[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Obviously thew water didn’t “take” with Simon the Sorcerer.

Again, Cornelius received the Holy Spirit when he believed, no hands on needed, whereas these Samaritans didn’t receive it till they had hands on from the Apostles.
I’ve read that at the first God had an orderly method to bring salvation. First Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then to the uttermost parts of the world.

Yet we read that the Apostles preached to “none but the Jews only.” for a while. then the word came to Samaria, then St Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles afar off.

In each case it was according to God’s timetable how they would receive the Holy Spirit.

[LearsFool]

The case of Cornelius was so unusual, so notable, that Peter had to go back all the way to Pentecost to find a similar case: "the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning." (Acts 11:15)

Why was it necessary for God to pour the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household? To show that Gentiles were also candidates for salvation. If anyone had any objection to their salvation, God just overruled them.

Peter wasn't about to stand in the way either. ("who was I, that I could withstand God?" (11:17)) "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." (10:48)