Next Paul arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples who had not received the Holy Spirit. It is obvious that the gospel was not just spreading through Paul and his immediate team, but by other means as well, as people like Apollos and the Ephesians had heard somethings about Jesus.
The Ephesians had only received John's baptism, a baptism of repentance. Paul then told them about Jesus, and when they believed in Jesus they were baptised. Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. There was evidence of this in that they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
There are a few things that can be noted. One is that there is no set pattern to receiving the Holy Spirit, it happened in different ways and at different times to different people. We should never get hung up about how or when.
The second is that the key to the breakthrough was their hearing and believing in Jesus Christ. Remember this was also the key with Cornelius and his household. The prime task of the Holy Spirit is testifying to Jesus Christ, and our preaching and teaching should be centred on Christ.
Thirdly Paul clearly saw being filled with the Holy Spirit as crucial, and there was clear evidence of them being filled with the Spirit.
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