And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 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. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. ~ Acts 19:1-6

In the reference above we read that Paul found certain disciples when he came into Ephesus. The text seems pretty explanatory that these were disciples of Jesus because Paul asks them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed. They were believers, and disciples of Jesus, but they recieved the Holy Spirit after being baptized in the name of Jesus, and having Paul’s hands laid on them.

Now, there are a lot of people who oppose the baptism of the Holy Spirit because they claim that you receive the Holy Spirit when you are saved and that there is no baptism of the Holy Spirit that follows salvation. Of course, it is true that we receive the Spirit of the Lord when we are saved, because the scripture says, “if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

However, if there is no second blessing (a baptism with the Holy Spirit) that is subsequent to salvation then what do we make of Paul’s question and his interaction with these disciples of Jesus?

Paul asks them Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? Paul does not ask them if they believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, nor does he ask them did they received the Spirit of God when they believed? Paul asked if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed?

What in Paul’s doctrine would make him ask such a question? If there is no subsequent blessing of the Holy Spirit after our conversion, why would Paul ask such a question.

The way this question is worded, ought to be an indicator to us that Paul believed there was a blessing of God’s Spirit to be received after we believe. This becomes more evident when we see that it was after Paul laid his hands on them that the Holy Ghost came on them.  

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Was anyone, anywhere, ever saved in scripture by having hands laid on them? No! Salvation comes through believing, but we see in the book of Acts that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of hands. Consider the following from the 8th chapter of Acts.

But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. ~ Acts 8:12-17

I want you to notice that in this section of scripture that the people of Samaria believed the gospel that Philip preached and were baptized. That is by definition, a conversion, and we would call them saved if that happened today, in our time. Would we not? Yes we would.

Now, I want you to notice how the apostles at Jerusalem responded to the news that the Samaritans had received the word of God. They did not get a head count so they could report to their district leaders how many decisions had been made and how many had been baptized by Philip. Instead, they sent Peter and John to them, to pray for them and lay hands on them to receive the Holy Ghost.

Someone might argue that this was a blessing isolated to the apostles ministry, because this blessing was given when the apostles laid hands on the people. Well, that argument fails when we consider that God sent a disciple named Ananias, to lay his hands on Paul and and pray for him, which resulted in Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit.

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. ~ Acts 9:17

Notice that Ananias refers to Saul (Paul) as Brother Saul. The story of Paul’s conversion experience seems to indicate that his conversion took place while on the road to Damascus, when he was blinded by the brightness of the Lord’s glory, at which time he surrendered to Jesus. Later, when Jesus instructed Ananias to go to Paul, Jesus told Ananias that Paul was a chosen vessel for him. Ananias was sent by Jesus to lay hands on Paul and pray for him so that he might receive his sight again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Take note of the language of the scripture, Ananias was sent so that Paul might be filled with the Holy Spirit. This filling of the Holy Spirit is consistent with what we read in Acts 8 and in Acts 19. In all three instances the Holy Ghost was specifically received, and in all three instances the Holy Spirit was received through the laying on of hands ( the writer of Hebrews refers to the laying on of hands as one of the foundational doctrines of Christ), and in all three instances those who received the Holy Ghost had already been saved.

No one can receive salvation by someone laying hands on them. Salvation comes through believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, but there is an experience that is subsequent to salvation that was ministered to believers in the book of Acts called receiving the Holy Spirit. All evidence leads us to believe that this experience is what John the Baptist, and Jesus referred to as being baptized with the Holy Spirit. 

Back in 1985/86, I had a friend who desired to receive the gift of speaking in tongues. He had been prayed for, but with no success. I will never forget when I prayed with him at the altar. He was trying so hard to receive the gift of tongues. I instructed him to not focus on tongues, but focus on receiving the Holy Spirit (i.e., the baptism of the Holy Spirit), he did, and guess what happened next?

The gift of tongues as well as all the gifts follow the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This second blessing (the blessing of Pentecost), belongs to every believer, and I can testify that the baptism of the Holy Spirit will enrich your life tremendously. We all have the Spirit of the Lord in a measure through the new birth in Christ, but God’s plan is to fill us to overflowing with the Holy Ghost. That is where we will find power, and joy in the Lord to live daily in his presence.

If you would like to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, go to God in prayer and humbly ask him to baptize you with his Holy Spirit, until you are filled to overflowing with His Spirit in your life. And don’t allow anyone to steal this blessing from you, and if you are a believer who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit but you need another infilling of God’s Spirit may this article provoke you as well to kneel before your Heavenly Father in prayer and seek a fresh infilling of his Spirit until you overflow with his good presence.

May God be with all of you who love the Lord in sincerity and truth!