One of the big questions in light of Philip’s ministry in Samaria is why the Spirit comes only after the people believe and are baptized. In the exegetical notes we have already confirmed that this was not because the Spirit was absent. For anyone to believe, the Spirit must be at work since faith is a gift that comes from him. Thus we can affirm that the Samaritans were regenerated even before Peter and John came from Jerusalem.
The special coming of the Spirit must then have a particular purpose. In this case, it most likely has to do with the fact that a people who were considered to be far from God are now included in his church. At this point in time, the Christian church is made up of people from a Greek-speaking or Hebrew-speaking Jewish background. Now people from a Samaritan background will also be added to the church. This is a groundbreaking moment. The special coming of the Spirit is meant to confirm that the addition of Samaritans is God’s will and that they have an equal status in his church. Jewish believers are not more important than believers from a Samaritan background.
This message of belonging and equality is not only one that must be heard and seen by the Samaritan believers, but it is also meant for the apostles. Just like everyone else, they must learn and understand that God’s church is catholic (universal). It is not limited to a particular people, time, or place but it includes all kinds of people—men and women, Jews and Samaritans. Christians from a Samaritan background cannot be denied access to God’s church or treated as second class.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.