What did Paul do for the Ephesian disciples who had not received the Holy Spirit?

What did Paul do for the Ephesian disciples who had not received the Holy Spirit?

• A. He prayed for them.
• B. He baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus.
• C. He taught them to observe the Law.
• D. He sent them to Jerusalem.

Answer: (B)

The important idea here is how Paul brings these Ephesian disciples into the full Christian experience by aligning them with Jesus’ authority. They’d only heard about John’s baptism and hadn’t yet received the Holy Spirit. Paul clarifies that Christian baptism centers on Jesus and his lordship, not just John’s preparatory baptism. So he baptizes them in the name of the Lord Jesus, which completes their initiation into the Christian faith under Jesus’ authority. After that, Paul lays hands on them, and they receive the Holy Spirit, with the accompanying signs. This sequence matters: belief in Jesus leads to Christian baptism in his name, which then opens the way for the Holy Spirit to come upon believers. The other actions aren’t the focus of the account—praying for them, teaching them to observe the Law, or sending them elsewhere—because the narrative centers on initiating them into Jesus’ name and the ensuing receipt of the Spirit.

The important idea here is how Paul brings these Ephesian disciples into the full Christian experience by aligning them with Jesus’ authority. They’d only heard about John’s baptism and hadn’t yet received the Holy Spirit. Paul clarifies that Christian baptism centers on Jesus and his lordship, not just John’s preparatory baptism. So he baptizes them in the name of the Lord Jesus, which completes their initiation into the Christian faith under Jesus’ authority. After that, Paul lays hands on them, and they receive the Holy Spirit, with the accompanying signs.

This sequence matters: belief in Jesus leads to Christian baptism in his name, which then opens the way for the Holy Spirit to come upon believers. The other actions aren’t the focus of the account—praying for them, teaching them to observe the Law, or sending them elsewhere—because the narrative centers on initiating them into Jesus’ name and the ensuing receipt of the Spirit.