Key Verse: Paul said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? (Acts 19:2a)
The sacraments of Baptism involves cleansing of the human mind (Romans 8:1-8). In today's Epistle, the baptism of John, which Apollos taught and practiced involved inner mental cleansing and moral and ethical reformation. John's Baptism introduces mankind into a great and important reformed movement. The baptism of Jesus involves water baptism and stresses empowerment by the Holy Spirit for deliverance from the spiritual death of the mind of the flesh, and resurrection into the life, and the spiritual empowerment to live in the mind of the spirit (Luke 4:18-19).
Apollos' twelve disciples lived their religious lives in the mind of the flesh. They received the baptism according to John the Baptist. They had not heard about Jesus' baptism and empowerment in the Holy Spirit. These sincere believers missed the very essence of the Gospel of Christ, Holy Spirit-based deliverance from slavery to sin, and resurrection from spiritual death, as revealed in Jesus Christ. Apollos' ministry was not quickened nor empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-2).
Apollo and his followers had limited, intellectual concepts and knowledge of truth in the Gospel of Christ. In the mind of the flesh, they focused on water baptism, moral and ethical reformation. Because they practiced their religion in the mind of the flesh, their worship, sacraments, prayers and services were neither pleasing nor acceptable to God (Acts 19:3).
In the mind of the spirit, confession of sin, and the water baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin are important but only initial steps in salvation. As revealed in Jesus Christ as Messiah, resurrection from spiritual death comes through proper mental alignment, faith in Christ's incarnation, and empowerment by the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery. Within witnessing paschal faith communities, the Holy Spirit unites believers in Christ. In the mind of the spirit, the Holy Spirit guides and empowers spiritually awake believers in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups, to discern, proclaim and manifest the fruit and gifts of the spirit, in their daily lives and ministries (Acts 19:4-5).
Through Paul's ministry of affirmation, proclamation and reconciliation, twelves followers of Apollos received and were empowered by the Holy Spirit. They manifested the spiritual gifts of prophesy and tongues. They experienced what Jesus meant by being born of water and of the spirit. They knew the experiences of spiritual awakening and being born from above (Acts 19:6-7).
Have you been baptized, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit since you believed? Are you in the mind of the spirit, following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery? Are you, within witnessing paschal faith community, passing over from spiritual death into the new and eternal life in Christ?
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