08 Acts Chapter 8
Acts 8:1-4 From Persecution To Proclamation
Acts 8:1-4 ASV And Saul was consenting unto his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (2) And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him. (3) But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging men and women committed them to prison. (4) They therefore that were scattered abroad, went about preaching the word.
Vicious religious hatred is unleashed and destroys the wonderful community that had formed after Pentecost. Satanic rage fills the heart of Saul and he imprisons many. The righteous lament Stephen, and also the end of the era of innocence for the early church.
More seriously this was a decisive moment for the relationship between the followers of Jesus and orthodox Judaism. For a while it may have seemed that the “Jesus movement” would triumph and all of Israel be converted, for “even many of the priests” believed. But the leadership was unrepentant and it held all the cards. Eight thousand conversions are recorded shortly after Pentecost then after that “great multitudes” believed. Even if there were twenty-five thousand in the community that would still only have been ten percent of Jerusalem and much less than that of the total Jewish population, which including the Diaspora was probably over 5 million. For the rest of the book of Acts the Jews continue in their unabated hatred of Christianity. James son of Zebedee is beheaded, both Peter and Paul are imprisoned, and later in 62 AD James the brother of Jesus would be stoned to death. There are numerous beatings and stonings and delegations are even sent throughout the Diaspora to cause trouble for followers of Jesus. There was no possibility of Christianity remaining a Jewish religion. To this day a Christian cannot be a Jewish citizen of Israel and “messianic Jews” are not regarded as true Jews in any true legal sense. (But a Buddhist or Hindu or Muslim of Jewish descent can still be regarded as truly Jewish!)
There seems to have been a sudden explosion of violence towards the Christians that day. “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” But despite the violence there is no record of Christian retaliation. They lived by the cross and did not resort to revenge. Heavily outnumbered the Christians left Jerusalem for the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria and took the gospel with them wherever they went. The poor folk in the countryside desperately wanted a savior and widely regarded the Temple worship as corrupt. Indeed the Judean countryside was highly radicalized and often in tension with the Temple authorities who used military force to collect tithes for the High Priests while local priests and Levites starved. Also while the very liberal Sadducees ran Jerusalem, the countryside was far more sympathetic to the Pharisees, Essenes and Zealots all of whom believed in miracles, judgment day and the resurrection. In the Gospels Jesus is mainly bothered by Pharisees in Galilee, few Sadducees are that far north. The Essenes and the Zealots in particular may have been very receptive to the Christian gospel. The Messianic Jewish church in Jerusalem became a core group consisting of the apostles and the brothers of Jesus. This Jerusalem church became very poor and was known as the Ebionites or “poor ones” and persisted until 135 AD when all Jews were forced to leave Jerusalem. The Ebionites were led in succession by various brothers of Jesus (first the eldest brother James till 62 AD, then Simeon till 106 AD then Judas after that, Judas must have been a much younger brother!) They tended to worship in Hebrew and prized the gospel of Matthew. It is hard to sort out fact from fiction regarding the Ebionites since for various reasons they have been seized upon by those wishing to discredit Paul as they seem to have been in considerable tension with him. The Ebionites seem to have finally vanished by about 400 AD. This is hardly surprising given that Saul was responsible for the murder and imprisonment of many of their friends and only infrequently ever went back to Jerusalem, preferring to spend time among Greek-speaking Jews at Antioch instead. Even his main visit to Jerusalem, with famine relief funds, did not go well, as Paul caused a riot and he landed in prison for two years! As far as the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were concerned Paul was just a big bunch of trouble! (The exception is the apostle Peter who did not end up with the Ebionites but went to the Jews in Babylon then to Rome and eventually became friends with Paul see 2 Peter 3:15) The good side of the persecution was that it moved the new believers out of their comfort zone and out to tell the world about the miracles they had witnessed, the love they had found and the gospel they had heard. The date of Stephen’s martyrdom is uncertain - and is generally given as being between 32-37 AD, so at least two years had passed, possibly seven or eight and the first Christians from Pentecost were now mature believers and able to articulate their faith - and they did so to the glory of God.
Thus the persecution of Stephen marks the end of Christianity as a Jewish sect, the beginning of the end for Hebrew-speaking Jewish Christianity and a transition to Greek-speaking Jewish Christianity and eventually to Gentile Christianity. One of the transition points is via the Samaritan revival, which we will look at tomorrow.
