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We know more about the salvation of the Ephesians than Paul mentions in his letter. (After all, they already knew how they had been saved, didn't they?) And what we know gives us a complete picture of the gospel - more complete than we get from selective quotations. When we read more of the Bible, we're immunized against false doctrine.

"And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed?

And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given.

And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism.

And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus.

And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." - Acts 19:1-6

So there we have it. God quickened them (brought them to life) the same way He did everyone else, and still does.

We have here the same gospel Jesus instructed His apostles to teach. The same gospel Peter taught on Pentecost. The same gospel taught all through the Scriptures.

Quite different from the perverted one so often taught by false teachers, which leads people into the Lord's second group doomed to damnation. Much better to join the first group, as these Ephesians did, by simply believing the Lord and being baptized so that we can be saved, isn't it?

But apparently salvation requires more than some people are willing to do. After all that God, His Son, and His Holy Spirit have done, some still insist on rejecting the gospel. God will deal with these unbelievers.

Others insist on leading astray those seeking to serve the King. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

"And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." - Mk. 9:42

You are reading something into it that is not there.

These Jews were ALREADY BELIEVERS. Paul recognized them as such.
He merely asks “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” and they said no because they did not know if the Holy spirit had come yet.

What was John’s baptism to the Jews? The baptism of repentance for THE REMISSION OF SIN. and they were to look for the one to come after him who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.

So why would they need to be rebaptized since they had already been baptized by JOHN?

In an old commentary and study bible printed in England over a hundred twenty five years ago I found the answer, they weren’t.

This is the way this verse is in our bibles.

And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus.”

And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

This is the way the old English commentary and bible has it printed. Note the quotation marks.

And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. And when they heard this, they (who heard John speak) were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.”

The Englishman’s Greek texts has it a little different, “And having heard they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
And in the ancient Greek texts those sentences are run together without gaps or punctuation.

This would mean that those men who heard Paul were not rebaptized, no need for it, but merely had hands laid on them.

Of course, most churches teach the opposite, but being rebaptized makes no sense except to an immersionist.