He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
- BSB and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
- NKJV he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
- NASB He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “On the contrary, we have not even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.”
- NLT “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul asked whether these disciples had received the Holy Spirit, and they replied they had not even heard of Him.
Overview
Their answer reveals they stood in an Old Covenant frame, perhaps knowing only John's preparatory ministry. Paul's question shows that receiving the Spirit is integral to genuine Christian conversion (Rom. 8:9). This unusual transitional case marks the moving forward of redemptive history as these believers are brought into the full blessings of Pentecost.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Cor 6:19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
- Gal 3:5He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
- Acts 11:15–17And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
- John 7:39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
- Acts 19:5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
- 1 Sam 3:7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
- Rom 1:11For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
- Acts 2:38–39Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
- 1 Cor 12:1–11Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
- Acts 10:44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
- Acts 2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
- Acts 8:15–17Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 19:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.