Acts 8:5-8 The Samaritan Revival
Acts 8:5-8 MKJV And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ to them. (6) And the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the many miracles which he did. (7) For out of those having unclean spirits, many came out, crying with loud voice. And many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. (8) And there was great joy in that city. The gospel moves outwards: In Acts 1:8 Jesus had said: “But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Up until the stoning of Stephen the Christian community had been almost totally confined to Jerusalem. After the stoning of Stephen the gospel then moved to the next stage - Judea and Samaria “and all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria…Now those who were scattered went from place to place preaching the word. ”. (Acts 8:1; Acts 8:4) A lot of this preaching was being done by Greek-speaking Jews such as Philip (Philip was a common Greek name of that period). This Philip, was not Philip the apostle but was one of the seven deacons, and next in line after the martyred Stephen. The apostles had remained in Jerusalem. The way that Stephen’s no. 2 moves immediately into his ministry and power is startling, as if the anointing did not die with Stephen but was transferred ‘from Elijah to Elisha”. It is a testimony that persecution cannot remove anointing from the Church, even if the anointed ones are killed.
Philip did two things right - he went to Samaria, and he proclaimed Christ to them. We need to go to those who are thirsty, such as the woman of Samaria at Sychar, and we need to give them Christ. Samaria had been well-prepared by the visit of Jesus and the testimony of the Samaritan woman and the people of Sychar who believed. The town of Samaria had been leveled by Hyrcanus and then rebuilt by Herod as Sebaste - or Augustus, after the Roman emperor. It had a long history of deviant worship, first as the center of the Baal worshipping kings of Northern Israel and of the cult of Ahab and Jezebel, then after the Assyrian captivity, as a place of a cross-bred religion between Jews and Assyrians, finally Herod built a temple to Augustus the Roman emperor there and a massive statue of him. It may have been the center of blatant emperor worship in the Holy Land. It was what we would probably call a New Age city of many blended religions. Therefore with all the traumas of wars and sieges just past, and with pagan immorality and idolatry, it would have been heavily demonized. Into this theological maelstrom went Philip.
Here is a great irony - the Temple authorities with their theology reject Christ but the heretical Samaritans joyfully receive Him! Thus Christ is most received by those who feel most in need. In a sense the Samaritans represent the marginalized people in our midst, well away from the mainstream, with a bunch of odd beliefs. The New Agers, the dope smokers, the conspiracy theorists, the pseudo-Zen Buddhists and the Rastafarians. If the gospel is presented to them clearly they will gladly believe. They are looking for an alternative faith - and a faith that has been persecuted by the Jews and kicked out of Jerusalem will do them just fine! If the Jewish Temple authorities had approved of the Christians, then the Samaritans (who detested these authorities) would probably never have listened. But because the Christians were persecuted, because they sensed the marginalization, - they related, and listened and accepted Christ.
Philip was accepted because he was a persecuted minority, able to talk Greek and understand a multi-cultural city and importantly because he was NOT one of the “enemy” - the orthodox Hebrews-speaking Jews. It is very important that we not “represent the enemy”. A brief attempt of mine to minister to Australian Aboriginals turned into disaster because as a white Australian male from a certain social circle I was “too white”, too much the enemy, and too alien to their ways. We must not project ourselves so as to represent power and dominion, or as a member of a master race or dominant culture over the people we serve.
Finally Philip came with redemptive power: And the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the many miracles which he did. (7) For out of those having unclean spirits, many came out, crying with loud voice. And many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.
People listened because they “heard and saw” - the many miracles taking place including powerful deliverances and the healing of paralytics and the lame. Some healing ministries seem to have “specialties” Philip’s was legs - the paralyzed and lame. I think we should ask God to raise up people who can miraculously heal cancer and AIDS, especially in Africa. For in such tragic places they simply cannot recover unless God heals them. This traumatized, idolatrous, demon-infested city saw might deliverances and works of power “and there was much joy in that city”. The demons left shrieking, blasted out of people by the power of the name of Jesus Christ. It was what missionaries call a “people movement” due to a “power encounter” between Christ and the local spirit world. Oh for more of the power of Jesus! Yet such power often, maybe only, lies with those who are prepared to take a lowly place among the marginalized people of this world.
Acts 8:9-15 The True Power of God
Acts 8:9-13 KJV But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: (10) To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. (11) And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. (12) But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (13) Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. This is the tale of “Simon Magus” (Simon the magician) and his conversion to Christ. He was a local shaman and occult practitioner who exalted himself among the “New Agers” in the religious melting pot of Samaria. He “got results” and such amazing results that he was seen as “the great power of God” and everyone took note of Simon - from the least to the greatest and over many years he ad attained considerable community stature.
Such people are the keys to evangelizing the culture. They are the centers of the spiritual world and its operation in that place and when they are converted a great spiritual bondage is broken and liberty for the gospel is obtained. It is interesting that the Holy Spirit fell on the Samaritans some time after Simon’s conversion. One church-plating strategy in Filipino villages is to pray for the albularyos (local witch doctors) first and seek their conversion and the destruction of the charms (anting-anting) that they use to bewitch the people. Once these “captivators” of the masses are dealt with the local villagers can be freed much more readily. A key point is baptism - a form renouncing of the old spiritual life and an accepting of the new. Ancient baptisms used to be preceded by exorcisms, destruction of amulets and charms and the formula “I renounce Satan and all his works”. It truly was a moving from darkness to light. Thus Luke mentions both the baptism of the Samaritans - men and women and of Simon Magus himself.
I strongly recommend that believers who have come out of a New Age or occult background or who have worshipped idols - should go through a time of spiritual cleansing, and formally confess and renounce all the works of the Devil, including those of the ancestors such as grandparents who read the tarot etc. I have found that praying the following brief prayer, twice a day, for about a fortnight, helps people to become “clear” and lifts the spiritual cloud that often dwells about their lives:
“In the name of the Jesus Christ I come to God and confess the sins of my parents and ancestors. I renounce all the works of the Devil and forsake all occult practices. I ask for the cleansing and protecting power of the blood of Jesus and rely on Him alone for salvation. I ask for the forgiveness of all my sins in Jesus name. I forgive those who have wronged me and ask to be loosed from any bonds of bitterness and unforgiveness. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I command Satan and all those who serve him to depart from me forever. By the power of the cross I break all curses that may be upon me either through the ancestral line, or through any other source. I hand all the ground in my life that Satan may have occupied over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and I put on the full armor of God. I ask to be filled completely with the Holy Spirit, to be enlightened as to the will of God and be made obedient unto the commands of Christ in love. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” As you pray the above prayer it helps to be specific but not morbid. Confess all such occult sins, including drugs and pornography, briefly and contritely to God, even those to the third and fourth generation (see article below for the reason why). A few brief words will suffice e.g. “I confess that may aunt was a white witch and I renounce this witchcraft completely.” You may also have certain incidents come to mind - such as an amulet or a book that you possess that should be destroyed. Burn all magic objects and all things associated with sin (such as drug paraphernalia and pornography). This breaking of the bondages of darkness can be done alone, without any great fuss. Yet it can help to have someone also backing you up in prayer. I have seen it change many lives.
[For more bible-teaching on this go to: http://www.aibi.ph/aibi/occult1.htm ]
Simon was impressed by Phillip; in fact he was amazed and filled with wonder. The quantity and quality of Phillips miracles and his teaching about the Kingdom of God and the power of the name of Jesus Christ astonished Simon. How long is it since the power of the name of Jesus astonished someone near you? We need to both teach the Kingdom and see it manifested in power.
Faith in the name of Jesus breaks all bondages, ends all curses, heals all sicknesses, casts out all demons and leads to eternal life. The lame walk, the blind see, the paralytics are healed through the presence of the Kingdom and the power of the Name. We are often a little timid about using the name of Jesus in spiritual warfare. But the apostles were not at all timid about this and they are our example.
Now I am not saying that you will heal everyone tomorrow. But I am saying that you will see power unleashed and start astonishing people with the power of God when you boldly use the name of Jesus with authority to break the bonds of darkness. Now the power is not in you, you sense that, and that is quite so, you are an earthen vessel, the power is in the Name. Do not look at yourself or you will never start. Look at the power and grace and promises of God!
Acts 8:14-17 Receiving The Holy Spirit
Acts 8:14-17 MKJV And the apostles in Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them; (15) who when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. (16) For as yet He had not fallen on any of them, they were baptized only in the name of the Lord Jesus. (17) Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. This is a very contentious passage and evangelicals and charismatics have very different interpretations of it. Let us try to sort out what is meant here.
