And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ.
\nActs 8:5<\/p>\n
Thhe story of Philip can be divided into two main segments. He first comes into the picture in Acts 6:1\u20136, as one of the first seven deacons of the Church of Jerusalem. The story of Stephen and the story of Philip begin at the same time with the selection of the deacons of the Jerusalem Church. First, Luke went on with the story of Stephen in Acts 6:7\u20138:4; now, in Acts 8:5\u201340, he deals with the story of Philip.<\/p>\n
I. THE WITNESS IN SAMARIA\u2014ACTS 8:5\u201325<\/p>\n
A. The Evangelization of Samaria\u2014Acts 8:5\u20138<\/p>\n
1. The Preaching of Philip\u2014Acts 8:5<\/p>\n
And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ.<\/p>\n
The evangelization of Samaria begins with the preaching of Philip. This is not Philip the Apostle from chapter 1, but Philip the deacon of Acts 6:5. Philip the deacon now becomes \u201cPhilip the evangelist,\u201d and he is actually referred to that way in Acts 21:8. Luke states that Philip went down, because one always has to go down from Jerusalem. Knowing this fact is another indication that Luke was Jewish.<\/p>\n
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, meaning \u201ca region known as Samaria.\u201d This was not the ancient city known as Samaria throughout the period of the Old Testament, but it was simply some city in the region of Samaria. That ancient city was called Neapolis in New Testament times. The name Samaria no longer referred to a city, as it did in Old Testament days when this region was known as the Hill Country of Ephraim. The name of the actual city to which Philip went is unknown.<\/p>\n
What we do know is that he went to some city in the region of Samaria, and there he proclaimed unto them the Christ. The Greek tense means, \u201che began to preach and kept on preaching.\u201d Philip proclaimed the Messiah to them. He served as a herald and began proclaiming the gospel to the Samaritans.<\/p>\n
2. The Response of the Samaritans\u2014Acts 8:6\u20137<\/p>\n
And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did. For from many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed.<\/p>\n
Verse 6a records the response: And the multitudes gave heed. The Greek tense means that they \u201ckept on giving heed\u201d with one accord unto the things which were spoken by Philip. Philip, who was a Hellenistic Jew, had great success among the Samaritans in the preaching of the gospel.<\/p>\n
Verses 6b\u20137 tell about his authenticating signs. When they heard the message, they also saw the signs that Philip did, and these signs authenticated the message in verse 6b. Philip\u2019s ability to perform these miraculous signs, like Stephen\u2019s, was a result of the laying on of hands by the apostles.<\/p>\n
Again, in the Book of Acts it is not believers in general who do the work of miracles. That is a terrible misconception being propagated in certain circles today. The only people doing miracles in the Book of Acts are the apostles or the apostolic legates upon whom the apostles had laid their hands at some point. Earlier in the Book of Acts, Stephen was able to do the work of miracles because he was an apostolic legate. This ability was strictly limited to the apostles and their legates; it was not granted to believers in general.<\/p>\n
It was especially essential in the case of Philip, because, as the following verses show, Simon the sorcerer was able to deceive people into believing his messages by means of counterfeit miracles. It was necessary to show that Simon\u2019s miracles could be counteracted by true miracles. This was exactly what Philip was doing by performing a miracle from time to time.<\/p>\n
Verse 7 provides some examples of what these signs were. First, there were those people with demonic problems, and the unclean spirits came out of many of them. Secondly, in addition to those with demonic problems, there were people with physical problems; these were also healed, especially many who were palsied and lame. Once again a clear distinction is made between demonic problems and physical ailments.<\/p>\n
3. The Result\u2014Acts 8:8<\/p>\n
And there was much joy in that city.<\/p>\n
B. The Story of Simon the Sorcerer\u2014Acts 8:9\u201313<\/p>\n
1. The Deception of Simon\u2014Acts 8:9\u201311<\/p>\n
But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great. And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.<\/p>\n
Verse 9 introduces the man and his claims. Concerning the man himself: there was a certain man, Simon by name. He had a Hebrew name, which was not unusual, because many Samaritans had Hebrew names. The Samaritans spoke, and still do speak, a form of ancient Hebrew.<\/p>\n
As to his work: who beforetime in the city used sorcery. Literally, the verse states that Simon was previously practicing magic. The Greek word for sorcery means \u201cthe practice of magic.\u201d Simon was just one of many who practiced magic in those days, and he amazed the people of Samaria. As to his claim, he was giving out that himself was some great one. He called himself \u201cthe Great Power of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
In verse 10, all classes of society, from the least to the greatest, were deceived by Simon\u2019s ability to perform these counterfeit miracles by magic. They declared: This man is that power of God which is called Great. This shows they believed Simon\u2019s claims to be some great one. In this verse, the power of God was personified and given a separate name: Great.<\/p>\n
In verse 11, the Samaritans believed that Simon was that power. Because they believed that, the result was: they gave heed unto him. The reason was: because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. This context is the origin of the word \u201csimony,\u201d which means \u201cto traffic in sacred things.\u201d It originated with Simon, who used his religious magical abilities to become wealthy by claiming to be the Great Power of God personified.<\/p>\n
2. The Response to Philip by the Samaritans\u2014Acts 8:12<\/p>\n
But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.<\/p>\n
The response was: But when they believed Philip. In other words, they recognized that the power of Philip was greater than that of Simon. By turning to Philip, they turned away from Simon the magician. Philip preached good tidings in two facets.<\/p>\n
a. Concerning the Kingdom of God<\/p>\n
The first facet that Philip preached was: concerning the kingdom of God. This is the first mention of the Kingdom of God by a preacher in the Book of Acts, because the statement made in Acts 1:3 was Luke\u2019s own editorial comment. This meant that Philip proclaimed the program of the Kingdom of God to these Samaritans.<\/p>\n
Because the Samaritans believed that the Millennial Kingdom would be a Samaritan kingdom, it was important to convey to them that it was going to be a Jewish kingdom. Yeshua (Jesus) had to do this with the Samaritan woman of John 4:22, when He conveyed to her that salvation was not of the Samaritans, but of the Jews. The Kingdom of God was going to be Jewish, not Samaritan, and Jerusalem, not Mount Gerizim, will be its capital. It was necessary for the Samaritans to realize this.<\/p>\n
The Samaritan people had their origin in 2 Kings 17:24\u201333, when a new race, not so much a hybrid race, was brought into the area previously inhabited by Jews of the Kingdom of Israel. A hybrid religion developed in that they worshipped the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel. But they also worshipped the foreign gods they had brought with them from the countries of their origin. Because of this hybrid religion, when they wanted to join the Jews in rebuilding the Temple, they were not allowed to do so according to Ezra 4:1\u20134. In retaliation, they built their own temple on Mount Gerizim.<\/p>\n
Later, a famous Samaritan, Sanballat, opposed the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 6:1\u201319). The animosity between the Samaritans and the Jews developed to the point that, in New Testament times, \u201cthe Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans\u201d (Jn. 4:9). So now, it was essential for the Samaritans to realize that the Kingdom of God will be a Jewish kingdom, not a Samaritan kingdom; the capital will be Jerusalem, not Mount Gerizim.<\/p>\n
b. Concerning Jesus the Messiah<\/p>\n
The second facet Philip proclaimed as part of the good tidings was: the name of Jesus Christ. It was necessary for them to receive individual salvation, for, as Acts 4:12 pointed out, \u201cthere is no other name given under Heaven by which anyone can be saved.\u201d They had to get their theology correct about the Kingdom of God, and they had to correctly identify who the Messiah was: Yeshua of Nazareth. This is what they finally believed, and because they believed: they were baptized, both men and women.<\/p>\n
3. The Response to Philip by Simon the Sorcerer\u2014Acts 8:13<\/p>\n
And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.<\/p>\n
The picture is of Simon sticking closely to Philip to find out the secret of his power. The question arises, \u201cWhat does it mean when it says that Simon \u2026 believed? Did he become a true believer?\u201d<\/p>\n
First, what did he come to believe? In the end, he believed that Jesus was \u201cthat great power of God,\u201d not he himself. But this was not saving faith. The problem with Simon was that the more he watched the signs and miracles performed by Philip, the more the wonder of it all grew in his mind. Eventually, a desire developed within him to be able to do the same.<\/p>\n
However, what Simon believed did not require saving faith. To believe that Yeshua was \u201cthat great power of God\u201d is not enough to save anyone. There must be faith in the substitutionary death and Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. One must believe that He died as our substitute, and one must trust what Yeshua did on the cross for our salvation, and nothing else.<\/p>\n
Verses 20\u201322 will clearly show that Simon\u2019s heart was not right; there was something altogether lacking in his heart. Furthermore, the context shows that Simon\u2019s faith was grounded in miracles rather than in the name of Yeshua. His faith was in the miracle, not in the Person. Believing that Yeshua is the power of God is not saving faith. The result was amazement, not holiness. Faith grounded in miracles alone is not genuine saving faith.<\/p>\n
That is why, later in Acts 8:22, he was told to repent. The fact that Peter told him to repent implies clearly that he was not saved in verse 13; he never had the repentance of salvation. The word \u201crepent\u201d throughout the New Testament is generally used of unbelievers. Verse 20 states that he was in danger of \u201cperishing,\u201d using the same word that is used of unbelievers in John 3:16. Those who do not believe are in danger of perishing, but those who believe will not perish. The fact that Simon was still in danger of perishing shows again that he did not have saving faith. Furthermore, Peter gave a description of a man who was still lost in verse 23: I see you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Simon\u2019s fear of God and Yeshua was materialistically oriented. While he had faith in the miracles and came to believe that Jesus was that great power of God, he did not have saving faith.<\/p>\n
C. The Authentication by the Apostles\u2014Acts 8:14\u201325<\/p>\n
1. Peter and the Keys of the Kingdom\u2014Acts 8:14\u201317<\/p>\n
a. The Response of the Jerusalem Church\u2014Acts 8:14<\/p>\n
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John.<\/p>\n
The news of the evangelization of the Samaritans caused concern in verse 14: Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard. They, of course, would be concerned, because they had apostolic authority over the church, and now, this is a new development. Jerusalem was the city that the Samaritans despised, but now it would require the Church of Jerusalem to authenticate the validity of the Church of Samaria.<\/p>\n
When the apostles heard that the Samaritans had received the word of God, they sent two of their number, Peter and John, to Samaria. This was necessary for two reasons. First, so that Samaritan salvation could be authenticated by apostolic authority. And secondly, because Peter had the \u201ckeys of the Kingdom.\u201d John was sent so that the matter could be established by the mouth of two witnesses, and this was also to be a personal lesson for John, because he and his brother James had wanted the Samaritans destroyed in Luke 9:54. Now, there had to be a change of heart on John\u2019s part as he went down to Samaria with Peter in order to authenticate the Samaritans\u2019 salvation.<\/p>\n
This is the last mention of John the Apostle in the Book of Acts. John does not play any major role in this book; he is only mentioned here in conjunction with Peter. The main purpose of the Book of Acts is to tell the stories of Peter and Paul. The other apostles, like John, are only mentioned as they come into contact with either Peter or Paul.<\/p>\n
b. The Problem with Samaritan Salvation\u2014Acts 8:15\u201316<\/p>\n
who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.<\/p>\n
The problem was that, as yet, no Samaritan believer had been baptized by the Holy Spirit. When they arrived in verse 15, these two apostles: prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. They prayed specifically that they might receive the baptism of the Spirit of Acts 1:5, because it is by means of the baptism of the Spirit that one enters into the Body of the Messiah.<\/p>\n
The Samaritans had been baptized by water in verse 16: into the name of the Lord Jesus; they had believed, and they were saved, for the Spirit did regenerate them. They received believer\u2019s baptism, but they had not yet been baptized by the Holy Spirit. He had come upon the Jews, but not yet upon the Samaritans.<\/p>\n
The reason was that the Messiah had given the keys of the Kingdom to Peter, and it was up to Peter to allow any new group in. There were three main groups of humanity in New Testament times: Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. Once Peter had opened the door to any new group, then it stayed open to that group. In Acts 2, Peter opened the door for the Jews, and it stayed open for them from then on. Now, in Acts 8, Peter will open the door for the Samaritans, and it will stay open for them. Later, in Acts 10, Peter will open the door for the Gentiles.<\/p>\n
c. The Spirit Baptism of the Samaritans\u2014Acts 8:17<\/p>\n
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
Finally, they did receive the ministry of Spirit baptism in verse 17: Then laid they their hands on them. The means of their receiving Spirit baptism was by the laying on of the hands of the apostles, especially Peter. It would have been noted by the Samaritans that those who were laying hands on them were Jews of Judah and Galilee, not Hellenistic Jews like Philip. They were Jewish apostles from the despised Jerusalem, but it took the laying on of their hands before the Samaritans received the Spirit. The result was: they received the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
Peter had opened the door for these Samaritans, and it was obviously visible in some way. But exactly how it was manifest, the verse does not state. In light of what happened in chapters 2 and 10, what was probably visible was the gift of speaking in tongues. This is by no means certain, but because the text implies it was something visible, it would indicate just that.<\/p>\n
d. The Differences in the Order of Receiving Spirit Baptism<\/p>\n
In Acts 2, the Jews received Spirit baptism, and now, in Acts 8, the Samaritans receive it. Since many people try to build a doctrine of the Holy Spirit from these historical incidents, it might be wise to note the differences in the order by which the baptism of the Holy Spirit was received by the different groups of humanity.<\/p>\n
In the case of the Jews, the order was: first, repentance; secondly, water baptism; thirdly, Spirit baptism. In the case of the Samaritans the order was: first, they believed; secondly, they received water baptism; thirdly, the laying of hands by the apostles from Jerusalem; and fourthly, Spirit baptism.<\/p>\n
In chapter 2, water baptism followed Spirit baptism; in chapter 8, water baptism preceded Spirit baptism. Also, there was the laying on of the apostles\u2019 hands in chapter 8, but no laying on of anyone\u2019s hands in chapter 2. This shows that there was no consistent pattern in the Book of Acts, so one cannot take an historical incident and make a theology out of it.<\/p>\n
e. The Gift of Tongues<\/p>\n
What about the gift of tongues in Acts 8? Let us ask the same six questions here that we did in chapter 2, and answer them.<\/p>\n
The first question: Who received the gift of the Spirit? The answer: The believers in Samaria.<\/p>\n
The second question: What nationality were they? The answer: They were Samaritans, who, historically, did not like Jews. They were so antagonistic to Jerusalem and Judaism that they went through the five Books of Moses and deleted any possible reference to Jerusalem, such as Mount Moriah, and replaced it with Mount Gerizim. As Luke 9:51\u201353 shows, they often attacked and killed Jews trying to get to Jerusalem through Samaria. This was the reason that Galilean Jews often had to detour through Perea in order to bypass Samaria.<\/p>\n
The third question: What were the circumstances? The answer: Philip came to Samaria and preached to the Samaritans who believed and were saved. But this raised some questions among the Jerusalem apostles, who had the old Samaritan antagonism in mind, so Peter and John were sent to investigate and authenticate these reports.<\/p>\n
The fourth question: What was the means? The answer: Spirit baptism came in some visible way by means of the laying on of hands by Peter and John. The baptism of the Spirit came through the apostles from Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
The fifth question: What was the purpose? The answer: The purpose was authentication. For the Jerusalem apostles, it authenticated Samaritan salvation, proving that Samaritans were savable. For the Samaritans, it authenticated apostolic authority, because they received Spirit baptism by the laying on of hands by Jewish apostles from Jerusalem. That meant they were not to set up a separate, rival Samaritan Church, as they had set up a separate, rival Samaritan temple.<\/p>\n
And the sixth question: What were the results? The answer: First, the Samaritans received Spirit baptism and entered the Body of the Messiah; and secondly, there was no rival, separate church was set up.<\/p>\n
2. The Apostles and Simon\u2014Acts 8:18\u201324<\/p>\n
a. The Request of Simon\u2014Acts 8:18\u201319<\/p>\n
Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles\u2019 hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
These verses contain the continuing story of Simon the Sorcerer. Verse 18 relates what Simon saw that led to his request. He saw that the laying on of the hands of the apostles resulted in Spirit baptism and, possibly, speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit had unquestionably been given through the laying on of the apostles\u2019 hands, so Simon offered them money. He wanted to have this apostolic authority and apostolic power as well. This is how the word \u201csimony\u201d came into the English language. It comes from this man\u2019s name and means \u201cthe buying and selling of things religious or sacred, such as, an ecclesiastical office.\u201d<\/p>\n
In verse 19, he makes his request: Give me also this power. Earlier in this chapter he had been demoted from being \u201cthe power of God which is called Great,\u201d and now he wants to be reinstated. He saw spiritual functions as a marketable commodity and suggested that the apostles engage in simony or \u201ca religious business deal.\u201d His request was: that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. He wanted apostolic authority and apostolic power so that, once again, he could be called that power of God which is called Great.<\/p>\n
b. The Rebuke of Peter\u2014Acts 8:20\u201323<\/p>\n
But Peter said unto him, Your silver perish with you, because you have thought to obtain the gift of God with money. You have neither part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of your heart shall be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.<\/p>\n
Concerning Simon\u2019s money, Peter said in verse 20: Your silver perish with you. This clearly implies that Simon was in danger of perishing, so he was not a saved man. He was still on the road to spiritual destruction: because you have thought to obtain the gift of God with money. This also implies a lack of faith on Simon\u2019s part, because his view of God was materialistic. Because there was a lack of faith, he was still an unsaved man.<\/p>\n
Peter describes Simon\u2019s heart in verse 21: You have neither part nor lot in this matter. The word part has to do with something in the present, such as, salvation; the word lot has to do with something in the future, such as, the Kingdom or Heaven. The point is that, at this particular time in his life, Simon had neither part, salvation, nor lot, Heaven, again showing that he was unsaved. Peter states that his heart was not right before God, which meant that he had no righteousness. This also implies that Simon did not have saving faith.<\/p>\n
Peter then spelled out Simon\u2019s need in verse 22: Repent therefore of this your wickedness. Therefore, in the light of verses 20\u201321, repent. The word \u201crepent\u201d is used throughout the Book of Acts for salvation repentance; this again shows that Simon lacked saving faith. He was to repent of this specific type of wickedness, which was his materialistic view of God. In other words, he was to repent from the idea that the gift of the Holy Spirit could be purchased with money.<\/p>\n
Then Peter continued: if perhaps the thought of your heart shall be forgiven you. The phrase if perhaps means, \u201cif so be.\u201d This does not imply that there is any reluctance on God\u2019s part to forgive, for God is not reluctant to forgive. Rather, it refers to Simon\u2019s repentance. Peter states: perhaps, because he had no way of knowing if Simon would repent or not. If he did repent, then he would be forgiven. In Simon\u2019s case, this would be salvation forgiveness.<\/p>\n
Next, Peter declared Simon\u2019s problem in verse 23: For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. He described Simon\u2019s inner, unregenerate state. Simon\u2019s request was described by Peter as being like a chain around his neck. This once again implies that Simon was not a real believer.<\/p>\n
c. The Response of Simon\u2014Acts 8:24<\/p>\n
And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me.<\/p>\n
Because Simon\u2019s offer was described by Peter as being poison, Simon\u2019s response at this point was: Pray ye for me to the Lord. Because he had no relationship with God, Simon did not feel that he could pray for himself right then. Being an unsaved man, he asked Peter to pray for him: that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.<\/p>\n
When he refers to these things, it includes the perishing of verse 20 and perhaps other things which Peter might have said, but were not recorded by Luke. Once again, this verse shows no personal repentance, no change of heart. All Simon wanted was to escape the penalty for his sins, and he hoped that by praying for him, Peter could somehow avert it.<\/p>\n
3. The Return to Jerusalem\u2014Acts 8:25<\/p>\n
They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.<\/p>\n
