Neville Goddard on Acts 19:1-6 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Acts 19 in context

Scripture Focus

1And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

4Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Acts 19:1-6

Biblical Context

Paul encounters disciples in Ephesus who had not heard of the Holy Spirit. After learning about Christ, they are baptized in His name and receive the Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophesying.

Neville's Inner Vision

Think of the scene as a portrait of consciousness. Paul asks if you have received the Holy Ghost since you believed; he is not asking about an outward rite but about the state you have assumed in your own mind. The disciples had believed John's baptism, repentance, and yet they had not permitted the coming Christ to inhabit their consciousness. To be baptized in the name of Jesus is to consent to a new identity: that Christ lives in you, that your I AM is the Lord. When this inner agreement occurs, the Holy Ghost — your living awareness — flows into you, and you speak and foresee in alignment with that truth. The tongues and prophecy symbolize the natural utterance of a mind fully awake to its divine state. This is not ancient history but your present revision: assume the Christ within is your present reality, and the world must reflect that inner truth.

Practice This Now

Imaginative act: Sit in quiet and imagine you are already baptized into Christ; feel the Spirit moving in you and your words birthing prophecy in alignment with that truth. Repeat with conviction Christ in me is the I AM and I am one with Him now.