1. First the Samaritans believed and were baptized in the name of Jesus.
2. Then the apostles came down and laid hands on them so they received the Holy Spirit.
3. This reception of the Holy Spirit was visible to an external observer (so that later on Simon could see that it was occurring and offer them money for that power).
What is this passage saying about the work of the Holy Spirit? Firstly we have to make a distinction between His work “within” people and His work “upon” people.
Within: When the Bible says the Spirit works ‘within” someone it generally refers to some inner wisdom skill, creativity, or aspect of character formation. This includes quiet and invisible fruits of the Spirit, wisdom, sanctification, creativity and character formation - and bible characters such as Joseph, Daniel, and Bezalel. Key verses; Ephesians 5:18-20, Exodus 31:1-5, Ezekiel 36:1-38; Ezekiel 26:1-21; Ezekiel 27:1-36
Upon: When the Bible talks about the Spirit “coming upon” someone it is often an act of powerful inspiration, bold action or prophecy e.g., Samson fighting the Philistines. The Spirit upon someone results in the outward and visible gifts of the Spirit, mighty works of power, witness, boldness. Bible characters include the elders of Israel, Samson, and the prophets. Includes events such as Pentecost. Key Bible verses: Acts 1:8, Numbers 11:1-35; Numbers 25:1-18; Numbers 26:1-65; Numbers 27:1-23; Numbers 28:1-31; Numbers 29:1-40, Judges 14:6; Judges 14:19. The quiet invisible work of the Holy Spirit within the lives of the Samaritans started at conversion and produced faith, repentance from magic and idols and “great joy in that city” Acts 8:8 even prior to the arrival of the apostles from Jerusalem. The outward visible baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the Spirit coming upon them in power, was delayed until the arrival of the apostles. This was something you could see and Simon Magus witnessed it and offered money for it (Acts 8:1-40; Acts 18:1-28). The separation of the “within” and “upon” elements is not the ideal, but it happens. For instance Samson had great power from the Lord “upon” him, but very little evidence of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit “within” him. Some televangelists seem to be following this pattern of outward power and inward bankruptcy. On the other hand Bezalel, Joseph and Daniel had great inner wisdom from God but no miracle working power. The apostolic ideal is to have both the fruits and the gifts, both the work of the Holy Spirit “within”, and the Holy Spirit “upon”. Of course the more important of the two is the work of sanctification, without which no-one can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). In Matthew 7:1-29; Matthew 21:1-46; Matthew 22:1-46; Matthew 23:1-39 those corrupt miracle workers who say “Lord, Lord” but work wickedness are cast into the outer darkness.
Yet we still need all we can get of the Holy Spirit. We need His work within us and we need His work upon us. We need the infilling (Ephesians 5;19) and we need the baptism (Acts 1:8). The effect of the infilling is grace, the effect of the baptism is power to witness and to tell of the glories of God. A Christian who is well-discipled and holy probably has the infilling but may need the baptism. On the other hand a Christian who is powerful in witness and works probably has the baptism, but may need more of the daily infilling.
If you lack power you need the baptism. If you lack wisdom or if you lack the ability to resist temptation then you need the daily infilling. To get the daily infilling just pray each morning, confessing your sin, your need of wisdom and your desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. To get the baptism, seek God in prayer and ask Him to lead you to an anointed leader who can lay hands upon you. Spiritual gifts are nearly always received through the laying on of hands (as we saw in an earlier one of these studies).
Lets not break into theological camps centered on one or the other of these experiences. Lets take hold of both of these great and wonderful works of the Holy Spirit and seek ‘more of both”.
I have been both a Baptist and a Pentecostal, and each of these denominations has tended to grab hold of one work of the Spirit, and let go of the other. Now I am what some call Bapticostal! I believe in BOTH the fruits and the gifts, in wisdom and character and in power and in healing - I want the whole lot!
There is only one Holy Spirit but He relates to us in many different ways. Now I only have one wife but she relates to me in different ways as husband, lover, friend and even as “the boss’ in our ministry. If I say “I only want you to relate to me as “husband” then I lose some of the richness of the relationship. The Samaritans knew the saving work of Jesus and the inner joy of the Spirit but they needed “something more”, which was supplied by the laying on of the hands of the apostles and receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Let us follow the example and wisdom of the early Christians and move into all that God has for us!
Acts 8:18-25 God Cannot Be Bought
Acts 8:18-25 MKJV And when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, (19) saying, Give me this power also, that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. (20) But Peter said to him, May your silver perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. (21) You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. (22) Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. (23) For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. (24) And answering Simon said, You pray to the Lord for me that none of these things which you have spoken may come on me. (25) Then, indeed, having earnestly testified and having spoken the Word of the Lord also having preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans, they returned to Jerusalem. Can God be bought? Can salvation be purchased with silver and gold? Can anointing or healing or the power of the Holy Spirit be given for cold hard cash?
“Peter said to him, May your silver perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” This is an incredibly important spiritual principle - God cannot be bought! God responds to faith, and to what is in the heart, not what is put in the offering plate. This may seem obvious but even today we see:
1. In the Philippines Catholics are paying to have masses said for the dead - so many $ buys so much salvation and so many years off purgatory.
2. The prosperity gospel teaches that blessing comes from a financial “seed” and that the more you “sow” in money the more God will respond to your prayers!
3. In some churches tithing has become a form of justification apart from Christ: “now I have put the whole ten percent in I am right with God.”
4. The term blessing is now almost totally synonymous with material blessings e.g. when you hear “the Lord blessed me” you now expect to hear it followed with something like “with a new car.”
5. In Roman Catholic weddings in the Philippines the bride and groom are given symbolic gold coins called arrastare and the priest says “use these coins to buy eternal life”. (my wife and I personally witnessed this on two different weddings in two different churches on the same day.)
God cannot be bribed or flattered. God is the impartial judge of all the earth and is incorruptible. God has no need of our money or any desire for it except as an act of faith or a demonstration of love. Money in and of itself is meaningless to Him and useless to Him and is regarded as “filthy lucre” and “the Mammon of unrighteousness” and is “detestable in the sight of God”. (Luke 16:1-31) Peter showed the apostolic view of money when he said “May your silver perish with you”. Money has zero intrinsic value to God. The whole of God’s system operates without money. The birds fly without needing an air ticket, the lions are fed without a bank account, the sun and moon and stars do not have to be paid to go about in their orbits and the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised, and the blind see without the need of silver or gold.
Neither is money the “power” in ministry. The power in ministry is the name of Jesus, the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit - not how much we have in the bank account! In fact some of the greatest ministry was done without any money at all! God created the heavens and the earth without money, God redeemed Israel without money, God saves us for free, Peter and John healed the lame man without silver or gold, Jesus fed the five thousand without money, Elijah lived for three and a half years without money then vanquished the prophets of Baal - and so forth.
Corrupt clerics have told us that money in the plate equals favor with God. In fact it only buys favor with the clergyman! The gifts of God are not for sale and the Holy Spirit cannot be purchased with silver and gold. Peter takes up this theme of redemption without money in his epistle:
1 Peter 1:17-19 MKJV And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to the work of each one, pass the time of your earthly residence in fear, (18) knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; And James shows how much money will help the unjust rich on the Day of Judgment:
James 5:1-5 MKJV Come now, rich ones, weep and howl for your hardships coming on. (2) Your riches have rotted, and your clothes have become moth-eaten. (3) Your gold and silver have corroded, and their poison will be a witness against you, and will eat your flesh as fire. You heaped treasure in the last days. (4) Behold, the hire of the laborers reaping your fields cry out, being kept back by you. And the cries of those who have reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts. (5) You have lived luxuriously on the earth, and lived wantonly. You have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
Christian ministry cannot be bought, anointing cannot be bought, salvation cannot be bought and the gifts and favor of God cannot be bought. Christianity is of the heart and not of the bank account. God does not look for wealth rather He looks for faith and righteousness and a pure heart. And on the other hand it was Simon Magus’s bitter heart is what cut him off from being involved in ministry.
“You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. (22) Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. (23) For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Now, by way of balance, ministry needs some money - wages and electricity bills and so forth have to be paid. But money is no more than “petrol in the car” - you put it in and you can go a certain distance in ministry. But you don’t live for petrol! Money is good servant but a bad master. I have to do fundraising, but I do so reluctantly. I have determined that my ministry will never be directed by the budget or centered around financial concerns. A faithful but poor national missionary in India is not hindered by his poverty, he (or she) can still be anointed and heal and do miracles and preach the gospel and announce the name of Jesus.
Giving is commanded as an act of love and of social responsibility within the Christian community. But the acceptability of the gift depends on the heart of the believer: If a person gives cheerfully and faithfully to sustain the servants of God, that is a good thing. That giving is from the heart, from obedience, from faith and from love and because the heart is right the giving is right. On the other hand giving with a wicked heart, to buy indulgence of sin, or an easier path to heaven, is to try to bribe the justice of God. And God cannot be bought.
Acts 8:26-35 The Ethiopian Eunuch
Acts 8:26-35 MKJV And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south, on the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is a deserted place. (27) And he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship, (28) was returning. And sitting in his chariot he read Isaiah the prophet. (29) Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot. (30) And Philip ran there to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you indeed understand what you are reading? (31) And he said, How can I unless some man should guide me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. (32) And the content of the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so He opened not His mouth. (33) In His humiliation His judgment was taken away, and who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth." (34) And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I beg you, of whom does the prophet speak this? Of himself or of some other man? (35) Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached the gospel of Jesus to him. This fascinating story is a great example of the Spirit-led life. It is also full of important historical details. I shall try to weave both together today.
Philip leaves the revival in Samaria and goes to a “deserted place” between Jerusalem and Gaza. As you would know from the news, Gaza borders on Egypt and the way south to Ethiopia. Gaza symbolizes the Philistines, the wilderness, the ‘edge’ of the land, the beginning of the desert. This is evangelism on the edge! The Ethiopian eunuch was returning home and was a God-fearing Ethiopian Jew. Ethiopian Christians have traditionally said his name was Indich. The eunuch may have also been an important title rather than an actual state as there are records of “eunuchs” such as Baalam having children and Potiphar who also was a “eunuch” had a wife!
Indich (we shall use his traditional name rather than the cumbersome phrase) was a great man of court with authority over the treasury of Queen Candace. Candace was the common name of Ethiopian queens from Meroe (an important island in Ethiopia ) just as Louis was often used for the kings of France. There is a double play on the treasure motive here - as Gaza also meant Riches. The ancient writer Servius says of Gaza: Gaza is a Persian word, and signifies Riches: “hence Gaza, a city in Palestine, was so called because Cambyses, king of Persia, laid up his treasures in it, when he waged war with the Egyptians.” This story could be called “the treasurer discovers real Treasure near the city of riches and treasure.” Even with all his power and authority and wealth and piety Indich the Ethiopian Jew still needed something more - and that was Christ.
Indich was a student of Scripture, and a true worshipper of God and a pilgrim who had traveled many miles to worship in Jerusalem. Adam Clarke’s commentary gives the following account of how the Jewish religion began in Ethiopia with the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon: “It has been long credited by the Abyssinians that this queen, who by some is called Balkis, by others Maqueda, was not only instructed by Solomon in the Jewish religion, but also established it in her own empire on her return; that she had a son by Solomon named Menilek, who succeeded her in the kingdom; and, from that time till the present, they have preserved the Jewish religion.” The Ethiopian eunuch was thus a black Jew and thus the “next step’ in the advance of the gospel after the Samaritans. Scripture does not regard him as a Gentile. He was a true God-fearing worshipper of YHWH. In converting a black Ethiopian Jew to Christ it was as far as the gospel could go and remain fully Jewish.
Philip follows the Spirit’s leading to an encounter with Indich’s chariot. This sort of “divine appointment” is something we should pray for regularly. Common sense and strategic planning would have left Phillip back in the Samaritan revival. But God moved Philip on to a much greater opportunity - that was out in the wilderness. A pastor may get a call to a remote church and wonder why - but God may have a great door opening there! This is what I love about the Internet, a devotional like this can intersect with people in all sorts of situations. You never know what God can do with it!
Ministry is more than numbers in seats and finances. Philip was ministering to just one person, one seeker. But that seeker was strategic. Osama Bin Laden visited Sweden when he was 14, maybe someone could have shared the gospel with this over-serious teenager back then! We have no idea how important it is to share the gospel with leaders and with people from powerful families. Ministry to overseas students is incredibly strategic as many will be leaders back in their nations.
