Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
After Stephen's death, persecution scattered believers from Jerusalem throughout Judea and Samaria, and this prayer for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Ghost belongs to that spread of the gospel to Samaria. After the ascension, the messengers were welcomed in Samaria, gathering a harvest among people who had once been enemies. After Samaria had received the word and Philip had baptized the new believers, Peter and John came down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
Their visit and prayer accompanied the successful work there and showed the gospel was reaching beyond the Jews. The verse occurs in the account of Simon Magus, who practiced sorcery and divination and welcomed satanic influence in order to gain supernatural power, rather than being in conflict with demons. Simon was baptized and counted among the believers and disciples, yet he was an unworthy member, illustrating that false or unworthy members can be found among Christians. In connection with the verse, Peter opposed Simon by exposing his deceptions and thwarting his efforts to hinder the gospel.
The verse shows the Spirit of God waiting to enlighten souls and convert them to the truth. When truly converted people give themselves fully to God, the Holy Spirit cooperates with them, and heaven is waiting to baptize them with the Holy Spirit for soul-saving work. The praying for new believers to receive the Holy Spirit is a pattern to be carefully studied for entering unworked cities, where the work spreads by dividing and subdividing experienced workers instead of centering in a few places, with small centers training new workers to reach other cities.
After Stephen's death, persecution scattered believers from Jerusalem throughout Judea and Samaria, and this prayer for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Ghost belongs to that spread of the gospel to Samaria. After the ascension, the messengers were welcomed in Samaria, gathering a harvest among people who had once been enemies. After Samaria had received the word and Philip had baptized the new believers, Peter and John came down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
Their visit and prayer accompanied the successful work there and showed the gospel was reaching beyond the Jews. The verse occurs in the account of Simon Magus, who practiced sorcery and divination and welcomed satanic influence in order to gain supernatural power, rather than being in conflict with demons. Simon was baptized and counted among the believers and disciples, yet he was an unworthy member, illustrating that false or unworthy members can be found among Christians. In connection with the verse, Peter opposed Simon by exposing his deceptions and thwarting his efforts to hinder the gospel.
The verse shows the Spirit of God waiting to enlighten souls and convert them to the truth. When truly converted people give themselves fully to God, the Holy Spirit cooperates with them, and heaven is waiting to baptize them with the Holy Spirit for soul-saving work. The praying for new believers to receive the Holy Spirit is a pattern to be carefully studied for entering unworked cities, where the work spreads by dividing and subdividing experienced workers instead of centering in a few places, with small centers training new workers to reach other cities.