A question for Baptists about Baptism of the Holy Spirit

You really need to use another example to attempt to prove your point, because this one defeats your point.

The baptism you reference in verse 5 is water baptism in the name of the Lord. It is the same baptism you can read about in Acts 8:15-16, "who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

Notice the distinction between being baptized in the name of the Lord (water baptism) and receiving the Holy Spirit.

The example you use in Acts 19, in verse 5 they were baptized in the name of the Lord (water), yet in verse 6, Paul laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Baptism in water for the remission of sins.... who would have ever guessed?????

Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Baptism with the HS is not automatic when one believes, else the inspired apostle Paul asked a bad question in verse 2 of Acts 19 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

 

You are correct, it is not "automatic." The Holy Spirit works as He wills.

Do you think the apostles were instructing the Holy Spirit on how He should carry out His work? Or, rather, might the apostles, particulary in early NT times, have been learning to find God's will and works in the Church?

IMO, the things we read in Acts, rather than contradicting each other and the rest of the NT, are teaching us that the sovereign will of God trumps all of our particular, and narrow, views on how the Holy Spirit works in His Church and in us.

Jn 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Jn 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Jn 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

It is not complicated. Or, maybe my "simple" mind is simply unable to grasp the whole mind of God. Thanks be to Jesus - I don't have to!

 

This is exactly right. The trick is to live the Spirit controlled life consistantly.