God had prepared the heart of the Ethiopian eunuch for the gospel, he was reading Isaiah 53:1-12 and puzzling over what it meant. Indich was teachable and appreciated Philip’s ministry. I find that most people have “patches” of say six months or so when they are spiritually hungry and most receptive to Christ, often these patches in the early teens, the college years, after a serious illness or the birth of a child and around mid-life. We need to ask the Lord to lead us to the people that He has prepared and who are ‘ready’ to hear his Word.
“Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached the gospel of Jesus to him.” Philip was a flexible evangelist. He started with the very Scripture that Indich was reading! Evangelists must start with “where the person is at”. Canned approaches turn people off. The question that was asked was an almost academic one: , “I beg you, of whom does the prophet speak this? Of himself or of some other man?” and that was the question Philip used to point Indich to Jesus.
Powerful people often ask quite academic questions that are enormously meaningful to them. These questions must be honored and answered first before any personal application to Christ is attempted. To be a flexible evangelist we need a solid knowledge of the Scriptures and of apologetics so we can “start anywhere” and lead to Christ, we also need a great sensitivity to God and to his leadings. We also like Philip have to be able to go from preaching to “New Age” Samaritan villagers to witnessing to a high official of the court on the same day, without feeling unintimidated!
Acts 8:36-38 Immediate Baptism
Acts 8:36-38 MKJV And as they passed along the way, they came on some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized? (37) Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, it is lawful. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (38) 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. In Acts baptism immediately follows conversion at Pentecost (Acts 2:38-39), with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-38), at Cornelius’s house (Acts 10:47-48), with the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:33) with Saul after his conversion (Acts 9:18) and with Lydia (Acts 16:13-15). In fact on every occasion when the time of baptism is mentioned it is immediately after conversion. This lead to the word “baptism’ also being used in the early church for “conversion” as in ‘at your baptism’ to mean ‘when you were converted.
There is no record of anyone being baptized prior to conversion. Neither is there any record of people being baptized a long while after conversion. Baptism and conversion were one integral reality. In fact three things were supposed to hang together - believing in Jesus Christ, being baptized in His name, and receiving the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost the 3000 converts first believed, then were baptized, then received the Holy Spirit - but all on one day. The Samaritans believed and were baptized, but received the Holy Spirit when the apostles came down and laid hands on them. Also Apollos and some Ephesian disciples seem to have missed out on receiving the Holy Spirit and had to have it explained to them some time later. The separation of these three components is not ideal but has become normal:
a) Early on persecution made people wary about new members of the community who might betray them, so candidates for baptism were put through a long course of instruction first to check them out.
b) Later plagues made people fear for the salvation of their children so infant baptism was introduced and followed by confirmation and the “receiving of the Holy Spirit”.
c) This was then exacerbated by those who taught of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a “second experience”, when it should be an initial experience.
d) Or in some cases baptism in the Holy Spirit is eliminated by those who say it just happens automatically when people believe - but it is never automatic in Acts! In Acts baptism is lawful for anyone who “believes with all their heart” that is someone who understands their faith and is committed to it as the “heart” was the center of life understanding. The Ethiopian eunuch’s confession “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” is the basic minimum confession generally required for salvation. John the apostle calls this confession “the faith that overcomes the world”: 1 John 5:4-5 MKJV For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. (5) Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Thus anyone who can believe with all their heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is a suitable candidate for baptism. The further development of doctrine can wait. In fact if w ego back to our three-fold formula - faith, baptism in water, baptism in the Spirit, it makes sense to wait until the power of the Spirit is upon a person before engaging in the deeper aspects of discipleship.
What then should we do about our church structures, very few of which follow this model? Gentle admonition at most. Do not be divisive over these things but point them out in love. Hundreds of years of history will not be undone by a single blazing dispute. But first look at your own life: Have you believed? Are you baptized in water? Have you received the Holy Spirit? Please fix your own life first!
People always ask about the mode of baptism. In Acts it is always by immersion, and of those who have personal faith in Jesus. Baptism can be done by any mature believer but is generally best done by the leader of the Christian community the convert belongs to. However as with Indich here, there is no church, no pulpit, no ceremony, just a creek by the road and that is sufficient.
Baptism has enormous theological implications about dying and rising with Christ and being dead to sin and alive to righteousness (see Romans 6:1-23). It should not be avoided. It must be taken seriously but it does not need to be institutionalized, formalized or delayed. It is a living form, a part of the gospel of the living God, and moves with the Spirit - and can be performed even under the most informal of conditions. It is not an expression of religion or of human membership in a “club” but of faith in God and allegiance to Christ and spiritual incorporation into the mystical body of Christ in all its local expressions.
