Acts 19:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And see, the gift was twofold: tongues and prophecies. He did well to call John's baptism a baptism of repentance, not of remission.

He led them to the conviction that it did not impart remission, since remission is the work of the baptism given afterward.

Why, then, did they not teach after receiving the Spirit, while Apollos taught even without receiving Him? Because they were not so zealous or so instructed, while he was both instructed and very zealous.

It seems to me that this man also had great boldness. Yet although he taught correctly that Jesus is the Christ, he still needed fuller instruction.

Thus, although he did not know everything, for his zeal he was counted worthy of the Holy Spirit, just like those who were with Cornelius.

Perhaps many wish that even now there were a baptism of John. But in that case many would not care for a virtuous life.

Or one might think that each person cares for virtue for that reason, and not for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Besides, there would be many false prophets. The "approved" would not often appear (1 Cor 11:19). Those who receive the faith simply would not be blessed.

For just as "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (Jn 20:29), so also are those who believe without signs.

Tell me, was it not as a reproach that Christ said to the Jews, "Unless you see signs, you will not believe" (Jn 4:48)?

Therefore we have lost nothing, if only we wish to be attentive. We receive the chief blessings in baptism: remission of sins, sanctification, communion of the Spirit, adoption, and eternal life.

What more do you want? Signs? But they have ceased. You have faith, hope, and love, which abide. Seek these. They are greater than signs.

Nothing can be compared with love. "But the greatest of these is love," says the apostle (1 Cor 13:13).

Now love has grown scarce. Only its name remains, but it does not exist in deed. We have been divided among ourselves.

What shall we do to be united? It is easy to rebuke, but this is only half the matter.

One must also show how to establish communion. One must take care how to unite the divided members.

We must not only care that we belong to one Church or hold one and the same doctrine.

It is not good that, while we have communion with one another in all else, we do not have it in what is necessary.

Though we appear to be at peace with all, we do not keep peace among ourselves.

Do not look only at the fact that we do not quarrel with one another every day. Look at the fact that we do not have true and sincere love.

We need bandaging and oil (Lk 10:34). Let us remember that love is the mark of Christ's disciples (Jn 13:35).

Without love, everything else means nothing. Love is not difficult, if we wish to have it.

"Yes," they say, "we know this. But how is it attained? What is needed for us to have it? How can we make ourselves love one another?"

First let us remove what is contrary to love. Then we shall acquire love itself.

Let no one remember evil, envy, or rejoice over evil. These things hinder love, while the other things help it.

It is not enough to destroy the obstacles. We must also have what helps it.

Sirach lists actions that violate love and do not build it up: "reproach, pride, disclosure of a secret, and treacherous wrongdoing" (Sir 22:25).

For those Jews, as carnal people, this was enough. For us it is not. We do not teach you only this, but also something else.

For us, without love, everything is useless. Let you have countless blessings. What use is there?

Let there be wealth and luxury, but no one who loves you. What use is there?

There is no good more beautiful than this, even in worldly matters. On the contrary, there is nothing worse than enmity.

"Love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Pet 4:8). Enmity, on the contrary, suspects even what does not exist.

It is not enough merely not to be an enemy. One must also nourish love.

Remember that Christ commanded this, and that is enough. Sorrow itself helps love and strengthens it.

"But what," they say, "now that there is no sorrow? Explain how we are to become friends."

Tell me, do you not have any friends? How did you become friends? How do you remain so?

At least let no one be at enmity with another. This is not a small thing. Let no one envy. One who does not envy cannot be a slanderer.

We all live in one universe and are nourished by the same fruits. This is little: we are counted worthy of the same Mysteries, the same spiritual food.

Here are motives for love. But how, they ask, shall we preserve the warmth of love?

What excites carnal love? Bodily beauty. Let us therefore make our souls beautiful and nourish love for one another.

For we must not only love, but also be loved. Let us first do this, namely become beloved. Then the other will be easy.

How, then, shall we become beloved? Let us be good, and we shall attain that there are always those who love us.

Let each person care less for acquiring possessions, slaves, or houses, than for being loved and having a good name.

"A good name is better than great riches" (Prov 22:1). The one is lasting, the other swiftly passes away.

This can be acquired, but that cannot. Whoever has earned a bad name has difficulty being freed from it.

But a poor man with a good name can soon become rich. Let one man have thousands of talents, and another a hundred friends. The latter is richer than the former.

Let us do this, then, not carelessly, but as if making a purchase. How so?

"Sweet lips multiply friends, and a gracious tongue increases courtesy" (Sir 6:5). Let us have mouths filled with praise and pure manners.

With such qualities one cannot remain hidden. See what bonds of love outsiders have devised: sponsorship, neighborhood, kinship.

But we have something greater than all these. It is the most holy table.

Yet many of us who approach it do not even know one another. "This comes," they say, "from the great number." No, it comes from our negligence.

There were three thousand and five thousand believers in the beginning, and all had "one soul" (Acts 4:32).

But now they do not know one another, and they are not ashamed of this, appealing to their great number.

Whoever has many who love him cannot be overcome by anyone. He is stronger than any ruler.

Armed guards do not protect the ruler as much as those who love him protect this man. He is also more glorious than the ruler.

The one is guarded by his slaves, the other by men equal to himself. The one is guarded unwillingly and out of fear, the other willingly and without fear.

A wondrous thing happens here: unity in multitude and multitude in unity.

As in the playing of a harp, though the sounds are different, the harmony is one, and the musician playing the harp is one.

So it is here. The harp is love. The sounds are the friendly words that come from love, all producing one and the same harmony and concord.

The musician is the power of love. It brings forth sweet singing.

