Jim...
I will say that the Baptism with the Holy Spirit can happen immediately when a person is born again. The following discussions were presented in a thread where I was proposing the idea that belief can occur prior to one even understanding the message...
For the purposes of this discussion.. notice when the Holy Spirit fell on them.
He fell on them when Peter began to speak... before they even knew what Peter was going to propose. Later Peter relates that God send the Holy Spirit on them as soon as they believed as proof of their acceptance. All this happened really before Peter even got the gospel out of his mouth. Hence they believed before they understood, and were baptized with the Spirit at that time. It is quite long, but I think it pertains somewhat to what you are suggesting:
When did they believe?
In Acts 10, we see Peter preach to Gentiles for the first time:
Acts 10
34 Then Peter began to speak. "I clearly see," he said,"that God makes no distinctions between one man and another;
35 but that in every nation those who fear Him and live good lives are acceptable to Him.
36 The Message which He sent to the descendants of Israel, when He announced the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all--that Message you cannot but know;
37 the story, I mean, which has spread through the length and breadth of Judaea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.
38 It tells how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, so that He went about everywhere doing acts of kindness, and curing all who were being continually oppressed by the Devil--for God was with Jesus.
39 "And we are witnesses as to all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. But they even put Him to death, by crucifixion.
40 That same Jesus God raised to life on the third day, and permitted Him to appear unmistakably,
41 not to all the people, but to witnesses--men previously chosen by God--namely, to us, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
42 And He has commanded us to preach to the people and solemnly declare that this is He who has been appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.
43 To Him all the Prophets bear witness, and testify that through His name all who believe in Him receive the forgiveness of their sins."
44 While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message.
45 And all the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were astonished that on the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling the majesty of God. Then Peter said,
47 "Can any one forbid the use of water, and object to these persons being baptized--men who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"
48 And he directed that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for a time.
What I want to ask you is centered around verse 44. It says "While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message".
But we can further clarify exactly when the Holy Ghost fell on them from Peter's recounting of the event in the next Chapter:
Acts 11
14 who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.
15 And in my beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as also on us in the beginning.
I looked at a couple dozen versions and all of them convey the same meaning. It was toward the beginnig of the sermon that the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles who were present. Some translations say: "as I began to speak", and others say: "no sooner had I begun to speak ". But the idea is the same. The Spirit began to fall on them at the beginning of his sermon, and continued throughout.
There is one more recounting of this event that adds even more information about what was happening in the spirit as Peter spoke.... and it may turn over some apple carts and kill some sacred cows.
Acts 15
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us ;
Now it is plainly evident from these verses that the Gentiles(who had not yet heard the gospel) in chapter 10 believed before God gave them the Holy Ghost.
So here is my question.
If they were obviously ignorant of what was about to be preached to them and:
If the Holy Ghost fellon them as soon as Peter began preaching, and:
If they believed before they could be given the Holy Ghost...
WHEN DID THEY BEGIN TO BELIEVE?
If you can figure that one out... then tell me what it was they were believing BEFORE THEY HAD EVEN HEARD IT?
(Hint... here it is)
Acts 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?
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.
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.
Perhaps this sheds more light on the meaning of:
"Faith comes by HEARING... and hearing by the word ofGod"
Acts 10:
44 While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message.
45 And all the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were astonished that on the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling the majesty of God. Then Peter said,
1 Cor 2 is likely a commentary of what happened in Acts 10. The spirits of these Gentiles received spirit "data" before their minds even comprehended what was being said. There is simply no way they could have drawn a conclusion or formed a question or even thought there was any "choice" to be made. Since it says they believed before the Holy Ghost fell, and the Holy Ghost fell just as Peter begand to speak, then where was there opportunity for any such mental (soulical)construction?
I suspect that they most certainly had to have believed during the first half of the sermon presented in verses 34-43. I think they had to have heard the name of Jesus.... so I think belief entered their hearts instantly upon hearing the name of Jesus in verse 36. As Peter pointed out, they knew who Jesus was and the events surrounding His death and resurrection. So as soon as He preached the name "Jesus"... at that instant... belief was generated in their hearts. Up until the that moment, those Gentiles really did not know what words were going to be spoken to them. Also, they did not believe prior to that moment. They were given the Holy Ghost as a witness the instant they believed...and belief came to them while Peter spoke.
Even though they knew the facts about the death burial and resurrection of Jesus, and no doubt mentally assented to them already... that was not belief! If that was belief, the Holy Ghost would have fallen on them long ago as a witness to their believing at that time. But the Holy Ghost did not fall on them until the word was preached to them because they did not believe in their hearts until that time... even tho they knew the basic facts of the gospel. The passage clearly says that they would hear words by which they would be saved.... implying they were not yet saved before Peter began to speak... which they would have been if all it tookwere mental assent to believe.
So this is a very interesting passage that reveals some revelation about how things happen in the spirit realm. Belief indeed does come merely by hearing... not by understanding, will, choice, or anyother soulical function.