“Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:”
When they arrived, they prayed for the believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit - Peter and John's first action is 'prayer' (proseuchē) for the Samaritan believers 'that they might receive the Holy Spirit' (hopōs lambanosin pneuma hagion). The reception of the Spirit is not automatic upon baptism but requires apostolic intercession. This establishes a two-stage pattern: water baptism (through Philip) and Spirit baptism (through apostolic prayer and laying on of hands).
Church Fathers on Acts 8:15
Giving out, it says, that he was himself some great one. To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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