(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in 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.
- BSB For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into 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 2:38Then 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.
- Acts 19:2He 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.
- Matt 28:19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- Acts 19:5–6When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
- Acts 11:15–17And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
- 1 Cor 1:13–15Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
- Acts 10:44–48While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
- Gal 3:27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on 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.