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).
Receiving the Spirit of God is different from being filled with God’s Spirit.
Receiving is something that the recipient of the Spirit does.
Being filled is something that God does when He wants us to express the Spirit’s nature.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
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, (Words).
They were heard and understood by others to have been speaking about the works or mysteries of God or speaking in Tongues, Acts 2:11 and 1 Cor 14:2.
Peter said that when we believe in Jesus we receive God’s Spirit in Acts 2:38.
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.
When approaching the Samaritans in Acts 8:14 the Apostles had to understand whether their faith had been recognized by God.
Ac 8:14 ¶ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
They used the question “Did you receive the Spirit” to indicate to them whether these people had been confirmed by God to be believers.
Conversations regarding the “works of God” or “Speaking in Tongues” served as a sign to the Apostles that God had allowed these people to partake of His Spirit.
The things of God are foolishness to unbelievers, 1 Cor 2:14.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
This means that if they did not understand the things of God then that was evidence to the Apostles that they had not received the Holy Spirit, and needed more instruction.
Jesus went to some lengths to prevent unbelievers from understanding in Mark 4:11-12.
Mr 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you, it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
The Apostles had to know whether these people were real, or false brethren.
They decided to employ the question “Did You receive the Spirit” as the determining factor.
God offers His Spirit to those who have faith, so the Apostles used this test to learn if they had genuine faith. In other words, could they understand and speak about the “works” of God? Could they speak in Tongues, or speak of the “works of God”?
A person cannot say that Jesus is Lord apart from the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor 12:3.
1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Peter and Paul had multiple encounters, where after they had “received” the Holy Spirit from God, He then subsequently “filled” them with His Holy Spirit.
The person must “receive” (Lambano 2893) the Holy Spirit initially, and then God repeatedly “fills” (Pletho 4130) them when He decides to.
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.
When the person expresses “faith” God sends the Spirit and they then “receive” Him. Jesus’ Second presence or coming is through the Holy Spirit, as is seen in Acts 3:19-21.
After the Crucifixion and Ascension Jesus ascended on High to fill all things in every way, Eph 1:22-23 and 4:10.
Eph 1:22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. NIV
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.
The word “receive” is in the (Active voice), meaning that the subject is the “doer” of the action of receiving. The recipient/subject must agree to “receive” God’s Holy Spirit.
The Greek word translated as “Filled” is in the (Passive voice) which means that the person is the recipient of the action. What this means is that after they agree to “receive” The Holy Spirit, God fills the person as He determines to do so.
Together these concepts tell us that the person, as the subject, must first consent to “receive” God’s Holy Spirit, and then God gives them His Spirit. After that God “fills” them with His Holy Spirit according to His will, enabling them to become His witnesses.
The Baptism referred to in Acts 8:14-17 was the opposite of the events in Acts 10:47-48.
In Acts 8:14-17 the people were baptized in Jesus’ name, and then the Apostles arrived and asked 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 concerning “Faith in Jesus” and how to “receive” the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2:38 Peter tells people how to do this.
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.
Man’s rituals are a shadow/symbol of Spiritual realities, but they are not the literal realities themselves.
In Acts 10:47-48 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 that 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?
However, 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 “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 and that He always acts consistently, as can be seen from 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.
This means that we must meet His criteria before He offers His Spirit to us, and we then in turn receive His Spirit as is seen in Acts 2:38.
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.
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, apparently they needed more instruction.
By a strict comparison of Acts 2:38 and Acts 8:16, it can be seen that they had not repented.
Acts 8:16 tells us that they have been baptized but makes no mention of repentance.
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.
Ac 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
God requires a person to repent of unbelief and have faith before He allows them to receive/partake of His Spirit, Acts 2:38. In effect He restores His relationship to mankind which was lost through disobedience in the Garden of Eden, Acts 1:6.
Ac 1:6 ¶ When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (KJV)
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 is 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.
Man-made 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.
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 was the case in Acts 8:14-17.
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 were asked “Did you receive the Holy Spirit” after baptism in Acts 19:1-2.
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”, consequently God had not offered them His Holy Spirit.
They could not therefore “receive” a Spirit that they had not been offered.
This is similar to the case in Acts 18:25-26.
In that case, Apollos 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.
Aquila and Priscilla here so to speak “laid their hands on” Apollos.
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.