Bible Study With Jairus - Acts 19

Bible Study with Jairus – Acts 19

Acts 19 begins with a story about how Paul supplied the needs of Apollos' ministry. Those who were ministered to by Apollos only knew John's baptism and weren't aware of the Holy Spirit. Is there a deeper spiritual meaning here? If so, what spiritual insight can we glean for our walk with the Lord?

The spiritual insight is that John's ministry introduces Jesus Christ, and Jesus' ministry baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire. In other words, John introduced Christ, and Christ introduced the Holy Spirit. This is the full gospel. If we only talk about one aspect and not the other, it will cause Christians to have a one-sided understanding of the truth, leading to division in the church.

Why did Apollos only know John’s baptism? Acts 18:24 mentions that Apollos was a native of Alexandria. Alexandria is a port city located on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt. If Apollos lived in Alexandria, then it would be very interesting. Imagine how influential John's ministry was in Israel. Many Jews had repented and been baptized. Even the unbelieving Pharisees came to join in the fun, and John criticized them, telling them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance (NIV, Matthew 3:8). Even Apollos, who was in Alexandria, Egypt, was influenced by John's ministry, so it is evident that John's ministry had significant influence.