Paul Baptizes and Lays Hands on Converts
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.
When the apostle Paul came to Ephesus, he found some disciples who had been baptized, but had not even heard whether there was a Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-2). They had been baptized with a baptism of repentance, but now were baptized again in the name of the Lord Jesus. And Paul laid his hands on them so they could receive God’s Holy Spirit.
The sign of speaking in other languages (tongues) was given by God on a few occasions as a special sign that He had added the recipients to His Church.
Most of the times that baptism is mentioned in the Bible, speaking in tongues is not mentioned. It is not promised to all (1 Corinthians 12:10; 14:5), and Paul spent the 14th chapter of 1 Corinthians warning the readers of the misuses of speaking in tongues.
For more about baptism and speaking in tongues, see “What Is Baptism?” “Should We Be Baptized in Jesus’ Name Only?” and “What Is Speaking in Tongues?”
