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NASB | Acts 8:17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 8:17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them [one by one], and they received the Holy Spirit. |
Bible Question:
12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (A) 13 Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with [a] Philip and was astounded as he observed the signs and great miracles (B) that were being performed. 14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God's message, they sent Peter and John to them. (C) 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet come down on [b] any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (D) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. The Samaritans believed in the Gospel and in Jesus Christ. They were baptized 'only in the name of the Lord Jesus'. Isn't that enough? Why only when hands were laid on them did they receive the Holy Spirit? Is this applicable today? Thanks, Jim. |
Bible Answer: Hi, Jim... From the perspective of my own tradition, that of Historic Baptist, I can offer up the comments of one our own, John Gill: "The Ethiopic version adds, 'who had been baptized'; but not upon all of them, men and women, only on some they were directed unto by the Spirit of God; whom He had designed, and now would qualify for the work of the ministry, that so this new church, might be supplied with proper officers, pastors, and teachers, to feed them with knowledge and with understanding, and who might not only have ministerial gifts to qualify them for preaching the Gospel, but extraordinary ones, which would serve for the confirmation of it; and for this purpose the apostles, 'both' of them, as the Arabic version reads, laid their hands on them: for it will not seem probable, that they laid their hands upon the women, on such an account; and it will hardly be received, that they should lay their hands on Simon Magus, otherwise he would have received the Holy Ghost too; so that it seems a plain case, that imposition of hands was not used to them all. ...they [the ones touched] received the gifts of the Holy Ghost; so that they could prophesy and speak with tongues, and heal diseases, and do other wonderful works: and since now these effects have ceased, the rite and ceremony which was peculiar to the apostles as such, it should seem should cease likewise." I hope this helps. If not, at least it adds another viewpoint to consider. In Him, Doc |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Acts 8:17 | Author | ||
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Searcher56 | ||
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newoldstock | ||
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DocTrinsograce |