Did everyone?

[Adino]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

Bump

Your answer is in verse 16 which says the Spirit had not "fallen" upon them. The Spirit "fell" on these of Samaria in a non-saving way as it "fell" on prophets in the OT (Ezekiel 11:5). The Spirit "fell on," "came on," and "filled" people in the NT as it "fell on," "came on," and "filled" prophets in the OT. The leaders of Jerusalem had to come offer the right hand of fellowship with the half-breed Samarians because the full-blooded Jews would not have accepted them into the body had they not. The bestowal of Spiritual gifts to the saved believers of Samaria only stamped God's approval on them as well. Who then could argue that they were to be allowed into the fold? Much like Cornelius in Acts 10.

Luke was using terms connected to Spirit manifestation in the OT to follow the manifestations of the Spirit as the signs and wonders confirmed the word in the NT (Mark 16:20), very likely because he knew his audience would recognize them as such. He was following the expansion of the Church by pointing out the signs and wonders which expanded with it. These signs and wonders had nothing to do with salvation. They were only indicative of the growing Church of God.