Acts 19:4

4 Sha'ul said, "Yochanan practiced an immersion in connection with turning from sin to God; but he told the people to put their trust in the one who would come after him, that is, in Yeshua."

Acts 19:4 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 19:4

Then said Paul
In reply to their answer, understanding them that they were baptized by John, he takes it up, and gives an account of John's baptism: showing how agreeable it was, and that it was the same baptism with the baptism of Christ, being administered in his name:

John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance;
which required repentance antecedent to it, and was a fruit and effect, and so an evidence of it:

saying unto the people;
the people of the Jews, the common people, the multitude that attended on his ministry:

that they should believe on him, which should come after him,
that is, on Jesus Christ; so that he preached faith in Christ, as well as repentance towards God; and made the one as well as the other a necessary prerequisite unto baptism; which shows, that his baptism and Christian baptism are the same.

Acts 19:4 In-Context

2 He asked them, "Did you receive the Ruach HaKodesh when you came to trust?" "No," they said to him, "we have never even heard that there is such a thing as the Ruach HaKodesh."
3 "In that case," he said, "into what were you immersed?" "The immersion of Yochanan," they answered.
4 Sha'ul said, "Yochanan practiced an immersion in connection with turning from sin to God; but he told the people to put their trust in the one who would come after him, that is, in Yeshua."
5 On hearing this, they were immersed into the name of the Lord Yeshua;
6 and when Sha'ul placed his hands on them, the Ruach HaKodesh came upon them; so that they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.