They [the apostles] therefore, after seeing that the Samaritans did indeed receive the Holy Spirit, authenticated their salvation. Peter had now used the keys of the Kingdom to open the door to the Samaritans, and from now on, the door stayed open for them. They continued to testify and to speak the word of the Lord. They testified that Yeshua was the Messiah, and they testified of the Samaritans\u2019 salvation. They spoke the word, which means they did some further preaching in the same city where Philip had preached.<\/p>\n
Then they returned to Jerusalem to give their report and verdict. On the way back to Jerusalem, they preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. As they traveled, they continued to evangelize the Samaritans beyond what Philip had done. This in itself showed apostolic approval of preaching the gospel to the Samaritans. The problem of the barrier between them had now been resolved, and the Samaritan believers were one with Jewish believers.<\/p>\n
II. THE WITNESS IN JUDAEA\u2014ACTS 8:26\u201340<\/p>\n
A. The Story of the Ethiopian Eunuch\u2014Acts 8:26\u201339<\/p>\n
1. The Commission of Philip\u2014Acts 8:26\u201327a<\/p>\n
But an angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert. And he arose and went.<\/p>\n
In verse 26, Philip received a new commission. An angel of the Lord spoke to him, and he received a divine, special commission. Notice that an angel was used for this purpose. The angel\u2019s message was: Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
Once again, going toward the south from Jerusalem is always down. This time it was unto Gaza, meaning where the road to Jerusalem intersects the coastal road known as the Via Maris. This was the main road between Egypt and Mesopotamia that went along the coast of the Land of Israel. Because it was found on the edge of the Plain of the Philistines, right at the corner where the Plain of the Philistines, the Negev Desert, and the Sinai Desert meet: the same is desert.<\/p>\n
Old Gaza was destroyed by Alexander Janai in 93 B.C. and was still a ruin in Philip\u2019s day. A new city of Gaza was built by Gabinus in 57 B.C., but not over the same site as the old one. The road that now passed the ruins of Gaza was truly a desert, and Luke\u2019s historical accuracy has been verified.<\/p>\n
In verse 27a, Philip obeyed: he arose and went. Although he already had a successful ministry in Samaria, that did not mean he had to stay there. He was willing to go on to a new ministry if God so led, and God was indeed so leading him at this point.<\/p>\n
2. The Ethiopian Eunuch\u2014Acts 8:27b\u201328<\/p>\n
and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.<\/p>\n
Verse 27b introduced the Ethiopian man. Ancient Ethiopia is what is now known as Nubia. It extended from the first cataract on the River Nile, which is Aswan today, to the city of Khartoum.<\/p>\n
It is not clearly noted whether this man was a Jew or a proselyte to Judaism. Most likely he was a proselyte, but he may have been a Jew of the Diaspora. The text states that he was a eunuch. Eunuchs were often employed by Oriental rulers in positions of high office. They were also male servants of female dignitaries, but only placed in such positions after being castrated. According to Deuteronomy 23:1, a eunuch could not enter into the assembly of Jehovah, so he was not allowed to become a full proselyte; he was limited to becoming only a \u201cproselyte of the gate\u201d or a God fearer, but not a full proselyte.<\/p>\n
This was a man of great authority. Politically, he was a highly influential official under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. The name Candace was not a proper name, but the title of the Queen of Ethiopia, much like the word \u201cKaiser\u201d was the title of the king of Germany, and \u201cCzar\u201d was a title of the king of Russia. Because the king of Ethiopia was considered to be a child of the sun, and therefore a person too sacred to be involved with secular functions of the royal court, all such duties fell to the queen mother, who had the title of Candace. As a result, she was the real power behind the throne; that is why Ethiopia was a matriarchy.<\/p>\n
This man was in charge of her treasure, which means he held one of the highest governmental positions. His influence in Ethiopia would therefore have been very considerable. He was the royal treasurer. He had come to Jerusalem to worship, which shows that, at least, he was a proselyte of the gate. This had been a private, religious visit, not a state visit.<\/p>\n
The occasion is given in verse 28: he was returning [to Ethiopia] and sitting in his chariot. His worship in Jerusalem had been completed, and because he held such a high governmental position, he had the benefit of a royal escort. While he and his escort were on the way back to Ethiopia, he was reading the Prophet Isaiah. If he was indeed a proselyte, he may have been reading the Greek Septuagint version, which he would have been able to understand.<\/p>\n
3. The Command of the Holy Spirit\u2014Acts 8:29<\/p>\n
