Pastor’s note: I appreciate the prayers over the last two weeks as my household has battled respiratory illnesses. We are mostly doing better now, but appreciate the continued prayer for us.
Read the Word:
Acts 19:1-7
Meditate on the Word:
Reading this passage causes me to wonder: What must the conversation have been to have raised this question with Paul? These twelve are obviously believers in something. After all, Paul’s question implies that they believed. Also, Luke refers to them as disciples, a term he typically only uses for followers of Christ. It could also refer to them being disciples of John the Baptist (or of one of his followers). It seems likely however, that Paul encountered them with the Christians in Ephesus. So what led to their incomplete faith?
I think that it is reasonable that they either were not taught properly that Jesus is the Messiah that John clearly pointed to, or that they didn’t pay attention to or understand the teaching they had. Maybe they sat there thinking about how much they disagreed with the preacher. Maybe they zoned out waiting for lunchtime to arrive. Maybe the preacher wasn’t clear. Maybe they had long been disciples of John and just arrived to Ephesus, and legitimately had never heard that Christ had died, been buried, was resurrected, and ascended. Many people today lack that news.
Pray the Word:
Ask the Lord to reveal an area where your understanding is incomplete. Then commit to studying and understanding it better.
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