15 ... Go ye into all the world, and PREACH THE GOSPEL to every creature.
16 He that BELIEVETH and is baptized shall be SAVED; but he that believeth not shall
be damned.
First Scriptural Witness
ACTS 8:5
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and PREACHED CHRIST unto them.
The Bible says that Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans. Preaching Christ is preaching the
good news of the gospel of salvation through Jesus.
Preaching Christ is obeying the Great Commission that Jesus gave to the Church.
These Samaritans believed the gospel message Philip preached: "And the people with one
accord GAVE HEED UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH PHILIP SPAKE ..." (Acts 8:6). So
according to what Jesus said in Mark 16:16, the Samaritans were saved.
The Bible says to let every truth be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses (2 Cor.
13:1), so let's look at another scriptural witness which proves these Samaritans were born
again.
Second Scriptural Witness
The Bible says we are born again by the Word of God. The Book of Peter says we are born
"... not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, BY THE WORD OF GOD, which liveth and
abideth for ever" 1 Peter 1:23).
Our scripture in Acts 8:14 says, "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD. ..." Therefore, as our second scriptural
witness, we have proof that the Samaritans were genuinely saved because they had received
the incorruptible Word of God preached by Philip.
Third Scriptural Witness
The third scriptural witness is that the apostles recognized that the Samaritans were saved:
"Now when the apostles . . . heard that Samaria had RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD" (Acts
8:14). So we see that the Samaritans were saved under Philip's ministry.
These Samaritans had received the Word of God concerning salvation, but the Bible says they
had yet to be filled with or baptized in the Holy Spirit: "For as yet he was fallen upon none of
them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16).
There is a work of the Holy Spirit that takes place in the new birth, but that is not called the
baptism in the Holy Spirit or receiving the Holy Spirit. That is called being born again, being
born of the Spirit of God, receiving salvation, or receiving eternal life (John 3:3-8).
Then there is an experience following salvation called the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).
It is also referred to as receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15), or being filled with the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2:4), or being endued with power from on High (Luke 24:49).