Water Baptism and Spirit Baptism

[fred_conty]

Also see Acts 8 and what happened to the Samaritans. Baptism by the Holy Spirit and water baptism are clearly separated. And if you read Acts 8, I have a question for you. How did anyone know that the Samaritans had not received the Holy Spirit ?

Laying on of hands,is a special rite of INFUSION of the Holy Spirit, called Confirmation in Catholic circles, which STRENGTHENS the power of the Holy Spirit in the baptised person.

Acts 8;14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had ONLY BEEN BAPTISED in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they LAID HANDS on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

These are being confirmed in a special rite of hands being laid upon them receiving an increase of power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19;6 …they were BAPTISED in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had LAID HANDS on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy.

These are being confirmed by a special rite which power was demonstrated in tongues and prophesy.​

Laying on of hands, confers a MISSION or MINISTRY for the good of the whole church.

Acts 6;5-6 The whole assembly approved of the proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Sntioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and LAID THEIR HANDS on them.

Acts 13;2-3 One day while they were offering worship to the Lord and keeping a fast, the Holy Spirit said, “I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.” So it was that after fasting and prayer they LAID THEIR HANDS on them and sent them off.

I Timothy 4:14 You have in you a spiritual gift which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the body of elders LAID THEIR HANDS on you; do not let it lie unused.

I Timothy 5;22 Do not be too quick to LAY HANDS on any man, and never make yourself an accomplice in anybody else’s sin; keep yourself pure.

II Timothy 1;6 That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I LAID MY HANDS on you.​

From the above, what looks seperated is in reality two different rites, that of baptism and that of confirmation. And not that of baptism and the Holy Spirit. For Baptism gives the Holy Spirit and Confirmation strengthens the Holy Spirit.

The question of how did anyone know that the Samaritans had not received the Holy Spirit? They had received it in baptism but not again in confirmation the rite of laying on of hands.