Acts 9:10-18 “Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." (11) So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. (12) And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight." … (17) And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." (18) Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.”
This is the third account in Scripture of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, specifically the account of the apostle Paul being filled. The context of this account is that the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, during which Paul was born again. Due to the blinding light that shone around him during the encounter, Paul was left physically blind and had to be led by hand into the city.
When Paul arrived in the city, he prayed and fasted for three days, abstaining from both food and drink. During this time, the Lord gave Paul a vision in which he saw Ananias laying hands on him. The account above reveals that Jesus sent Ananias to lay hands on Paul for two purposes: to restore his sight and to fill him with the Holy Spirit. Thus, in this account, we see Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit through the laying on of Ananias' hands.
Notably, Ananias was an ordinary disciple who himself had been filled with the Holy Spirit. This highlights that all Spirit filled believers can lay hands on another disciple for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The only manifestation of the Spirit recorded in this instance is that Paul spoke in tongues. We know this because Paul later expressed gratitude for speaking in tongues more than any other believer of his time (1 Corinthians 14:18).
Additionally, it is clear that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit after his salvation. He was saved when the Lord Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, but he was only filled with the Holy Spirit three days later. This account also notes that Ananias baptized Paul in water immediately after laying hands on him.
Acts 10:44-48 “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. (45) And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. (46) For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, (47) "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" (48) And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
In this fourth account of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we witness Peter preaching the gospel to the Gentiles for the first time. Until this moment—approximately six years after the Lord’s resurrection—the disciples had proclaimed the gospel exclusively to the Jews, believing that salvation was meant only for them. The context of the passage reveals that the Lord corrected Peter’s thinking on this matter by sending him to preach to Cornelius and his household.
During Peter’s sermon, the Gentiles were born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, as God sovereignly baptized them with the Holy Spirit in the presence of the Jews accompanying Peter. God did this to convince the Jewish believers that salvation was also for the Gentiles. Without this divine intervention, the Jews would not have believed that the Gentiles had been born again and would not have permitted them to be baptized in water.
The sequence of events in this passage is crucial because it reinforces the pattern seen in other accounts of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As Peter preached, he proclaimed everything necessary for salvation. While he was still speaking, the Gentiles believed in the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and were born again. At that moment, God acknowledged their faith, knowing their hearts had been changed, and filled them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:8).
One important detail in this account is that the Jewish disciples recognized that the Gentile believers had been filled with the Holy Spirit in the same way as the Jews. They knew this because they heard the Gentiles speaking in other tongues. Speaking in tongues was the clear and evident manifestation of their being filled with the Holy Spirit.
However, in a later account of this event, Peter suggested that other manifestations might have occurred as well. He stated that the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles as He had upon the Jews "at the beginning" (Acts 11:15). This implies that similar phenomena were present, such as some disciples trembling under the tangible power of God, others weeping, laughing, or even falling under the power of God.
In this instance, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit directly from heaven, just as the saints were on the day of Pentecost. Despite the unique nature of this event, the core points remain consistent with other accounts:
· Every disciple was filled with the Holy Spirit after being saved.
· Every disciple present was filled with the Holy Spirit.
· Every disciple filled spoke in other tongues.
Acts 19:1-7 “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples (2) he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So, they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." (3) And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So, they said, "Into John's baptism." (4) Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." (5) When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (6) And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. (7) Now the men were about twelve in all.”
In this final account, we see the apostle Paul laying hands on new converts whom he has just evangelized. Initially, Paul assumes they are already saved, but he discovers they are merely disciples of John the Baptist and have not yet come to salvation in Christ. Notice the critical question Paul asks them, believing they are already believers: "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" This question highlights Paul's clear understanding that being filled with the Holy Spirit is an event that occurs after salvation.
Paul then leads them to salvation in Christ. Afterward, he lays hands on them so they can receive the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they not only speak in tongues but also prophesy. The phenomenon of these disciples prophesying upon being filled with the Holy Spirit is unique to this account. However, it reinforces the idea that when believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit may impart additional gifts beyond tongues. It is however, noteworthy that the gift of tongues is still the first manifestation.
In this account, we see that every believer upon whom Paul laid hands received the Holy Spirit. Each disciple was filled with the Holy Spirit after being saved. And every disciple who was filled spoke in other tongues.
To summarize what we have observed in these five accounts of being filled with the Holy Spirit:
· Believers can be filled with the Holy Spirit either directly from heaven or through the laying on of hands.
· The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a subsequent experience to being born again.
· The baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to all believers.
· All believers can expect to speak in tongues when they are filled.
· Some may also receive additional spiritual gifts, such as prophecy.
· Some may experience the tangible power of God, which might manifest as trembling, falling under that power, weeping, or laughing.
Michael E.B. Maher
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