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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Acts 19:3

"How were you baptized, then?" asked Paul. "In John's baptism."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Baptism;   Holy Spirit;   Thompson Chain Reference - Baptism;   John's;   Sacraments;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Baptism with the Holy Spirit;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - John;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Asia;   Baptism with the spirit;   John the baptist;   Tongues;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - John the Baptist;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Relics;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Apollos;   Baptism;   Hand;   Holy Spirit, the;   John the Baptist;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Baptism;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bible;   Corinthians, Second Epistle to;   Ephesus;   John the Baptist;   Regeneration;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Atonement (2);   Baptism;   Baptism ;   Character;   Personality;   Righteous, Righteousness;   Sacraments;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Baptism;   Ephesians, Epistle to the;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Baptism;   Ephesians;   Ephesus;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Baptism;   Eph'esus;   John the Baptist;   Romans, Epistle to the;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Saul of Tarsus;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apollos;   Baptism (Non-Immersionist View);   Baptism (Lutheran Doctrine);   Disciple;   John the Baptist;   Keys, Power of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Apollos;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them.
King James Version (1611)
And he said vnto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they saide, Unto Iohns Baptisme.
King James Version
And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
English Standard Version
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."
New American Standard Bible
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."
New Century Version
So he asked, "What kind of baptism did you have?" They said, "It was the baptism that John taught."
Amplified Bible
And he asked, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."
Berean Standard Bible
"Into what, then, were you baptized?" Paul asked. "The baptism of John," they replied.
Contemporary English Version
"Then why were you baptized?" Paul asked. They answered, "Because of what John taught."
Complete Jewish Bible
"In that case," he said, "into what were you immersed?" "The immersion of Yochanan," they answered.
Darby Translation
And he said, To what then were ye baptised? And they said, To the baptism of John.
Easy-to-Read Version
Paul asked them, "So what kind of baptism did you have?" They said, "It was the baptism that John taught."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he said vnto them, Vnto what were ye then baptized? And they saide, Vnto Iohns baptisme.
George Lamsa Translation
Then he said to them, By what baptism then were you baptized? They said, By the baptism of John.
Good News Translation
"Well, then, what kind of baptism did you receive?" Paul asked. "The baptism of John," they answered.
Lexham English Bible
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into the baptism of John."
Literal Translation
And he said to them, Then to what were you baptized? And they said, To the baptism of John.
American Standard Version
And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism.
Bible in Basic English
And he said, What sort of baptism did you have? And they said, The baptism of John.
Hebrew Names Version
He said, "Into what then were you immersed?" They said, "Into Yochanan's immersion."
International Standard Version
He then asked, "Then into what were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism."Acts 18:25;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
He saith to them, And into what were you baptized ? They said, Into the baptism of Juhanon.
Murdock Translation
He said to them: Into what then were ye baptized? They say: Into the baptism of John.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayde vnto them: Unto what then were ye baptized? And they sayde: vnto Iohns baptisme.
English Revised Version
And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism.
World English Bible
He said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He said to them, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism.
Weymouth's New Testament
"Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide, Therfor in what thing ben ye baptisid? And thei seiden, In the baptym of Joon.
Update Bible Version
And he said, Into what then were you baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to them, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism.
New English Translation
So Paul said, "Into what then were you baptized?" "Into John's baptism," they replied.
New King James Version
And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
New Living Translation
"Then what baptism did you experience?" he asked. And they replied, "The baptism of John."
New Life Bible
He asked them, "How were you baptized?" They answered, "The way John baptized."
New Revised Standard
Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said - Into what, then, were ye immersed? And, they, said - Unto John's immersion.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: In what then were you baptized? Who said: In John’s baptism.
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he sayd vnto them: wher wt were ye then baptised? And they sayd: with Iohns baptim
Young's Literal Translation
and he said unto them, `To what, then, were ye baptized?' and they said, `To John's baptism.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sayde vnto them: Where with then were ye baptysed? They sayde: With the baptyme of Ihon.
Mace New Testament (1729)
what baptism then, said he, did you receive? they replied, the baptism of John.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Paul inquired, "What type of baptism did you have?""John's baptism," they responded.

Contextual Overview

1Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?" "We've never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?" 3 "How were you baptized, then?" asked Paul. "In John's baptism." 4 "That explains it," said Paul. "John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you've been baptized in John's baptism, you're ready now for the real thing, for Jesus." 5And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God's actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Unto what: Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 12:13

Unto John's: Acts 18:25, Matthew 3:1-17, Luke 3:1-38

Reciprocal: Mark 1:4 - did Acts 13:24 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 19:6
Lot went out, barring the door behind him, and said, "Brothers, please, don't be vile! Look, I have two daughters, virgins; let me bring them out; you can take your pleasure with them, but don't touch these men—they're my guests."
Genesis 19:29
And that's the story: When God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before he blasted those cities off the face of the Earth.
Genesis 21:8
The baby grew and was weaned. Abraham threw a big party on the day Isaac was weaned.
Judges 6:19
Gideon went and prepared a young goat and a huge amount of unraised bread (he used over half a bushel of flour!). He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and took them back under the shade of the oak tree for a sacred meal.
2 Kings 4:8
One day Elisha passed through Shunem. A leading lady of the town talked him into stopping for a meal. And then it became his custom: Whenever he passed through, he stopped by for a meal.
Luke 5:29
Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. "What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ‘sinners'?"
Luke 11:8
"But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
Luke 14:23
"The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto them, unto what then were ye baptized?.... The apostle takes it for granted that they were baptized, since they were not only believers, but disciples; such as not only believed with the heart, but had made a profession of their faith, and were followers of Christ; but asks unto what they were baptized; either in whose name they were baptized, since Christian baptism was administered in the name of the Spirit, as well as in the name of the Father and of the Son; or what attended or followed their baptism, seeing sometimes the Holy Ghost fell upon persons, either before baptism, or at it, or after it:

and they said, unto John's baptism; some think they had never been baptized at all with water baptism, only had received the doctrine preached by John, concerning repentance and remission of sins, and so were baptized unto him, professing the same doctrine he did, just as the Israelites were baptized into Moses; others think they were baptized, but very wrongly, being baptized in the name of John, and not in the name of Jesus Christ; and so, as it was not Christian baptism they had submitted to, it was right to baptize them again: but neither of these are probable, for it is not likely that they should receive John's doctrine, and not his baptism; that they should be his disciples and followers, and not attend to the more distinguishing branch of his ministry; and it is still more unlikely that they should be baptized in his name, who preached Jesus Christ to his followers, and pointed out to them the Lamb of God, and declared him to be greater than he; it seems rather that they were baptized, and that they were baptized in the name of Christ, as John's disciples were, as the apostle affirms in the following words.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Unto what - Unto what faith or doctrine. What did you profess to believe when you were baptized?

Unto John’s baptism - See the notes on Acts 18:25.


 
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