ESOCS Devotional 11 July 2025 – Baptism of the Holy Spirit
MEMORY VERSE: “Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.” Acts 19:6 NLT
TEXT: ACTS 19:1-12
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
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Baptism is a New Testament Christian practice or doctrine for all believers in Christ Jesus (Acts 2:38). Basically, it is done by immersion in a flowing water and symbolizes the washing away of the Adamic nature. In other words, it denotes the forgiveness of sins, washing away of iniquity, a rebirth, salvation, dying and resurrecting with Christ, identifying with Christ publicly, as well as being clothed with Christ.
However, in Acts 2:1-2, on the Day of the Pentecost, the believers experienced another form of baptism. This was christened ‘baptism of the Holy Ghost’ or ‘baptism of fire’ (Matthew 3:11). This experience came in fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy in Joel 2:28-29.
On arrival at Ephesus, Paul found certain disciples who taught the Good News but knew nothing about the baptism of the Holy Ghost. However, they had been baptized with the baptism of John unto repentance (Matthew 3:5-6). On further cross-examination by Paul, these disciples responded that they had heard some things about Jesus through the preaching of the other apostles. When Paul spoke concerning the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh, they sounded completely ignorant, nor had they heard of the great event of the Pentecost – when the Spirit was poured on the apostles and disciples (Acts 2:2-4). Paul, the Christ-sent apostle, laid hands on them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, or Baptism by fire. Consequently, they prophesied mightily with boldness and spoke in diverse tongues (Acts 2:4).
Conclusively, water baptism for the washing away of sins is by immersion in a flowing river (Matthew 3:5-6). But Holy Ghost baptism is by the laying of hands for receiving of Spiritual power, as well as Spiritual gifts to function more effectively, and with boldness (Acts 8:18; 19:6).
CHALLENGES
- Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?
PRAYER POINT
- Lord Jesus, cause me to be baptized with the baptism of fire, that I may receive the Holy Ghost.
FURTHER READING: Daniel 10:1-12; 13-21; Acts 18:11-28
ESOCS Devotional 11 July 2025
