DISCIPLING THE HARDENED ABUSED OR ESTRANGED

Part IV: Nurturing Positive Baby Steps

(Acts 19:1-9)

I. Introduction

A. Several believers have recently shared their concerns about discipling hardened abused or estranged people.

B. We thus give five lessons on discipling such people, with this fourth lesson on nurturing positive baby steps in a ministry with hardened abused or estranged people:

II. Nurturing Positive Baby Steps, Acts 19:1-9.

A. If a hardened abused or estranged party we are discipling begins to take even the slightest step in the right direction, we need to take great care to nurture even that small step. Discipling hardened abused or estranged people is a long, difficult process that does not bear fruit overnight, but in tedious stages that involve the peeling back of layer upon layer of defense mechanisms that such people have often built up over time.

B. Paul exampled such care in discipling partially instructed fellow Hebrews in Acts 19:1-7 (as follows):

1. We have learned in this lesson series that Paul had a deep love for his Hebrew countrymen, longing for them to believe in Christ, Romans 9:1-3. Nevertheless, many of those countrymen repeatedly and severely persecuted Paul for his discipling efforts for the Christian faith (cf. Acts 13:45; 14:1-2, 5-6, 19).

2. However, on one notable occasion, Paul’s countrymen responded positively to the truth (Bib. Know. Com., N. T., p. 408-409), and Acts 19:1-9 reveals that Paul worked carefully in nurturing their progress:

a. Upon arriving at Ephesus, Paul found certain Hebrew disciples, men who had been baptized by John the Baptizer in Israel, the Forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Acts 19:1, 3.

b. When Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they had believed (Acts 19:2a NIV, ESV), they replied that they had never heard that there was a Holy Spirit, Acts 19:2b.

c. This reply revealed that these men had either been poorly discipled or that they had not paid good attention to John the Baptizer, for John had clearly taught Israel about the coming of the Holy Spirit and one’s need to be baptized of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7-8.

d. However, Paul did not rebuke these men for spiritual dullness or complain about how poorly they had been discipled, but he nurtured what faith they did have, leading them further into the truth, Acts 19:4-7:

i. First, Paul explained how John had baptized Israel’s people for the baptism of repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, teaching Israel to trust in Him Who was to come, v. 4. Paul thus patiently and kindly repeated John’s instruction.

ii. Second, when these men heard about Jesus, they believed and were baptized in His name, v. 5.

iii. Third, Paul then laid hands on these men and they received the Holy Spirit as had believing Hebrews in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost, as had believing Samaritans who were partly Hebrew and partly Gentile in Acts 8:14-16 and as had believing Gentiles in Acts 10:44-45 (Acts 19:6-7).

3. In a later incident at Ephesus, Paul was strongly opposed by Hebrews in the synagogue as he taught the Gospel of Christ there, so he separated weak believers from then to nurture them, Acts 19:8-9, 10:

a. When some Hebrews became “obstinate” and “publicly maligned” the Christian faith as Paul taught it in the synagogue at Ephesus, he separated new converts from them, taking the converts into the secular lecture hall of Tyrannus that was likely used to teach students rhetoric, and that was available to journeying philosophers or teachers (Acts 19:8-9 NIV; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Acts 19:9).

b. Paul continued teaching daily in this hall for two years, strengthening these new converts, Acts 19:10a.

c. Also, since Ephesus was a commercial center for the whole province of Asia (Zon. Pict. Ency. Bib., vol. Two, p. 325-326), when people came to Ephesus to conduct their business, they heard Paul’s ministry there, and many believed and took the gospel with them back to their hometowns that were scattered throughout Asia. In this way, everyone in Asia came to hear the Gospel of Christ, Acts 19:10 NIV.

Lesson: Though Paul faced opposition from many of his beloved countrymen, when any of them even slightly showed interest or discipling progress, he worked gently, long, and hard to nurture their discipling progress.

Application: (1) In discipling difficult hardened abused or estranged people, when we discern even the slightest interest or improvement in their response to God’s Word, we should follow Paul’s example to nurture that progress with gentle, careful, long-term effort. (2) There may be times when we need to disciple a responsive party apart from negative peer pressure, and if so, we need to separate that responsive party from his negative peer group.