sect of John’s disciples, which survived until modern times, should probably be placed as near as possible to the Gospel period. The disciples of John whom Paul met in Ephesus belonged to the second of these groups. It is unknown whether they became John’s disciples in Palestine and received baptism from him himself, or whether they were drawn into the fellowship of his disciples later. In any case, only this must be noted about them. Though they knew little concerning the person and teaching of Jesus Christ, they considered themselves entitled to be called Christians like the others. Luke calls them μαϑητάς in Acts 19:1. Paul indeed expected to find Christians in them. But when he entered into conversation with them, it became clear that they had as yet received nothing from the glorified Lord Jesus. They did not even know of the Holy Spirit. Paul gladly instructed them concerning the relation of John’s ministry to the ministry of Jesus Christ. He also taught them the relation of John’s baptism to the baptism which brought men into communion with Jesus Christ. This baptism made them partakers of the divine life proceeding from Him. Then he gave them Christian baptism, with the laying on of hands and prayer. And in John’s disciples there appeared the same signs of the descent of the Holy Spirit that had once appeared in the apostles.

As a result, Ephesus was the chief city of Asia Minor for pagan learning, just as it was for pagan superstition.

Thus Ephesus was the main center in Asia Minor of trade, pagan religion, and pagan science.

It is therefore understandable that, as soon as a Christian Church was founded there, it became for the Churches of Asia Minor what Antioch was for Syria.

During his second journey, the Apostle Paul had already intended to enlighten Asia by preaching about Christ. But the Holy Spirit, calling the Apostle to transfer his preaching to Europe, forbade him to visit this Asia Minor province. See Acts 16:6.

On the return journey, the Apostle had the opportunity to be in Ephesus. He visited the synagogue there once, and by his conversations made an impression on the Jews that was favorable to the Gospel.

They asked him to remain with them longer. But as he was hastening to Jerusalem for the approaching feast, he could not fulfill their desire.

He soon left Ephesus, promising, however, to return to them. See Acts 18:19-21. This he fulfilled during the third journey.

Its most revered deity was Artemis. She was the well-known Asiatic Astarte under a Greek name. Her cult was based on the deification of the crude generative powers of nature and was marked by the most unrestrained licentiousness.

The temple of Artemis of Ephesus was famed throughout the world and was counted among the wonders of the world.

Burned by Herostratus, it was rebuilt with still greater magnificence, so that by her fame Artemis overshadowed the other deities of Asia.

Since this temple enjoyed the right of asylum, everything criminal and filthy usually gathered around it. This, together with the corrupting influence of the cult itself, made Ephesus one of the most depraved cities in the world.

Like Corinth, it was one of the greatest cities of the pagan world. All kinds of religions and ideas met and coexisted there.

As in other large cities, there was also a Jewish synagogue there. Alongside it there existed schools that represented something between Judaism and Christianity.

For example, there was a school of disciples of John the Baptist. Having accepted his preaching of repentance, they considered it final and formed a separate community.

The variety of religious schools and communities contributed to an extraordinary stirring of religious thought. In the Jewish synagogue, preachers often appeared who shone with eloquence and the power of their preaching.

Now, directly from Phrygia, after passing through Proconsular Asia with preaching, he arrived in Ephesus and remained there a long time. See v. 10.

Finding there certain disciples. By the name disciples, the writer of Acts usually means disciples of Christ, Christians.

Judging by everything, these disciples also belonged to the number of Christians. Yet from what follows it is clear that they had been baptized only into John's baptism.

Consequently, the writer of Acts calls them disciples, that is, Christians, only in a broad sense. They were probably Jews, for there is no indication that disciples of John existed among the Gentiles.

They were probably newcomers, and recent ones, to Ephesus. Upon arriving there, they attached themselves to the Christian community, still small at that time, in Ephesus.

They believed in the coming Messiah preached by the Baptist, but did not have a full understanding of Him, just as Apollos had not for a time.

They had not yet had time, or perhaps had not been able, to be more accurately instructed in the way of the Lord. See Acts 18:25-26.

Where and by whom they had been baptized into John's baptism, and how they became disciples of John, is unknown.

But in Ephesus they kept to the Christian community, so that Paul himself first took them for Christians. See v. 2, "having believed."

Only through conversation and association with them did he learn that they were merely disciples of John.

From conversation and association with them, Paul noticed in them a lack of the pure Christian spirit in life and an incompleteness in their knowledge of the way of the Lord. Compare Acts 18:26.

As is clear, he was surprised by this and wondered what it meant. Hence his question to them took precisely this form.

It was therefore natural for Paul to give the same instruction to the other newcomers from Alexandria, who knew only the baptism of John. And so he asks them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” The word “believed” (πιστεύσαντες) shows that these persons, like Apollos, were received as believers in Christ; see Acts 18:26-28. The postponement of baptism by those who believed also occurred later. Yet the disciples or companions of Apollos had not received baptism and the laying on of hands for the reception of the Spirit through ignorance, as at first was also the case with Apollos. They knew the teaching concerning Christ, the Messiah and Savior, as something openly preached. But what was performed hiddenly, as a mystery, they may not have known. The sacred and mystical actions performed over those newly come to faith may not have been disclosed to everyone indiscriminately. For Christ said, “Do not cast your pearls before swine, nor give what is holy to dogs” (Mt 7:6). According to Blessed Theophylact, “Paul knew that they did not have the Holy Spirit, but he wished to speak in such a way that, once they learned what they lacked. They themselves would ask for it.” As for the disciples’ statement that they had not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit, Bishop Michael explains that this must not be understood as though they did not know of the very existence of the Holy Spirit. They were not saying that they did not know that He exists as the Spirit of God. They speak of the Holy Spirit in the same sense as in Jn 7:39. That is, they speak of the being and actions of the Spirit in the world. Had He been given to the world by the Messiah preached by John? Had the Messiah baptized this world with the Holy Spirit, as their teacher John the Baptist foretold, or not yet? In other words, they had no knowledge of all that had occurred in Jerusalem since the preaching and death of their teacher. But how could it happen that John’s disciples knew nothing of Christ Jesus? Hieromonk Gregory resolves this by saying that they lived somewhere in an obscure corner. Only just before the Apostle Paul’s preaching did they appear in Ephesus, when Apollos had already departed from there.