About Twelve “Almost” Christians
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About Twelve “Almost” Christians

Acts 19:1–10  (ID: 2451)

Not all who profess to be Christians are truly followers of Jesus Christ, regardless of the Christian language they use or the Christian activities in which they participate. These “almost Christians” try their best, struggling to do for themselves what God in His grace has already accomplished. In this study of Paul’s visit to Ephesus in Acts, Alistair Begg discusses the identifying marks of genuine conversion and the evidence of the Spirit’s work in the Christian experience.

Series Containing This Sermon

For the Sake of the Gospel, Volume 1

Acts 19:1–41, Acts 20:1–38, Acts 21:1–40, Acts 22:1–30 Series ID: 25204

Encore 2011

Selected Scriptures Series ID: 25902


Paul in Ephesus

1And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland1 country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” 4And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized in2 the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7There were about twelve men in all.

8And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.3 10This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Text provided by the Crossway Bibles Web Service.

Alistair Begg
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bible teacher on Truth For Life, which is heard on the radio and online around the world.