Paul In Ephesus

Now Paul is embarking on his third missionary journey. He starts again from Antioch and by land travels back to visit friends and churches in the upper country we now call Turkey. Paul stayed for a long time in the capital city of Asia called Ephesus.   Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men.   Paul recognized that the men's knowledge of the good news was incomplete. These disciples had not heard the good news of Jesus and Pentecost (See the devotional for April 12 - 16). Now with the baptism in Jesus name and the laying on of hands by Paul they received the filling of the Holy Spirit. This was the exciting and powerful beginning of a new church in Ephesus. Later when Paul was in Rome he would write letters to this church. We have copies of these letters in our Bible. You can find Paul's letters in the book of Ephesians. Acts 19:1-7 (NASB)

Lesson Questions for the Full Story: