Acts 19 · Verse 2

Acts 19:2

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Acts 19:2, King James Version

Acts 19:2 in other translations

BSB	and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
WEB	He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They said to him, “No, we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
ASV	and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given.
YLT	he said unto them, ‘The Holy Spirit did ye receive--having believed?' and they said unto him, ‘But we did not even hear whether there is any Holy Spirit;'
DARBY	he said to them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye had believed? And they said to him, We did not even hear if the Holy Spirit was come.
BBE	And he said to them, Did you get the Holy Spirit when you had faith? And they said to him, No, we have had no knowledge of the Holy Spirit.
Webster	He said to them, Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed? And they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit.

What does Acts 19:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 19:1-3

Ac 19:1-41. Signal Success of Paul at Ephesus. 1-3. while Apollos was at Corinth--where his ministry was so powerful that a formidable party in the Church of that city gloried in his type of preaching in preference to Paul's (1Co 1:12; 3:4), no doubt from the marked infusion of Greek philosophic culture which distinguished it, and which the apostle studiously avoided (1Co 2:1-5). Paul having passed through the upper…

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Barnes' Notes

Verse 2. Have ye received the Holy Ghost? Have ye received the extraordinary effusions and miraculous influences of the Holy Ghost Paul would not doubt that, if they had "believed," they had received the ordinary converting influences of the Holy Spirit--for it was one of his favourite doctrines, that the Holy Spirit renews the heart. But, besides this, the miraculous influences of the Spirit were conferred on most societies of believers. The power of speaking with tongues, or of working miracles, was imparted as an evidence of the presence of God, and of their acceptance with him, Acts 10:45,46 1Cor 15. It was natural for Paul to ask whether this evidence of the Divine favour had been granted to them.

Since ye believed. Since you embraced the doctrine of John, that the Messiah was soon to come.

We have not so much as heard, etc. This seems to be a very remarkable and strange answer. Yet we are to remember,

(1.) that these were mere disciples of John's doctrine, and that his preaching related particularly to the Messiah, and not to the Holy Ghost.

(2.) It does not even appear that they had heard that the Messiah had come, or had heard of Jesus of Nazareth, Acts 19:4,5.

(3.) It is not remarkable, therefore, that they had no clear conceptions of the character and operations of the Holy Ghost. Yet,

(4.) they were just in that state of mind, that they were willing to embrace the doctrine when it was proclaimed to them; thus showing that they were really under the influence of the Holy Spirit. God may often produce important changes in the hearts and lives of sinners, even where they have no clear and systematic views of religious doctrines. In all such cases, however, as in this, there will be readiness of heart to embrace the truth where it is made known.

(e) "not so" Acts 8:16, 1Sam 3:7 (&) "Holy Ghost" 'Spirit given'

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 Have ye received the Holy Ghost - It is likely that these were Asiatic Jews, who, having been at Jerusalem about twenty-six years before this, had heard the preaching of John, and received his baptism, believing in the coming Christ, whom John had proclaimed; but it appears that till this time they had got no farther instruction in the Christian religion. Paul, perceiving this, asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed? For it was the common privilege of the disciples of Christ to receive, not only the ordinary graces, but also the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit; and thus the disciples of Christ differed from those of John, and of all others. John baptized with water; Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost. And to this day the genuine disciples of Christ are distinguished from all false religionists, and from nominal Christians, by being made partakers of this Spirit, which enlightens their minds, and convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment; quickens their souls, witnesses to their conscience that they are the children of God, and purifies their hearts. Those who have not received these blessings from the Holy Spirit, whatever their profession may be, know nothing better than John's baptism: good, excellent in its kind, but ineffectual to the salvation of those who live under the meridian of Christianity. We have not so much as heard whether, etc. - That is, they had not heard that there were particular gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit to be received. They could not mean that they had not heard of the Holy Spirit; for John, in his baptism, announced Christ as about to baptize with the Holy Ghost, Mat 3:11; Luk 3:16; but they simply meant that they had not heard that this Spirit, in his gifts, had been given to or received by any one.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 19:1-7

Paul, at Ephesus, found some religious persons, who looked to Jesus as the Messiah. They had not been led to expect the miraculous powers of the Holy Ghost, nor were they informed that the gospel was especially the ministration of the Spirit. But they spake as ready to welcome the notice of it. Paul shows them that John never design that those he baptized should rest there, but told them that they should believe on…

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Acts 19:2 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἶπένeipenhe saidG2036

πρὸςprostoG4314

αὐτούς·autousthem;G846

εἰeiIfG1487

πνεῦμαpneuma[the] SpiritG4151

ἅγιονhagionHolyG40

ἐλάβετεelabetedid you receiveG2983

πιστεύσαντες;pisteusanteshaving believed?G4100

οἱhoi<the>G3588

δὲdeAndG1161

πρὸςprostoG4314

αὐτόν·autonhim;G846

ἀλλ᾽all᾽ButG235

οὐδ᾽oud᾽not evenG3761

εἰeithat [a]G1487

πνεῦμαpneumaSpiritG4151

ἅγιονhagionHolyG40

ἔστινestinthere isG1510

ἠκούσαμεν.ēkousamendid we hear.G191

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 19:2

1 Corinthians 6:19
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
Galatians 3:5
He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Acts 11:15-17
And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
John 7:39
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
1 Samuel 3:7
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
Acts 19:5
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Romans 1:11
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
Acts 2:17
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. …
Acts 8:15-17
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.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 10:44
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Have ye.
5; 2:17,38,39; 8:15-17; 10:44; 11:15-17; Ro 1:11
We have.
1Sa 3:7; Joh 7:39; 1Co 6:19; 12:1-11; Ga 3:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Acts 19:1
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
Acts 19:2
He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Acts 19:3
And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

Read all of Acts 19

Acts 19:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Díjoles: ¿Habéis recibido el Espíritu Santo después que creísteis? Y ellos le dijeron: Antes ni aun hemos oído si hay Espíritu Santo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	il leur dit: Avez-vous reçu l’Esprit Saint après avoir cru? Et ils lui dirent: Mais nous n’avons même pas entendu dire si l’Esprit Saint est.
German Elberfelder 1871	und sprach zu ihnen: Habt ihr den Heiligen Geist empfangen, nachdem ihr gläubig geworden seid? Sie aber sprachen zu ihm: Wir haben nicht einmal gehört, ob der Heilige Geist da ist.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	dixitque ad eos: Si Spiritum Sanctum accepistis credentes? At illi dixerunt ad eum: Sed neque si Spiritus Sanctus est, audivimus.