Have Ye Received? - Part 837

When it comes to salvation, none of us should desire that we miss the mark. It is for this reason that I draw your attention to the nineteenth chapter of Acts. These scriptures tell us that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed by -- finding in that place certain disciples.

He said unto them, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" And they said unto Paul, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." So, Paul asked them, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" And they responded, saying, "Unto John's baptism."

Then came the key point. Paul said, "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." (Acts 19:4)

When they heard Paul's message, what did they do? The Word states that "they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19:5) This is consistent with what Peter said in Acts chapter two. "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye SHALL receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

Did the gospel message change over time? Was Peter's message to the first 3,000 believers on the Day of Pentecost different from what Paul was later preaching to these twelve? Of course not, because when Paul "laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them, and they [also] spake with tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:6)

But as we see from reading on in Acts 19 that not everyone would accept Paul's message.

"And he went into the synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." (Acts 19:8-10)

If we remember what Jesus said in other parts of His Word, He said that He would confirm the doctrines taught by signs and wonders. Herein, it was not any different. For we read, in Acts 19:11-12, the special miracles that God wrought by the hands of Paul.

"So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them ... And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed." (Acts 19:12-20)

Unfortunately, many of the doctrines and teachings of the apostles are being changed by the religious culture of this day as well.  Baptism in Jesus name, for example, is being replaced by baptism in the titles -- a travesty given that the Roman Catholic church openly admits to changing the scriptural text in Matthew 28:19. Still, our salvation is not based on what the religious institutions and ministries of this day do or say.

As believers, we have been instructed to study the Word daily to show ourselves approved. This includes aligning our faith and beliefs to the Word -- whatever we do in word or deed, we do in the precious name of Jesus.

Paul asked the question, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" If our answer is the same as the twelve in Acts 19, we need to be baptized in the same way that every individual baptized in the scriptures were. That is, in the precious name of the Lord Jesus. Stand in the offering plate.