Acts 19:3

And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

And {G5037} he said {G2036} unto {G4314} them {G846}, Unto {G1519} what {G5101} then {G3767} were ye baptized {G907}? And {G1161} they said {G2036}, Unto {G1519} John's {G2491} baptism {G908}.

“In that case,” he said, “into what were you immersed?” “The immersion of Yochanan,” they answered.

“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.

And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism.

Commentary

In Acts 19:3, the Apostle Paul encounters a group of disciples in Ephesus. This verse captures his follow-up question after discovering they had not even heard of the Holy Ghost, leading to a crucial discussion about the nature of their baptism.

Context

This verse is part of Paul's third missionary journey. Arriving in Ephesus, a significant city in the Roman province of Asia, Paul found certain disciples (Acts 19:1). His immediate question to them was whether they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed (Acts 19:2). Their response, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost," prompted Paul's inquiry in this verse: "Unto what then were ye baptized?"

Their answer, "Unto John's baptism," reveals that these individuals had been baptized by John the Baptist or by his followers. John's baptism was primarily a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, preparing the way for the Messiah (Acts 13:24). However, it lacked the full understanding and reception of the Holy Spirit available through faith in Jesus Christ after His resurrection and the day of Pentecost.

Key Themes

  • Distinction of Baptisms: The verse highlights the critical difference between John's baptism, which pointed forward to Christ, and Christian baptism, which signifies identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, and the reception of the Holy Spirit.
  • The Role of the Holy Spirit: Paul's line of questioning underscores the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer in the New Covenant era. Christian faith is not merely intellectual assent but includes the empowerment and presence of the Spirit.
  • Progressive Revelation: It illustrates how understanding of God's plan unfolded. John's baptism was a necessary step, but it was incomplete without the revelation of Christ's full work and the subsequent outpouring of the Spirit.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "Unto what then were ye baptized?" uses the Greek preposition eis (εἰς), meaning "into" or "unto." It implies the purpose or the object of their baptism. Paul was asking, "Into what message or authority were you immersed?" Their reply, "Unto John's baptism," indicates they were baptized into the message and authority of John the Baptist, which was a baptism of metanoias (repentance), as seen in Luke 3:3.

This contrasts with Christian baptism, which is into Christ Jesus, signifying union with Him and the reception of the Holy Spirit, as later explained in Acts 19:5 and Acts 19:6.

Practical Application

This passage emphasizes the importance of a complete understanding of Christian doctrine, particularly concerning baptism and the Holy Spirit. For believers today:

  • Understanding Baptism: It is crucial to understand that Christian baptism is not merely a ritual but a profound symbol of one's identification with Christ and the new life received through Him. It is distinct from any preparatory or symbolic baptisms.
  • Embracing the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is not an optional extra but essential for Christian living, providing guidance, power, and spiritual gifts. Believers should seek to be filled with and walk in the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
  • Discipleship and Teaching: Paul's example shows the importance of diligent discipleship and teaching, ensuring that new believers have a foundational understanding of the gospel and its implications, including the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
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Cross-References

  • Acts 18:25 (4 votes)

    This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.

  • Acts 8:16 (3 votes)

    (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

  • 1 Corinthians 12:13 (3 votes)

    For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

  • Matthew 28:19 (3 votes)

    Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

  • Luke 3:1 (2 votes)

    ¶ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

  • Luke 3:38 (2 votes)

    Which was [the son] of Enos, which was [the son] of Seth, which was [the son] of Adam, which was [the son] of God.

  • Matthew 3:1 (2 votes)

    ¶ In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,