For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
Parallel translations
- WEB for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus.
- KJV (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
- NKJV For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
- NASB (For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
- NLT The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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
The Spirit had not yet fallen on them, though they had been baptized in Jesus' name. This unusual gap marks a special, transitional event in the church's expansion.
Overview
Luke notes that these believers had been baptized but had not yet received the Spirit in the visible way that followed. Faithful Christians interpret this differently, but many see it as a one-time sign confirming Samaritans' inclusion through apostolic ministry, not a normal pattern (compare Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9). The point is the visible unity of Samaritan and Jewish believers in one body.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 19:2and 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.”
- Matt 28:19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
- Acts 19:5–6On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
- Acts 11:15–17As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning.
- 1 Cor 1:13–15Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
- Acts 10:44–48While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message.
- Gal 3:27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
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 8:16 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.