In Acts 19: 1-6, Paul distinguished between _____ and the ____ by asking, 'Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?'

• A. regeneration; sanctification
• B. belief; acceptance
• C. conversion; baptism with the Holy Spirit
• D. conversion; receiving

Answer: (C)

In this passage the clear idea is that faith and the reception of the Holy Spirit are distinct experiences. Paul finds believers who had trusted in Jesus, yet had not received the Holy Ghost. His question, Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? shows that belief (conversion) had occurred, but the Holy Spirit’s power had not yet come upon them. After they hear the message about Jesus, they are baptized in His name, and then Paul lays hands on them and they receive the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues and prophesying. This sequence demonstrates that conversion (believing) and baptism with the Holy Spirit are two separate steps: first faith, then the Spirit’s baptism or empowering. The best-fitting choice captures that distinction: conversion paired with baptism with the Holy Spirit.