The physician Luke wrote, “when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)”, and in chapter eight and verse seventeen of the book of Acts Luke shared how “Peter and John”, “laid their hands on them” where we read:
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
The verse begins, “Then laid they their hands on them, ...” Luke parenthetically began with the words, “then laid they their hands” which means “at that time Peter and John put, placed and set their physical hands” “on them” or “upon the believers in Samaria”. Luke shared how “Peter and John” placed their “hands” upon the believers in Samaria.
The verse continues, “... and they received the Holy Ghost.”. Luke added the words, “and they received” which means “and the believers in Samaria claimed, procured and took possession of” “the Holy Ghost” or “the sacred, pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, who is coequal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son”. Luke shared how the believers in Samaria “received” God's “Holy Spirit” after “Peter and John” laid their hands upon them.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn the process “Peter and John” employed when the believers “received” God's Holy Spirit. They “prayed” and “laid” their “hands” upon them. God's desire is to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and He pours out His Holy Spirit upon everyone who “receives” Him. This enables the believers in Jesus to “live” the “Christ like life” otherwise known as a “Christian life”. Let all who believe in Jesus “receive” His Holy Spirit and trust in God to provide everything they need to live in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
Next time Luke shares when, “Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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