If it were possible, I would like to lead you into such a city, where there would be one soul.

You would see what concord exists there, sweeter than every harp and every flute, not producing a single discordant sound.

This concord brings joy to the angels and to the Lord of angels Himself. It is a pleasant sight for all the powers of heaven.

It tames the rage of demons and restrains the impulses of the passions. This concord not only tames the passions, but does not allow them even to rise.

It produces great silence. As at a spectacle all listen in silence to the choir of players and make not the slightest noise, so it is with those who love one another.

When love sings its song, all the passions are softened and quieted, like restrained and tamed beasts. Where there is enmity, everything is the opposite.

But let us not speak now of enmity. Let us speak only of love.

If you say something rashly, no one condemns, but all excuse it. If you do something, no one suspects you, but shows great condescension.

All are ready to stretch out a helping hand to one who falls. All willingly strive to raise him up.

Truly, love is a strong wall, inaccessible not only to men, but also to the devil.

Whoever is surrounded by many who love him cannot fall into danger. He has no occasions for anger, but always feels heartfelt calm, joy, and gladness.

There are no occasions for envy, no opportunities for remembrance of wrongs. See how easily he accomplishes both his spiritual and worldly affairs.

What can be compared with him? He is like a city surrounded by walls on every side. The one without love is like a city with no defenses.

To be a cause of love is great wisdom. Destroy love, and you destroy everything and overthrow everything.

If even the likeness of love has such power, what must true love itself be?

Therefore I exhort you, let us strive to have people who love us. Let each person practice this art.

"But see," they say, "I care for this, while the other person does not." For that very reason a greater reward awaits you.

"Yes," you say, "but it is difficult." Why, tell me?

I say and affirm that if only ten of you unite and undertake this work, as the apostles undertook the work of preaching, or the prophets the work of teaching, and if you acquire friends in this way, a great reward will result.

Let us make for ourselves images of the King. This is to recognize disciples.

Do we not do more than if we had placed in them the power to raise the dead?

The diadem and purple are the insignia of a king. Without them, even if he wears golden garments, he still does not appear as king.

So also you must take this sign for yourself, and you will acquire those who love both you and others. No one who is loved will hate.

Let us learn these colors with which this image is painted and from which it is composed. Let us be friendly and not wait for this from our neighbors.

Do not say, "If I see that the other is waiting, then by doing this I humble myself before him."

On the contrary, if you see him in such a state, be first yourself and extinguish his passion. You see a sick man. Why, then, do you worsen his illness?

Let us especially and above all strive to be "brotherly in honor toward one another" (Rom 12:10).

Do not think that giving preference to another means degrading yourself. By preferring another, you honor yourself, becoming worthy of greater honor.

Let us always yield the first place to others. Let us not remember the evil done to us, but only the good.

Nothing so gains love for us from others as a grateful tongue, lips ready to praise, a soul without pride, absence of vainglory, and contempt for honors.

If we fulfill this, we shall become impossible for the devil's snares to catch. By carefully practicing virtue, we shall be counted worthy of the good things prepared for those who love God.

May this be by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ. With Him, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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.

He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” That is, when you believed in Jesus Christ. They answered, “We have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” This answer of John’s disciples cannot be understood to mean that they had no notion at all of the existence of the Holy Spirit. First, one must suppose that these disciples were Jews, since there is no evidence that there were then disciples of John among the Gentiles. In that case, although they could not have had a notion of God as triune in Persons, the idea of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of God could not have been foreign to them. Second, as disciples of John and even as believers, they had to know his prophecy concerning baptism with the Holy Spirit through Christ; Mt 3:11. Finally, they do not say that they do not know whether there is a Holy Spirit. They say, “We have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” That is, when John’s disciples were brought to faith in Christ, they were catechized only in John’s teaching. They had not been told that believers in Christ receive the Holy Spirit. There had been no mention of the Holy Spirit as the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. Then the apostle revealed to them only the preparatory significance of John’s baptism in relation to Christ. He pointed out that, in order to receive salvation, it was necessary to be baptized with Christ’s baptism. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. By laying hands on them, Paul brought down upon them the Holy Spirit. This was plainly shown to all when they began to speak in other tongues and to prophesy. In all they were about twelve men.

And so the apostle performs this difficult work, clearly showing everyone the great difference between John’s disciples and the followers of Christ. “The identities of these twelve disciples are not outlined with special clarity and precision in the book of Acts,” says Hieromonk Gregory, a special investigator of this part of the book. “But the holy writer of Acts calls them disciples, without any other defining word. There is no need to suppose that here Saint Luke uses this term in a broad or improper sense. Rather, in this application of the epithet to John’s disciples, and amid the brevity of the narrative, one should see a desire to preserve a feature of this episode. At first these disciples of John presented themselves as genuine disciples of Christ. The Ephesian Christians, and even the Apostle Paul himself, also took them as such. This is shown by the question put to them: ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ This question presupposes, on the one hand, that the apostle had been informed that these disciples had believed. On the other hand, it shows that either the holy apostle himself, or those who presented them to him, had conceived doubt about their full belonging to Christianity. The apostle doubted the fullness and accuracy of the information about the One in Whom they believed, that is, about Jesus Christ. Therefore he asks them about the final act of every conversion to Christ. This is the reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, usually bestowed after baptism. Those questioned declared that they had received only the baptism of John the Baptist. They had not yet heard of the treasury of gracious outpourings of the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon believers, which had come to pass on earth. The first baptism, John’s, gave no positive content for the spiritual life of the one baptized. The second communicated the grace of forgiveness of sins. It had the meaning of a real and essential regeneration of the spiritual nature of the one baptized.”