Find Your Niche

Read Acts 19:1-10

Title in NIV: Paul lays hands on disciples of John the Baptist

This letter was written about 60 years after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Some had still not heard about the Holy Spirit that Jesus left to believers as their Counselor. Last week we learned that Apollos did not know and his knowledge needed updating which Pricilla and Aquila were eager to do. This week we learn some disciples did not know of the Holy Spirit either. Paul explained that John’s baptism was the baptism of repentance and Jesus’ baptism was the baptism of the Holy Spirit through belief in Jesus as the Christ. These 12 (not the original 12) were baptized into the name of Jesus and received the Holy Spirit.

            Paul then spoke boldly in the synagogue at Ephesus for 3 months. He argued persuasively about the kingdom of God.

(I stopped right here while preparing my in-stepwithspirit blog. Read my new study about the kingdom of God in my heartpoursforth blog. It should be connected to this page, but if you can’t find it, it is   www.heartpoursforth.blogspot.com   You can follow this kingdom study by clicking Follow Me. My journey starts with a sweet Jehovah’s Witness who came to my house.)

            Anyway, of course people became obstinate at Paul’s message. They refused to listen and publicly maligned the Way. So, instead of beating his head against a wall, Paul left them and took all the disciples with him. He taught them for two years. And all the Jews and Greeks in the providence of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

            I envision Paul teaching the disciples in the lecture hall of Tyrannus and people who were curious sitting in on his lectures. I imagine this was not the place for heated debates like the synagogue. Many learned of Jesus by being curious.

            The school of Tyrannus is on the west coast of Turkey. The school is in ruins now, but you can visit it. (I saw on-line pictures.) Tyrannus was probably a rhetor of the time (an eloquent teacher of rhetoric). Also, he was probably a sophist. That is a class of Greek rhetors known for their subtle and wise and expert reasoning. (I had to look up a lot of definitions on this one!)  Paul could have rented the lecture hall when it was not in use probably in the heat of the day when all others were resting. (bible.history.com and israeljerusalem.com/school-of-tyrannus)  

             Find your niche: the place where God wants you to be of most use in his kingdom! You may not SEE evidence that you are growing the kingdom, but I wonder how many of those Jews and Greeks who sat in on his teachings, listened and believed.