FROM CORINTH TO EPHESUS
1. Paul's success in Corinth stirred up the jealous Jews who brought him before Gallio the Roman proconsul (18:12-17). Gallio dismissed the accusations as trivial and Paul, after enjoying that vindication for a while, headed for Ephesus with two dear friends (18:18-21). He took a ship from Cenchrea (ten miles from Corinth) and arrived in one of the most important cities in Asia.
THE TWO VISITS TO EPHESUS
2. When he arrived from Cenchrea he immediately headed to the synagogue where he stirred up interest in the Christ (18:19-20). Then he sailed to Caesarea, saluted the church there and moved on to Antioch (18:21-22). He was there a while and returned to Ephesus by the long way, through Galatia and Phrygia.
3. While Paul was absent from Ephesus a remarkable disciple paid a visit there—Apollos (18:24-28). He was a brilliant speaker, a fervent believer, a great Bible student who combined humility with the rest of his virtues. He only knew of John's baptism, which was valid until the Christ was exalted as Lord. After that, baptism could only be administered in the name of Jesus Christ (see Acts 2:38; 10:48 and 19:3,5). He humbly took correction from Paul's two friends. He then moved off to Corinth and Paul arrived back at Ephesus (19:1) where he spent about two years.
4. The early beginnings of the Ephesian church are recorded here in Acts 19. Paul meets about a dozen men whom he takes to be Christians. He asks if they had yet received the Holy Spirit. (I take it he was meaning the miraculous manifestation of the Spirit since all Christians received the Holy Spirit as a token of sonship—Gal 4:6; Acts 2:38-39; 5:32 and Rom 8:9). They confessed they hadn't and admitted complete ignorance about the Spirit. How could this be, Paul must have wondered, if they had heard the full gospel about Jesus' exaltation and his sending of the Spirit? So he asked them "unto what were you baptized?" (19:3). It never occurred to him that they wouldn't be baptized, he just wanted to know unto (or into) what they had been baptized. (F.F. Bruce is right when he comments on this passage that the NT just doesn't contemplate unbaptized Christians). They were baptized with John's baptism. Paul explains that John's message and baptism was in anticipation of the coming Christ. It was valid in its time but, since Christ had died, resurrected and been glorified, John's baptism was no longer valid for they were no longer waiting for Christ—he had come already and was now exalted as the Holy Spirit proved. He then baptized them again in the name of Jesus Christ (19:5). He laid his hands on them and the Spirit imparted miraculous power to them.
5. I've heard some sincere people make light of baptism, as though it were something one could take or leave. In doing so they've quoted Eph 2:6-9 which speaks of salvation by grace. It didn't seem to cross their minds that the man who wrote those verses was himself baptized to have his sins washed away (Acts 22:16). And here we have the same apostle baptizing the foundation members of the Ephesian church a second time! In the Ephesian letter he mentions baptism as he spoke of some foundational truths that all Christians were agreed on (Eph 4:4-6). In light of this it's hard to see how baptism can undermine God's grace or be optional.)