The New Covenant Norm!

Acts 10:47 "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" ^ESV

We read in Acts 9:42 that many in Joppa were saved when they heard of the healing of Dorcas - And it became known throughout all Joppa , and many believed in the Lord. They were saved. We also read that when Peter went to see Cornelius that he took some of the new believers with him - 10:23 The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. But then notice what he said in v47 - "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" Who is the “we” Peter is referring to? Obviously it means Peter himself but also the brothers from Joppa. Peter was baptised in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and the new believers from Joppa had also been filled with the Spirit! We don't read when it happened but here we see it implied that it had happened!

It is the New Testament/New Covenant norm for Christians to be filled with the Holy Spirit and that with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues!

Note also that Peter took new, Spirit-filled Christians with him on this new venture. He wasn't waiting for them to reach a certain stage of growth - i.e 5 years down the line - but this was one of the ways of growing them - getting them involved.