When Once Is Not Enough

Acts 19 opens with a troubling passage about baptism.

The trouble, on one level, only exists in certain theological circles. I'm a United Methodist pastor, and in our tradition, we've long held that baptism is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Paul's apparent insistence that these men in Ephesus need to be rebaptized is troubling to us, needs explanation.

But there's bigger trouble, really. It may be tempting to shuttle this passage off into an arcane argument between academics of different flavors of theology, but when we look at the overall teaching of the passage, we quickly discover that more foundational issues than ecclesiastic law are at stake.

In Paul's absence, the people of Ephesus have received another popular Christian teacher, Apollos, into their midst. Interestingly, Apollos' teaching seems to have been more effective than that of Paul. A number have "believed" in response to his message who had managed to resist Paul's preaching in his earlier visit.

In chapter 18, Apollos has been characterized as one who "accurately proclaimed Jesus" but "knew only John's baptism." In other words, his focus was on the gospel story and on repentance.

Here's the troubling thing: In Paul's view, it is evidently possible for someone to have received "accurate" instruction, to have experienced "repentance," and to have "believed" in Jesus and yet not have received all that they need to be baptized.

Hmmm...

THAT raises significant questions.

At issue for Paul is whether the Ephesians have received the Holy Spirit. That much is pretty clear. What I wonder is, how did he even think to pose such a question? We don't have evidence that he ever asked it of any other church, before or after their baptism. Why here?

We can only assume that something about the gathering of believers he found when he arrived in Ephesus begged the question. What would that be? What in the behavior or speech of a church could cause one to ask if they've ever heard of the Holy Spirit?

The author of the story doesn't give us an answer (at least in this passage.) He only indicates the quick remedy demanded by Paul.

What signs would we seek? What eveidence would we give that the holy Spirit is at work in a church?

One way of reading what happens next is that the gift of tongues must be the answer. Paul comes to Ephesus, sees nobody speaking in tongues, rebaptizes a few folk... Bingo. The gift that keeps on giving.

All by itself, the text permits this interpretation. Paul's own writings on the subject, however, do not. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is insistent that the presence of the holy Spirit is not necessarily accompanied by tongues. We'll have to look elsewhere.

Acts 2 gives us our first look at the Spirit-filled church. Here's how the author describes it there:

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The spirit filled church is characterized by it's adherence to the teaching of the apostles (in our day, the scriptures,) it's fellowship, its prayer life, its generosity, its joy, and its magnetic appeal. If any one of these marks is emphasized above the others, though, it is the fellowship.

The Greek word used here is koinonia and it invokes far more than fried chicken and pot-luck suppers. The fellowship on display here is about sharing life together.

It's dangerous to supply characters a motive when none is stipulated. Paul could have seen any number of things wrong in the church at Ephesus that caused him to question if they'd ever received the Holy Spirit. But nothing is more immediately apparent to a newcomer to a church than the absence of genuine, heartfelt love and fellowship. This absence, perhaps above any other, is just cause for Paul to stop and suggest: "Perhaps we'd best start over, here..."