19:1-2 What is the significance of Paul's question here concerning the Holy Spirit?

We learn from this that Paul made no provision in his interpretation of the gospel for believers not receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit after they come to believe on Jesus.

These men had been disciples of John the Baptist - the same as Apollos - twenty years or so before, and did not know that John was simply the precursor of Jesus. Like Apollos they knew nothing of the Christian faith that centred around the death and resurrection of Jesus and the ministry of the Holy Spirit (CP V1-4).

These men had only been baptized with the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins by John (CP Mt 3:1-6, 11-12; Mk 1:1-8; Lu 3:1-6, 15-17; Jn 1:6-9; 15-16, 19-27).

Because John's baptism had only been a preparatory rite in anticipation of the coming of Jesus, Paul baptized the men anew in the name of Jesus (CP Mt 28:19 with Ac 19:5).

We should note here that although Jesus commanded that repentant sinners be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit in Mt 28:19,

Paul was perfectly in order baptizing these men in the name of the Lord Jesus only in Ac 19:5, because the fullness of the Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - dwells in Jesus bodily (CP Col 2:9).

After the men were baptized in water Paul laid hands on them and they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the evidence of which was that they spoke in tongues (CP Ac 19:6-7).

See also author's study Baptism in the Spirit in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith.

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