Acts 18:19-19:41
Devotion by Emilee (Ross) Christian
We revisit the story of the early church in today’s reading of Acts 18:19-19:41. In this section we meet Apollos, an influential Jew converting many to Christ. Paul concludes his second missionary journey and begins his third. There is an encounter with the Holy Spirit and men of Ephesus. We learn about God giving Paul the ability to perform miraculous signs. We get a story about demon casting and see how God can use all things for His good. Finally, this section ends with a huge riot in Ephesus. So much happened in this section, but the undercurrent was the movement in the church, the believers. I think it’s worth taking a closer look at what the believers were actually doing, so we can follow their example.
In today’s reading, the collective term “the believers” is first used in 18:23 when “Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers” (NLT). Here, the church is seen hosting Paul and allowing themselves to be encouraged and strengthened through his teachings. In various letters Paul commends hospitality. The church is supposed to be a hospitable place. Soon many families will gather together for the holiday season. While this can cause stress, I challenge you to consider it a blessing and an opportunity to share God’s love by welcoming people into your home.
The believers were also strengthened by Paul’s visit. We, too, need to allow ourselves to be encouraged. It is important we put ourselves in situations where we can feel revitalized. Find what reignites your passion for the Gospel. Maybe that’s simply going to church on a weekly basis. It could be attending a Bible Study, instead of leading one. Time alone in the Word. Church Camp or conferences. Attending a Christian concert. I think it is worth noting that while the early believers were welcoming and serving Paul, they also allowed themselves to be served as Paul’s visit strengthened their faith.
Next we see believers teaching, correcting, and learning. I love the story in Acts 18:24-26. We meet Apollos, a man on fire for the Lord. In Ephesus, he meets Priscilla and Aquila, two students of Paul’s. Scripture says Priscilla and Aquila pulled Apollos aside and “explained the way of God more accurately” (18:26 NLT). They did not publicly call out Apollos, telling him he was wrong. Rather quietly and respectfully this couple sought to fill in the gaps in Apollos’ understanding of scripture. Furthermore, Apollos welcomed their knowledge. He was not so prideful, he could not learn. This is such a wonderful example of church conflict being resolved peacefully. We can learn from these early believers to have open hearts, ready to search scripture to receive truth, and share our own perspective and understanding of scripture in non-threatening ways.
This next part of Apollos’ story especially intrigues me. Apollos has a desire to go to Achaia and shared it with his fellow believers. They in turn encourage him to go. We can follow this example by sharing with our brothers and sisters in the church our desires, hopes, plans. From little side stories like these, it is clear to me the church is meant to act as a unit, not one sole individual acting on his or her own. Apollos allowed himself to be encouraged by his fellow believers then set off to do the work God planned for him. Here we see the church in movement by sharing and encouraging.
These believers in Ephesus not only encourage Apollos to go to Achaia, but intercede on his behalf. They write to their friends in Achaia asking them to welcome Apollos. Again, it is a short and sweet detail in this grand passage of Paul’s journeys. Yet, it shows how the early church was moving and interacting with one another during the time of the Apostles. It serves as a reminder to us how we should be interacting with one another. How can you intercede for those brothers and sisters around you? Are there unmet needs you may be able to provide?
Looking into Chapter 19 Paul has some interesting interactions with the people of Ephesus. These twelve men were like Apollos believing in “John’s Baptism,” understanding the repentant side of the story, but not quite grasping the Jesus-new-life part. This new creation baptism was something Paul personally experienced. Essentially, he provides these Ephesian men with the rest of the story and they are “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (19:5 NLT). So, what are members of the church doing here? Getting baptized. Baptism is a public declaration of our faith. This symbolic action helps solidify our understanding of a new life in Christ. How can we follow the example here from the early church? Get baptized. Baptism has meant all sorts of different things to different people. However, in my opinion, scripture has made it pretty clear. Baptism is our call to action after hearing, believing, and accepting the Gospel. Baptism is not a necessity to our salvation but a consequence. It is what the early church did, it is what we should do.
The next time “believers” are collectively mentioned as a group is in Acts 19:18. In the aftermath of the Sons of Sceva story, believers still practicing sorcery and incantation confess and repent by burning books associated with sorcery. While I am certainly not advocating for the burning of books, it is the action of physically turning away from their sin that is notable here. The church today can follow this example. The church is made up of humans. We are going to make mistakes, mess up, have our good and bad days. On the bad days, it is important we take responsibility. When the Ephesian people turned away from their sin “the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect” (20 NLT). This shows that repentance is not just for the sake of the sinner but can be used for spreading the Gospel.
Finally, the last time we see the believers in this section is during the riot in Ephesus. Here, the believers are seen as protecting and defending Paul. I found the small details in this story fascinating. In Acts 19:30 the believers prevent Paul from entering the amphitheater where the rioting was taking place. While some of Paul’s companions are swept up in the chaos, Paul is held back. The Greek word used here is translated as “would not allow.” Eventually, the people are calmed down and dispersed with nothing more than shouting and confusion to show for their rioting. I have to wonder if the situation would have been made worse had Paul been present. Even some of Paul’s friends who were province officials sensed Paul would be in danger had he gone with the rioters. While we may not be facing an angry mob head on, in what ways can we protect and defend our fellow believers? Does your church have connections with missionaries who are in danger? Can you financially contribute to these organizations? Can you organize prayer for these people? Are there justice groups for which you could be involved? The early church played a role in protecting and defending other believers, so how can we?
The believers of the early church are seen acting in so many ways throughout this section. They are welcoming. Receptive of encouragement. They are teachers, correcting and learning from one another. They are involved in each other’s lives. They are responsive to the call of baptism. They are repentant. Lastly they are seen as protecting and defending. My hope is by further looking at their actions we can seek action as well. May we learn from the example of the early church and may their actions guide us as we continue the spread of the Gospel, two thousand years later.
Reflection Questions
- From above: “How can you intercede for those brothers and sisters around you? Are there unmet needs you may be able to provide? “
- And, “The early church played a role in protecting and defending other believers, so how can we?”
- How can you be more like the early church believers today?
Seek Grow Love 