Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. While the prayer seems to have been one act [the verb is in the aorist, proseeuxanto (G4336)], the imposition of hands and the descent of the Spirit, was a succession of acts in each case or in clusters [as the imperfects, epetithoun (G2007) and elambanon (G2983), imply]. That the reference here is to the supernatural gifts of the Spirit, or such a communication of the Spirit as made itself visibly or audibly manifest, there cannot be a reasonable doubt. The baptism of adult believers and the renewing of the Holy Spirit went together (1 Corinthians 12:13; Titus 3:5-7). What is here recorded, therefore, of the communication of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the apostles' hands, sometime afar the parties had been baptized, must have been a added thing; and as it was but occasional, so it was invariably attended by miraculous manifestations. See Acts 10:44, where it followed Peter's preaching; and Acts 19:1-7, where, as here, it followed the imposition of apostolic hands. This being the first accession and baptism of a large body of disciples, through the instrumentality of one who was not himself an a apostle, it was fitting that the newborn church of this city should be taught the proper position and authority of those divinely-appointed founders of the Church; and this visit to them of a deputation from the mother-church at Jerusalem, consisting of the two most prominent members of the apostolic body, was just the thing to produce that effect. Beautiful certainly was the spectacle here first exhibited, of Jew and Samaritan one in Christ.