Luke the beloved physician wrote, “while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were you baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus”, and in chapter nineteen and verse five of the book of Acts Luke shared when the believers at Ephesus, “heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” where we read:
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
The verse reads, “When they heard this, ...”: Luke began with the words, “when they” which means “at the time and moment the disciples in Ephesus” “heard this” or “ were endowed with the faculty for hearing, perceiving and understanding that they should believe on Jesus Christ” the following occurred. Luke shared how the “disciples of Ephesus” “heard” “Paul's” words about “believing in Jesus”, and they responded in the following way.
The verse goes on to say, “... they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Luke continued with the words “they were baptized” or “the disciples of Ephesus were immersed, submerged cleansed by dipping as an outward sign of an inward decision to receive Jesus” “in the name of the Lord Jesus” which means “within everything the name is used for including the thoughts or feelings which are aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing and remembering that which is attributed to the One to whom a person or thing belongs about which a person has the power of deciding; master and the title to God the Messiah whose name is Jesus which means Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate”. Luke shared how the “disciples at Ephesus” were “baptized” in the “Lord Jesus' name”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “disciples of Ephesus” responded to “Paul's” instruction for them to “believe” in “Christ Jesus”. They were “baptized” in Jesus' name to demonstrate outwardly their inward decision to be His “disciples”. God desires to have a personal relationship with everyone, and when they submit to His Son Jesus, He will forgive their sins and grant them everlasting life. After they receive Him inwardly, they are to be “baptized” in water to show the world their decision to follow Jesus Christ. Let all who read these words “believe” and be “baptized”.
Next time Luke shares, “when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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