Though you didn’t say exactly what you had in mind, I am going to assume you are thinking about the subject of “baptism” and the “receiving of the Holy Spirit” which are spoken of in Acts 2:38; 10:44-48; and 19:1-7. Before we consider these verses, it is important to know that in the book of Acts we have a “transitional period” where Judaism was giving way to Christianity. The truth about baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit had not yet been formally taught (this happened years later by the Apostle Paul in passages such as Romans 6:1-4 and Ephesians 1:13) and thus in these three portions we will see distinct differences in WHEN people were baptized and WHEN they received the Holy Spirit. We should NOT try to make a direct connection between these three to construct in single doctrine that fits each experience. Now let’s look at each passage to see what we can learn.

Acts 2:38 says, “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Here we see Peter “preaching to JEWS” and he tells them they must REPENT and BE BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ BEFORE THEY RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. The order here is different from what we will see in the next passage we consider and there is a reason for that. It was the JEWS who had Jesus Christ crucified, thinking that He was an imposter who was guilty of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God and co-equal to God the Father (see John 5:16-18 with Matthew 26:57-66). Yet Peter had just preached the gospel to them (verses 22-36) and many of them were brought under conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” (verse 37) They had rejected Christ openly and now Peter tells them to REPENT openly by being baptized in His name. We then read in verse 41, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” In verse 47 we learn what the words “added to them” means, for it says, “And the Lord ADDED TO THE CHURCH daily those who were being saved.” Because they had truly “believed the gospel message Peter had preached to them,” they were willing to do as Peter told them, but it was not baptism that saved them and added them to the church, it was “faith in the message of salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection.”

Acts 10:43-48 we read, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit has been poured out on the Gentiles also…Then Peter answered, ‘Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” Here we see Peter “preaching to GENTILES” and he does not tell them to REPENT or to BE BAPTIZED. He simply tells them that “whoever believes in Him (Jesus Christ) will receive remission of sins” and then we read of the Holy Spirt being given to them the moment they believed.  The Gentiles were not guilty of openly rejecting Christ and having Him crucified so they were not required to openly identify with Christ in baptism BEFORE receiving the Spirit. In their case, they received the Holy Spirit the moment they believed in Christ as their Savior! We believe this case is the norm for today, for that is what the Apostle Paul taught some years later in Ephesians 1:13, “In Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, HAVING BELIEVED, YOU WERE SEALED WIT THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISED.” Peter did go on to baptize those who believed, for all believers should be baptized to acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and to openly confess that they would now follow Him by obeying His commands (see Matthew 28:18-20).

Acts 19:1-6 we read, “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding disciples he said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ So they said to him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said to them, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ So they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Then Paul said, ‘John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.’ 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.” Here we see Paul “preaching to DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.” They were not like the Jews who had rejected the Lord Jesus; they were truly waiting for One to come who would give them the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 3:1-12). But they were ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ was the One and that He had died, risen from the dead, ascended to heaven, and then sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers on the Day of Pentecost. Paul no doubt explained all of this to them and after presenting Christ to them they believed on Him and were baptized in His name. After that “Paul laid hands on them” and “the Holy Spirit came upon them.” Like the other Gentiles in Acts 10, they believed the gospel and were saved BEFORE being baptized, but the Holy Spirit wasn’t received until Paul’s hands were placed on them. This is like what Peter and John did in Acts 8:14-17, so it shows that Paul’s apostleship was just as valid as the other apostles.  (DO)  (642.3)