Acts 19:1-20

The Third Missionary Journey And The Ministry of Apollos (18:23-19:20).

This section from Acts 18:23 to Acts 19:20 follows the section which has described Paul’s ministry from first leaving Antioch for his first missionary journey to his arrival back in Antioch after his second missionary journey (Acts 12:25 to Acts 18:22), in between which was sandwiched the enquiry at Jerusalem. It is thus not part of the Acts 12:25 to Acts 18:22 chiasmus. However, it is still a part of the section from Acts 12:25 to Acts 19:20 which ends with the subscription in Acts 19:20, ‘mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed’. It forms its own chiasmus.

It commences with Paul revisiting the churches in Asia Minor and then deals primarily with ministry in Ephesus, the largest city in Asia Minor and third largest city in the Roman Empire (Syrian Antioch was the second largest after Rome). It includes the remarkable activity of Apollos, and the conversion of the disciples of John the Baptiser, followed by Paul’s ministry there. It is characterised by a lack of persecution, and this in spite of the opposition of the Jews at Ephesus. (Although it may be that any persecution which took place is simply unmentioned. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:32; 2 Corinthians 1:8). Such persecution will, however, certainly result in Ephesus in the next section of Acts). On the other hand it has all the appearance of the early days of Acts.

One reason for this subsection being here would appear to be in order to demonstrate that God had raised up another champion to take over the care of the churches in the face of Paul’s coming arrest and journey to Rome. It was saying that God would not leave the churches without someone to minister to them. When Paul was arrested the work among the Gentiles would still go on, for God always has His replacements. The word would continue to multiply. A second reason would appear to be in order to deal with the vexed question of disciples of John the Baptiser. We know from elsewhere that there were many of these in synagogues around the Roman world and it was important that the way into the church of Jesus Christ should be opened to them, while making clear to them that they did still require something more. But a third reason may well be in order to reproduce the atmosphere of the early part of both Luke and Acts so as to demonstrate that the same Spirit was at work at this time as from the beginning, and this as a preparation to commencing Paul’s journey to Jerusalem and then to Rome, which to a certain extent parallels Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Thus this subsection tells us that his coming journey was to be seen against the background of the powerful and continually maintained triumph of the Gospel which had gone forward right from the beginning without hindrance (see analysis below).

We may analyse it as follows (giving comparisons with Luke and early Acts with the analysis):

a The ministry of the disciples of John through Apollos expands into the full proclamation of Jesus (Acts 18:24-28). Compare here Luke 3:3-22; Acts 1:5.

b The disciples of John the Baptiser are incorporated into the church by the Holy Spirit coming on them in power and they speak in other tongues and prophesy (Acts 19:1-7). Compare here Luke 3:21-22; Luke 4:1 and Acts 2:1-13.

c The Good News of the Kingly Rule of God is declared to the Jews, who are revealed to be hardened (Acts 19:8-9 a), and then to the Gentiles in a continually successful ministry so that all in Asia heard ‘the word of the Lord’ (Acts 19:9-10). Compare Luke 4:16-43. See especiallyLuke 4:43; Luke 4:43 which with its ‘also’ demonstrates that Jesus saw the whole passage as preaching the Kingly Rule of God, and Acts 18:24-27 which illustrate Jewish hardness and Gentile success. Compare also Acts 2:14 to Acts 12:24 and Acts 12:25 onwards.

d Great wonders and signs continue to be performed by God through Paul (whereas John did no miracle). Even aprons and handkerchiefs (or headbands and leather aprons) taken from his body are God’s instruments in the performing of such signs and wonders (Acts 19:11-12). Compare Luke 4:18 to Luke 9:50, and Acts 4:30; Acts 5:1-16; Acts 6:8; Acts 8:6-7; Acts 8:13.

c Hardened Jews who deal in the occult are defeated, and the name of the Lord, even Jesus, is magnified (Acts 19:13-17). There are no direct parallels with this in Luke and early Acts but the idea of the conflict with the powers of Satan appears constantly in Luke, and in Luke 9:49-50 we have a contrasting story of one who also used the name of Jesus to cast out evil spirits but was acceptable because his heart was right. See also Acts 5:16; Acts 8:7; Acts 13:8; Acts 13:10-11.

b The books which are the instruments of Satan are burned in fire (Acts 19:18-19). These acts are symbolic of the destruction of Satan himself (Revelation 20:10) and depict the rejection and defeat of Satan as in Luke 4:33-37; Luke 9:37-43; Luke 10:18; Luke 11:14-22 and finally at the cross. See also again Acts 5:16; Acts 8:7. For destruction by fire see Luke 3:17; Luke 17:29-30; Acts 2:19.

a The word of the Lord grows mightily and prevails (Acts 19:20).

In ‘a’ the ministry of John develops into the ministry of Jesus, and in the parallel mightily grows the word of God and prevails. In ‘b’ the disciples of John are immersed in the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues, in the parallel the books which are the instruments of Satan are dealt with by being immersed in fire. We are reminded of John’s words, ‘immersed in the Holy Spirit and in fire’. In ‘c’ the Jews as a whole are hardened (and thus become false witnesses), while the Gentiles continually respond so that all Asia hear the word of the Lord, and in the parallel the hardened Jews who are false witnesses are defeated, while the name of the Lord Jesus is magnified by ‘all’. Central to all in ‘d’ are the signs and wonders which confirm Paul’s ministry to be of God and to be continuing what happened at Pentecost. The whole section demonstrates the bringing to completion of the ministry of John and the atmosphere of the days following Pentecost as a reminder that Pentecost still goes on.