Acts 19:1-7: a reflection

1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found certain disciples. 2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3He said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. 7They were about twelve men in all.

When Paul comes to Ephesus, he finds some disciples whose faith, though real, was incomplete; they had received only the baptism of John and had not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit. Their faith was a beginning, but not the fullness; they knew John's baptism of repentance but not the fuller life in the Spirit that Christ brings. Paul does not despise their partial faith; he leads them further, teaching them of Christ, baptizing them in his name, and they receive the Holy Spirit. They were brought from a partial understanding into a fuller one, from the beginning of faith into its fullness. Their faith was genuine but incomplete, and God led them on into more. There is a growth from partial faith into fuller understanding and life in the Spirit, and God leads his people into it, not leaving them at the beginning.

Notice what happened to these disciples: they were led from a partial faith into a fuller one. Their faith was real; they were disciples, they had received John's baptism of repentance. But it was incomplete; they had not even heard of the Holy Spirit, had not entered into the fuller life Christ brings. Paul did not leave them there; he taught them, and they were brought into a fuller understanding and a fuller life in the Spirit. This shows that faith can be genuine yet partial, a real beginning that is not yet the fullness; and God leads his people on from the partial into the fuller, not content to leave them at the start. There is more to be received, more to understand, more of the Spirit's life to enter into; and God draws his people onward into it. A partial faith is a beginning to be built on, not an end to rest in. God leads us from where we are into more of himself.

That is worth taking to heart, for God leads his people from a partial faith into a fuller understanding and life in the Spirit. We can rest content with a partial faith, a real but incomplete beginning, not entering into the fuller understanding and life God has for us; but the Ephesian disciples, with their partial faith, were led by God into more, into a fuller understanding and life in the Spirit. Our faith may be genuine yet incomplete, a beginning to be built on. God draws his people onward into more of himself. Do not rest content with a partial faith as though it were the whole; let God lead you into a fuller understanding and life in the Spirit, as he led the disciples at Ephesus. Let God lead you from a partial faith into a fuller understanding and life in the Spirit rather than resting content at the beginning, as the Ephesian disciples, who knew only John's baptism, were led into more and received the Holy Spirit; for faith can be genuine yet incomplete, a real beginning that is not yet the fullness, and God draws his people onward from the partial into the fuller, not leaving them at the start but leading them into more of himself.

Lord, when Paul comes to Ephesus, he finds some disciples whose faith, though real, was incomplete; they had received only the baptism of John and had not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit. Their faith was a beginning, but not the fullness; they knew John's baptism of repentance but not the fuller life in the Spirit that Christ brings. Paul does not despise their partial faith; he leads them further, teaching them of Christ, baptizing them in his name, and they receive the Holy Spirit. They were brought from a partial understanding into a fuller one. Show me what happened to these disciples: they were led from a partial faith into a fuller one. Their faith was real; but it was incomplete; they had not even heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul did not leave them there; he taught them, and they were brought into a fuller understanding and a fuller life in the Spirit. This shows that faith can be genuine yet partial, a real beginning that is not yet the fullness; and you lead your people on from the partial into the fuller. There is more to be received, more of the Spirit's life to enter into. Take that to my heart, for you lead your people from a partial faith into a fuller understanding and life in the Spirit. I can rest content with a partial faith, a real but incomplete beginning, not entering into the fuller understanding and life you have for me; but the Ephesian disciples were led by you into more. My faith may be genuine yet incomplete, a beginning to be built on. Keep me from resting content with a partial faith as though it were the whole; lead me into a fuller understanding and life in the Spirit, Lord, as you led the disciples at Ephesus into more and gave them the Holy Spirit.