Greetings in Christ from sunny Texas,
My Question why hadn't these disciples received the Holy Ghost since they believed in Jesus?
Well, the answer is simple--it had not yet been given and was not given until Pentecost with the advent of the new Covenant.
The Jews were Lost when Jesus came but let's back up and look at John the Baptist first.
Luk 1:76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
Luk 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
It is sometimes difficult to understand that the Jews were lost that God was not accepting their offerings nor their sacrifices.
That did not stop them from making them--they just did not believe that they were lost.
Somewhere along the line the Jews had adopted baptism-a burial in water for the remission of sins and it was directed to the God-fearing person in the process of converting to Judaism. It was in fact the last act of said person before becoming a Jew. They were immersed in water unto the remission of their sins.
What happened then is that John the Baptist took that and pointed it not at one being converted to Judaism but directly at the Jews themselves.
Mat 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mat 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Mat 3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Mat 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
Mat 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Jesus was\is the Jewish Messiah.
Now, when folks were immersed in water unto the remission of their sins--God took them back into fellowship with Him and once again accepted their offerings and sacrifices.
In His earthly Ministry--Jesus taught this baptism of John's--
Luk 7:29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
Luk 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
Luk 7:19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
Luk 7:20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
Luk 7:21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Luk 7:22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
Luk 7:23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Now--the men who are to become the friends and apostles of Jesus seem to reflect the thinking of that time and age.
The Jews over time began to develop "extra" expectations of the Messiah. These men were looking for a Messiah that would allow the Jews to rule physically over all the earth with their Messiah.
When you look at these men after the death of Jesus on the cross--they went fishing--they were Devastated and thought it was all over.
It took Jesus opening their mind to the scriptures after the cross and further, it took the day of Pentecost for them to get over the earthly kingdom idea.
Under the old Covenant--the Jews who heard and obeyed Jesus believed that He was the Messiah but after His death they were left shaking their heads so to speak.
Now this is believing in Jesus as their that is the Jewish Messiah who is going to lead them to take over the whole world where they would rule andreign with him.
These Jews were unduly influenced by the some 611 man made scribal laws that had been added to the word of God and all the teachings that their "teachers" had developed concerning their expectations of their Messiah.
Now, on the day of Pentecost and for almost the next ten years the good news is preached to the Jews before spreading out to the whole world including the Gentiles.
On Pentecost it was the Holy Spirit speaking via Peter and the other apostles that helped open the scriptures to these jews and they understood Jesus had been resurrected.
Take some time and think about what Peter says on Pentecost --
Act 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Act 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Act 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Act 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Act 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Act 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Act 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Act 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Act 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Act 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
My Question why hadn't these disciples received the Holy Ghost since they believed in Jesus?
Here is the answer--
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added about three thousand souls.
Now in verse 38--the gift of the Holy Spirit
[a] comes after the immersion in water unto the remission of sins
Is not the Holy Spirit itself but giftfrom the holy Spirit which is salvation.
If we go here we can add to this--
Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Putting it together--Arising out of the watery grave with one's sins forgiven one receives the holy Spirit--indwelling which helps us.
That is the difference--
Richard79408
