Jesus’ disciples received (Lambano 2893) the Spirit in John 20:22, and had an additional encounter where they were “filled” and expressed the Holy Spirit’s character at Pentecost in Acts 2:4 (Pletho 4130). They were enabled to become witnesses.
Ac 2:4 And they were all filled (Pletho 4130) with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They were heard and understood by others to have been speaking about the works or mysteries of God, Acts 2:11 and 1 Cor 14:2.
Peter and Paul also had multiple encounters, where after they had “received” the Holy Spirit from God, He subsequently “filled” them with His Holy Spirit.
Did the Disciples “receive” (Lambano 2893) the Spirit once, and then again at Pentecost?
No.
The wording is different in these occurrences. Receiving is different from filling/being full, as in my cup runneth over.
They “received” (Lambano 2893) the Holy Spirit and then were repeatedly “filled” (Pletho 4130) and were at Pentecost enabled to express the Holy Spirit’s character.
The Baptism referred to in Acts 8:14-17 is the opposite of the events in Acts 10:47-48.
In Acts 8:14-17 the people are baptized in Jesus’ name, and then the Apostles arrive and ask if they had received the Holy Spirit.
After being told that they had undergone man’s outward ritual without receiving the inward confirmation from God first, the Apostles recognized that they did not have the faith necessary for God to send the Spirit.
They had to pray for them and “Lay hands on them”, or instruct them on how to “receive” the Holy Spirit.
Man’s rituals are a shadow of reality.
In Acts 10:47 we see God giving people the Holy Spirit in response to the “inward” faith that they possessed and then they “receive”. The Apostle Peter recognized this and saw the need to baptize them as the “outward expression”.
God only allows people who have Faith in Jesus to partake of His Holy Spirit.
God baptizes with His Spirit, and Mankind baptizes with water.
A Spirit baptism indicates the approval of God.
A baptism with water does not necessarily indicate the approval of God.
In the cases where “men” baptized people but they did not receive (Lambano – 2983) the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17), it is because they did not have faith, as Heb 4:2 suggests.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard.
As Eph 5:18 suggests we can replace the Spirit with other things. This means that although the Spirit “Abode” on Christ Jesus, Christians can sometimes be filled with the Holy Spirit and then sadly, filled with another spirit.
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled (4137) with the Spirit;
God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask, Lk 11:13.
Lu 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
We do not receive if we ask amiss, Jas 4:3.
Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Not being aware of the Holy Spirit would then be one reason for not being “receiving” in Acts 19:2.
In Acts 19:2 they were baptized unto repentance and had not received (Lambano) the Holy Spirit.
We can be assured that God is faithful, Ro 3:4.
Ro 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
In Acts 8:14-17, the Apostles asked the question “Did you receive the Spirit”, meaning Did God approve of your baptism into Jesus’ name?
Since they had not received the Spirit, they apparently needed more instruction.
God requires a person to repent of unbelief and have faith before He allows them to receive/partake of His Spirit, Acts 2:38.
When the person expresses “faith” God sends the Spirit and they “receive” Him.
If the Lord sends the Spirit then the person can be understood by others to have a faith approved by God, Acts 2:47 and Gal 6:16.
This could be why Paul asked the disciples” Have you received the Spirit “since you believed” in Acts 19:1-2.
He was in effect asking them if God had confirmed their faith.
Paul recognized that God adds to the Church.
Manmade rituals cannot add to the Church, no matter how Holy or Ecumenical they appear.
These rituals should only confirm what God has already done.
Ac 2:47 Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Ac 2:38 Then 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.
The “outward” ritual, of “Baptism” is a shadow of the reality of “Spirit Baptism”, Rm 6:2-3.
Ro 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Ro 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
This “outward” ritual can be experienced without a person having faith. This is possibly the case in Acts 8:14-16.
God will not allow a Baptized person, without “inward” faith, to receive/partake of His Spirit.
As is seen in Acts 10:47 and 48 the Lord approved a person by giving them the Spirit (Lambano) which is “an inward occurrence”, and then they were Baptised which is an “outward occurrence”.
Since the Lord saves people, the Apostles were looking for, and responding, to what they recognized to be God’s activity within people, Acts 2:47.
This is why they asked “Did you receive the Holy Spirit” after baptism in Acts 19:1-2.
Answering the case of Acts 19:2 –
Ac 19:2 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.
These people did not accurately understand the “faith”.
This was the also case in Ac 18:25-26. Only in this case, the people had been through the “outward” ritual of baptism unto repentance but did not understand clearly.
Ac 18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
Acts 18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
As an example of the laying on of Hands refer to Hag 2:12.
Hag 2:12 If one bears holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
For God to give his Spirit to a person “faith” must be in the person’s heart.
This means that the Apostles simply laying their hands on or instructing a person is not enough to convey the Spirit.
The gospel must be mixed with the person’s faith and only God can truly recognize if they have genuine faith.
Jesus responded to people’s faith.
Mr 6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folks, and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Peter explained that God’s power did not flow through Him because of His personal power or holiness.
Ac 3:12 ¶ And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Faith comes through hearing (Rm 10:17), as Paul heard and “received Jesus’ as Lord in Acts 9:5. He then was “filled” when He went to Ananias in Acts 9:17.
Just as an aside, Jesus appeared to Paul after the Ascension in Spirit, not in flesh. This event was the Second Coming of Christ in Paul’s case. Proving again the concept of a Spiritual Second Coming to an individual.
Those laying hands on the individuals in Acts 8 must have evoked faith in the hearers because God allowed them to partake of His Holy Spirit.
God then responded to the person’s faith by sending the Holy Spirit upon them.
Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.