Everyone Did Their Part

But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.  Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. [Acts 8.4-5]

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.  As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [Acts 8. 14-16]

It seemed a bit strange to me that Philip, being an early believer, was not baptizing in the name of the Holy Spirit.  Was he 'scattered' before the impartation of the Holy Spirit?  Or, for some reason, did Philip think the Holy Spirit was for him only (as it appears from the miraculous signs that Philip was filled with the Holy Spirit)?

Regardless, something very neat happened anyway.  Peter and John were commissioned to go to Samaria where Philip was (or had been) and prayed for and laid hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit.  And, we have no record that there was any fuss or dissention because of it between Philip and Peter and John.  

Everyone did their part and the church prospered for it.  What a lesson for us today.

Father, help us as believers to all do what we do without conflict between ourselves!