Samaritans

Pneumatology (Holy Spirit)

Why did the Samaritans in Acts 8 receive the Holy Spirit only when the apostles laid hands on them?
ByRev. Ian M. Thomas March 30, 2026

Reading Time: 8 minutesQuestion 4105 When Philip the evangelist preached Christ in Samaria, the response was extraordinary. People believed, were baptised, and the city was filled with great joy (Acts 8:8). Yet something unusual happened — or rather, something unusual did not happen. The Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them (Acts 8:16). They had…

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Bibliology (Scripture)

How do we handle the Samaritan Pentateuch?
ByRev. Ian M. Thomas March 28, 2026

Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 1051 When you start digging into biblical manuscripts, you’ll eventually come across something called the Samaritan Pentateuch. It sounds exotic and perhaps a bit intimidating, but understanding what it is and how it relates to our Old Testament is actually quite straightforward once you get your bearings. The question is this: if the Samaritans…

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