Acts 8:39-40 Philip Is Caught Away
Acts 8:39-40 MKJV And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing. (40) But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached the gospel in all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
These two verses are so unusual that they are skipped or glossed over in most commentaries, but I will tackle them as we need to expand our view of the Spirit’s work in this final look at Acts 1:1-26; Acts 2:1-47; Acts 3:1-26; Acts 4:1-37; Acts 5:1-42; Acts 6:1-15; Acts 7:1-60; Acts 8:1-40. The Codex Alexandrinus and several other MSS. and in some versions have the following reading: The Spirit of the Lord fell upon the eunuch:
But the angel of the Lord snatched away Philip.
It thus appears that as the Spirit fell on them both in the baptismal pool, the eunuch was filled with joy and power and Phillip was moved to another form Philistine city - Azotus or Ashdod. According to Dr. Lightfoot Gaza is about 34 miles from Azotus.
“Translation” is relatively rare in Scripture, the most famous examples being Moses after his death who was buried by God (Deuteronomy 34:5-6), Elijah caught up in the chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), Ezekiel goes on journeys a couple of times being “lifted up” by the Spirit (Ezekiel 3;12,14, 8:3, 11:11,11:24, 43:5) one occasion being held between earth and heaven by a lock of his hair ! (Ezekiel 8:3). On these occasions Ezekiel sees events happening in real time and claims to be moved back and forth between Babylon and Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:1-25) and speaking to the exiles. In the New Testament Paul or someone known to him was taken up into heaven by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) and John in his Revelation is carried up to Heaven (Revelation 4:2) and carried away to a desert place in which was the Harlot (Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 3:1-22) and carried away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain to see the coming of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10)
Elijah was apparently a master of this so much so that it exasperated everyone: 1 Kings 18:12 MKJV And it will be as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of Jehovah shall carry you where I know not. And when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Jehovah from my youth. (see also 2 Kings 2:16)
There are also numerous modern day reports of village evangelists and missionaries suddenly finding themselves at home or at a certain place when they had been miles from it - often this sudden journey removed them from certain danger.
Time and distance are as nothing to God, so He can do what He likes in this realm. The Spirit seems to do these things with those that are most committed to Him, those who are most in tune with God’s purposes. Philip was leading the Spirit-led life and his journey just became part of that natural resonance with God.
Acts does not sensationalize the journey or give lurid details of the ground rushing by as the Spirit carried him. It just happened, and it is just part of the things that happen to people who lead the life of the Spirit. Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of the unpredictability of the spiritual existence:
John 3:8 MKJV The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Various explanations have been given for why this occurred. One is to remove Philip from temptation - from being given money by the wealthy eunuch, another is that Philip was being sent on a powerful missionary journey while the anointing was mighty upon him and that seems to be supported by Acts.
“But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached the gospel in all the cities until he came to Caesarea.” Philip preaches the gospel mightily through a number of towns and arrives at Caesarea. In Caesarea Phillip makes a home and has four daughters who were prophetesses. (Acts 21:8-9) This Caesarea was not Caesarea Philippi but the Caesarea formerly called Strabo’s Tower and was a very Hellenized Jewish city from which the Jewish Rebellion of AD 66-73 broke out.
Philip was highly itinerant, he did not “do follow-up” but just kept moving on and preaching the gospel under the anointing and leaving the results to God. He saw mighty miracles in Samaria and great opportunities in the Ethiopian eunuch. He was a fire-starter, and just lit the fires and let them burn as they would.
We need to trust the new convert and God a bit more - especially now that the Internet and Christian bookstores have made a huge amount of resources for personal growth available. By all accounts the eunuch, with no further follow-up did quite well and eve shared the gospel in Ethiopia. He did not need two years in bible college before dong this. Now bible colleges are good and I run one - (see www.aibi.ph ) and lecture in them. But we cannot teach anyone anything unless we are co-teachers with the Holy Spirit. God is the real Teacher (see 1 John 2;20,27) and I am just a mouth-piece He uses from time to time. As we finish up this series in Acts and approach the New Year let us make a resolution to lead the Spirit-led life, trusting God for all things and moved by Him.