for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus.
Parallel translations
- KJV (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord 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 2:38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 19:2He 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.”
- Matt 28:19Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- Acts 19:5–6When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
- Acts 11:15–17As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.
- 1 Cor 1:13–15Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?
- Acts 10:44–48While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.
- Gal 3:27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.