And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.<\/p>\n
The Holy Spirit gave Philip his commission in verse 29. Earlier it had been an angel who told Philip to do this, but now, the Spirit spoke directly to Philip. He was told, literally, \u201cto glue\u201d himself to this chariot.<\/p>\n
4. The Witness of Philip\u2014Acts 8:30\u201338<\/p>\n
And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understand you what you read? And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he opened not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom speaks the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what does hinder me to be baptized? And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.<\/p>\n
Philip obeyed in verse 30: And Philip ran to meet the chariot, showing instant obedience; he showed no reluctance in obeying the Holy Spirit. The man was reading Isaiah the Prophet aloud, which was a common Oriental practice. This shows he was not driving the chariot himself; he had a charioteer to do the driving.<\/p>\n
When Philip asked him, \u201cDo you understand what you are reading?\u201d he did not mean the meaning of the words, but \u201cof whom the words spoke.\u201d The Ethiopian responded in verse 31: How can I except some one guide me? He saw his need for someone to interpret the passage to him, and he invited Philip into the chariot to do so.<\/p>\n
According to verses 32\u201333, he was specifically reading Isaiah 53:7\u20138, which is an example of \u201cliteral prophecy plus literal fulfillment.\u201d In verse 34, the Ethiopian raised a question concerning the subject of the passage: of whom speaks the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? In verse 35, Philip began to witness: And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture [Isaiah 53], preached unto him Jesus. The word beginning shows that Philip also used other Scriptures besides Isaiah 53 to proclaim the gospel to the Ethiopian.<\/p>\n
The eunuch\u2019s conversion came in verses 36\u201337. As they were still traveling along, they came to a body of water and the eunuch said: Behold, here is water. The very fact that he said this shows he believed what Philip had been saying. He now became a believer in Yeshua the Messiah; therefore: what does hinder me to be baptized? This shows that he understood the meaning of baptism; if he were indeed a proselyte, he would understand. He wanted to make a public confession.<\/p>\n
Because he believed, he now wanted to be baptized, and he was baptized in verse 38: he commanded the chariot to stand still, again showing that he was not driving, and both he and Philip went down into the water, and he was baptized. This shows that immersion was the mode of baptism.<\/p>\n
5. The Departure of Philip\u2014Acts 8:39<\/p>\n
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing.<\/p>\n
The two men were separated: when they came up out of the water. In other words, they came up \u201cfrom the midst of the water,\u201d not from the edge of the water, again showing that he was baptized by immersion.<\/p>\n
Then the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. He caught him away suddenly and miraculously, the same way Paul was \u201ccaught up\u201d into Heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2, where the same Greek word is used. In fact, the same word is used of the Rapture of the Church in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Suddenly, Philip was raptured, not to Heaven, but somewhere away from the Ethiopian eunuch: and the eunuch saw him no more. But he went back to Ethiopia rejoicing and helped to bring the gospel to his home country.<\/p>\n
B. The Evangelization of the Coastal Plain\u2014Acts 8:40<\/p>\n
But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.<\/p>\n
After being raptured away from the eunuch, the first place where Philip was found was Azotus. This was the Greek name for Ashdod. That is where the Holy Spirit dropped him off after picking him up near Gaza. As he passed through the cities of the coastal plain, he preached the gospel throughout the Philistine Plain and the Sharon Plain.<\/p>\n
Finally, he came to Caesarea, where he made his home. Caesarea was the headquarters of the Procurator, and it was the Roman capital of Judaea. Here, Philip settled down, for we find him there many years later in Acts 21:8\u20139. Because of Philip\u2019s movement, Caesarea became the new center of Judean Hellenistic evangelism and discipleship until A.D. 66, when the leaders emigrated out of the city to the Province of Asia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. Acts 8:5 Thhe story of Philip can be divided into two main segments. He first comes into the picture in Acts 6:1\u20136, as one of the first seven deacons of the Church of Jerusalem. The story of Stephen and the … <\/p>\n