“Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?”
The full verse · Acts 19:2 · KJV
He , Have ye the since ye ? they , We not so much there be .
Asked by
Paul: the apostle, who had come through the upper coasts to Ephesus while Apollos was at Corinth (Acts 19:1)
Asked to
Ephesian Disciples: about twelve disciples Paul found at Ephesus, who knew only John's baptism (Acts 19:1, 7)
The Scene
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul came to Ephesus and found "certain disciples" there (Acts 19:1).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionPaul met men who were called disciples and who had believed. His question checks whether they had received what God had promised. Barnes and Gill both read it as asking about the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. Barnes puts it this way: "Have ye received the extraordinary effusions and miraculous influences of the Holy Spirit?" Gill adds that the saving grace of the Spirit "is supposed in their being disciples and believers." Matthew Henry turns the question on his readers: "it concerns us all who profess the Christian faith seriously to enquire whether we have received the Holy Ghost or not," since "The Holy Ghost is promised to all believers," pointing to Luke 11:13.
The Response
What Scripture recordsThey answered honestly: "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." Barnes says this shows "they had no clear conceptions of the character and operations of the Holy Spirit." Paul followed up by asking, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" and they said, "Unto John's baptism" (Acts 19:3). Paul explained that John pointed people to "him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus" (Acts 19:4). They were baptized "in the name of the Lord Jesus," and when Paul laid his hands on them, "the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:5-6).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsJust before this, Luke tells of Apollos at Ephesus, who was "fervent in the spirit" but knew "only the baptism of John" until Aquila and Priscilla taught him "the way of God more perfectly" (Acts 18:24-26). These twelve men seem to have had the same limited teaching. John himself had said that the One coming after him would "baptize you with the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 3:11).
The KJV says "since ye believed"; the ESV says "when you believed." The Greek word is pisteusantes, a participle meaning "having believed," so the question looks back to the time they first believed.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyGod does not leave sincere but incomplete believers where they are. These men had followed as far as they knew, and Paul brought them the rest of the message. Their honest answer was met with teaching, not scorn, and God gave the Holy Ghost just as He had to the believers at Jerusalem (Acts 2:4) and to the Gentiles at Caesarea (Acts 10:44-46).
The question also shows that the Holy Spirit is not an extra for a few. Matthew Henry points to Jesus' promise that the Father will "give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him" (Luke 11:13). What John promised, Jesus gives.
Look Closer
Why did these disciples not know about the Holy Ghost?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, You promise the Holy Spirit to those who ask; what part of Your promise have I not yet understood or received?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- These men answered Paul honestly, even though it showed how little they knew. What makes it hard for you to admit what you do not yet understand about God?
- Who helped you understand the faith more fully, the way Paul helped these men? Tell about that person.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
It is all right not to know everything. These disciples were sincere followers who had simply not been taught the whole message. When Paul asked, they told the truth, and their honesty became the doorway to something greater.
If you are growing in faith, keep asking and keep learning. Jesus promised that the Father will "give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him" (Luke 11:13). If you are helping others grow, follow Paul's example: ask good questions, listen to the answers, and gently explain the way more fully. Paul did not shame these men. He taught them.
This doesn't mean you should question whether other believers are "real Christians" based on what they lack. Paul asked to help, not to judge, and he pointed them straight to Jesus.
Scripture's own application: Luke 11:13
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources