And he said, To what then were ye baptised? And they said, To the baptism of John.

and he said unto them, 'To what, then, were ye baptized?' and they said, 'To John's baptism.'

"Into what then were you baptized?" he asked. "Into John's baptism," they replied.

And he said, What sort of baptism did you have? And they said, The baptism of John.

Yet truly, he said, "Then with what have you been baptized?" And they said, "With the baptism of John."

"What then was your baptism?" Paul asked.

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.

(2) And he said unto them, Unto (b) what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto (c) John's baptism.
(2) John only began to instruct the disciples whom Christ would make perfect.
(b) In what doctrine then are you taught and instructed?
(c) To be baptized into John's baptism is to profess the doctrine which John preached and to be identified with his baptism.

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.

Unto what then were ye baptized? This question implies that the possession of the Holy Spirit is closely connected with a right baptism (compare Acts 2:38). The only case in which the Spirit was received before baptism was that of Cornelius. For the reasons of this exception to the rule, see notes on Acts 10:44-47. The fact that these disciples "know nothing of the Holy Spirit being given," showed that there was something wrong about their baptism.
Unto John's baptism. While John's baptism differed from that commanded in Christ's commission, the apostles, the one hundred and twenty, and the "five hundred brethren" (1-Corinthians 15:6), as far as we know, received no other. We are to infer, therefore, that it was valid until Christ's baptism took its place. Why, then, were these disciples re-baptized? The only explanation is that their baptism took place after John's baptism had been superseded by that of Christ, or after the Savior had been crucified.

Into what were ye baptized - Into what dispensation? To the sealing of what doctrine? Into John's baptism - We were baptized by John and believe what he taught.