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For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.

Paul in Ephesus 19  While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Read full chapter Footnotes Acts 19:2 Or after Acts 19:6 Or other languages New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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It can be hard to know when to move on from a ministry and when to stay put. ‘Shake the dust off your feet’ is a gospel strategy sometimes, and we must discern when it is right. Having stayed for a long time in Corinth and having had the opportunity to develop and mature the converts there, Paul then stayed two years in Ephesus, another key urban center with connections that served the spread of the Good News.

Paul’s first recorded work there was to pray for the Spirit to fill the disciples in Ephesus—and this was the beginning of a power-filled time of witness and ministry. Twelve men received the Spirit and they formed the nucleus of the Ephesian church. Paul’s synagogue preaching led again to a mixed response toward the message of Jesus. He decided to move out of the synagogue with the disciples and began teaching in a lecture hall instead. We may have explored our own moves out of church buildings and into less obviously religious premises in order to develop new missional movements and wider contacts in our communities.

The church in Ephesus was well established, widely connected, and strategic. It seemed to be a center for training and developing new Christians. It was also a place of powerful acts of the Holy Spirit. Paul performed miraculous healings (vv. 11, 12) and these must have helped the growth of the church.

We can see many different ways in which the Holy Spirit was active in Paul’s ministry: empowered preaching, discernment, and miracles. We also should seek to see the Spirit’s activity in our own ministry, not only in the church but in our workplaces.

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