Today’s Reading: Acts 8:1-9:31

From what we read today, it would seem apparent that the Holy Spirit is given after someone who has Him already lays hands on you (after you’ve been saved). Some people today say that you can be saved and not have the Holy Spirit’s baptism at that moment!

From many other Scriptures, which we will read very soon, we find that the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer the moment he/she believes.

So how do we understand this passage in Acts (and a couple others like it)? First, God was working in a way that would prevent divisions and strife between the Jews and Samaritans. No one could say that there were two churches, because they were united by the same Spirit. Secondly, it spoke volumes to the apostles that this was truly from the Lord (and they definitely needed that reassurance!).

For Christians today, we can be assured (and therefore thankful!) that we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us from the instant we accepted the free gift of salvation.