That verse doesn't specify when he received the HS. We do see the order in verse 17 of receive sight then HS. In 18 we see he received sight then arose and was baptized. The HS is given after baptism.
That's the order we see here.
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We see the same thing here.
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
Ananias asks him, why do YOU wait. There is something Paul still has yet to do. Then he says ARISE. Paul obviously can't do this without getting up. Then he says be baptized and wash away your sins. How can he wash away sins he doesn't have. When Paul was baptized he received the HS.
The bible tells us many things about baptism but public confirmation is not one of them. Only man says that.
[Act 9:17-18 KJV] 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
You're groping.
It does tell us when he received the Holy Spirit. It was when Ananias put his hands on him.
Where do you find that Paul was baptized in water? You don't because it isn't there.
Do you see the "receive thy sight?
Do you see the "filled with the Holy Ghost"
Do you see the "immediately there fell from his eyes"?
Do you see "and was baptized"?
The "and was baptized" means having been baptized by the Holy Spirt. Those blessings only come through becoming baptized with/by the Holy Spirit, not by water.
Our belief is a gift from being born again/baptized of the Holy Ghost. It does not cause salvation.
[Act 2:37-39 KJV]
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.
They were "pricked in their heart" meaning they had already been born/again baptized before then by the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ alone brings the remission of sin; water baptism cannot.
The "Repent and be baptized" wasn't conditional upon their actions - that they occurred UNTO them was in fulfillment the promise of verse 39 - do you see the "For" - "For the promise is unto you" - the "For" links 38 to 39, that promise being of God's promise. When God makes a promise, it is unconditional and impossible to not come to fruition. The promise was to them and "to as many as the Lord our God shall call". Nothing about water baptism mentioned anywhere - it was through God's promise alone.
The "gift of the Holy Ghost" are those gifts that occur FROM being baptized by the Holy Ghost. The "of the" in the following is genitive,
meaning they were gifts that were FROM the Holy Ghost. Observe:
[Heb 2:4 KJV] 4 God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles,
and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
As we can see below, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus but that baptism did not give to them the Holy Ghost,
because it was symbolic and not the true.
[Act 8:15-17 KJV]
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, t
hat they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was
fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they [their] hands on them,
and they received the Holy Ghost.