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The Gospel Is Preached in Samaria

   Acts 8:14-17

   Good News Translation (GNT)

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14  The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the
   people of Samaria had received the word of
   God, so they sent Peter and John to them.
15  When they arrived, they prayed for the
   believers that they might receive the
   Holy Spirit.
16  For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on
   any of them; they had only been baptized in
   the name of the Lord Jesus.
17  Then Peter and John placed their hands on
   them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

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Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)

The Gospel Is Preached in Samaria

     Acts Chapter 8 v 14-17

When news of Philip's work in Samaria reached the apostles in Jerusalem, Peter and John went to Samaria to see for themselves what was happening.

This is the same John who earlier had wanted to destroy a Samaritan village by calling fire down from heaven (Luke 9:51-56).
Peter and John found that the Samaritans had indeed believed and been baptized, but that the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them (verse 16) - that is, the Spirit had not come upon them with power as He had come upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1-4).

The New Testament teaches that everyone who believes in Christ and is baptized also receives the Holy Spirit
(see Romans 5:5; 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Ephesians 1:13).
Therefore, when these Samaritans believed, they surely received the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit had begun to dwell within them.
But the Samaritans had not experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, such as was manifested on the day of Pentecost.
They had not yet received the filling of the Spirit, or the "second blessing," as it is called by some
(see Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:13)

When Peter and John laid their hands on these new Samaritan believers, they received the Holy Spirit - that is, the Spirit came upon them with power and with visible manifestations.
Something happened that others standing there could see or hear, because according to verse 18, Simon saw that the Spirit was given.
It is very possible that these Samaritans began to speak in tongues, just as the disciples had done on the day of Pentecost.

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