In Acts 19, when Paul's journeys brought him back to Ephesus, it was the beginning of two amazing, yet difficult, years of teaching, preaching, witnessing, healing, debating and close calls. While Paul's confrontation with the practitioners of magic (vv.11-20) or the near-riot with the Artemis worshipers (vv.21-41) may be the most exciting moments of his Ephesian visit, it is Paul's first encounter with fellow-Christians that has caused the most theological uproar in the church. From Acts 19:1-7, we read the only account of re-baptism in Scripture.

The gist of this story seems clear enough. Returning to Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of "disciples" (or as the Greek may just as accurately be rendered, "Christians") whose theological training appears to be sadly lacking. When questioned ab…