6  CONFIRMATION   IN  THE   NEW  TESTAMENT.
was  impossible  without  mention  of  the  Holy  Spirit,
or  that  it  was  usually  accompanied  by  a  ceremony
which  imparted  Him.  When  he  learned  that  they  had
been  baptised  only  with  John's  baptism,  Paul  expounds
to  them  the  relation  between  the  baptism  of  John  and
that  of  Jesus  ;  and,  having  explained  the  superiority
of  the  latter,  '*  they  were  baptised  into  the  name  of  the
Lord  Jesus.  And  when  Paul  had  imposed  his  hands
on  them  the  Holy  Spirit  came  upon  them  and  they
spoke  with  tongues  and  prophesied."  Here,  also,  as  in
the  case  of  the  Samaritans,  there  is  a  two -fold  ceremony
of  initiation  :  baptism,  and  its  complement,  the  im-
position of  hands.  That  the  latter  factor  is  important
we  can  conclude  from  the  solicitude  of  the  apostle's
first  question  to  the  disciples.  Besides,  although  we
are  not  told  who  administered  the  baptism,  St.  Luke  is
careful  to  note  that  it  was  St.  Paul  who  imposed  hands.
This  implies  that  some  special  power  was  required  for
the  latter  ceremony.  Hence  from  this  passage  also
we  may  conclude  that  the  ceremony  of  the  imposition
of  hands  is  different  from  that  of  baptism,  in  its  minister,
in  the  rite  itself,  and  in  its  effect.
