Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? (ei pneuma agion elabete pisteusantes). This use of Pi in a direct question occurs in Acts 1:6, is not according to the old Greek idiom, but is common in the LXX and the N.T. as in Luke 13:23 which see (Robertson, Grammar, p. 916). Apparently Paul was suspicious of the looks or conduct of these professed disciples. The first aorist active participle pisteusantev is simultaneous with the second aorist active indicative elabete and refers to the same event.
Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was (All oude ei pneuma agion estin hkousamen). The reply of these ignorant disciples is amazing. They probably refer to the time of their baptism and mean that, when baptized, they did not hear whether (ei in indirect question) the Holy Spirit was (estin retained as in John 7:39). Plain proof that they knew John's message poorly.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 19:2:
John 7:39
Acts 1:6
Acts 5:8
Acts 18:6
Hebrews 6:2
Revelation 2:1
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