And so, when Peter and John came down to the city of Samaria, they held a meeting specifically for the saints (new converts), so that they could be filled with the Holy Spirit. By this time, Peter and John would have personally laid hands on hundreds of new converts in Jerusalem to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and so they had extensive experience in this aspect of their ministry. In this meeting, the apostles would have taught the disciples what being baptized with the Holy Spirit was all about, including the gift of tongues which would be imparted to each one, and the possibility of other gifts of the Spirit also being imparted to some, as the Spirit willed. They would have also taught them how to receive the Holy Spirit by faith (Galatians 3:2). At the end of their teaching they would have called all the saints to gather around, and either Peter or John would have prayed a general prayer requesting the Lord to fill His saints with the Holy Spirit. Then both men would have walked among the saints, laying hands on them and imparting the Holy Spirit to each one in turn.
Michael E.B. Maher
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