Acts 8: The Conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch
- Jerusalem was totally destroyed 30 years later (70 A.D.) killing > 1,000,000 people.
- Jesus told His apostles to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all nations.” (Mark 16.15; Matt.28.19)
- Acts 1.8: “…Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth.”
- We see the church persecuted and scattered now (8.1).
- Satan originated the persecution; God used it to spread the church (Rom.8.28).
- Saul (later the apostle Paul) was behind the persecution of the church.
- Acts 9.1, 2; 22.4,5; 26.10.
- Saul began “ravaging” the church: Gk. Refers to the way beasts savagely tear and rip the bodies of their prey.”
- He dragged out of their houses both men and women—spared no one!
- He put them in prison: He had them beaten; trying to get them to blaspheme the Lord and His church, and even had them put to death. (22.4, 19; 26.10, 11).
- V.4: “Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.”
- V.5 through 25 tells of the conversion of the Samaritans.
- Philip (Philip of 6.5) Goes to Samaria: (V.5 thru 25) (Samaritans were part Jew and part Gentile).
- He performed miracles and signs
- The Jews and Samaritans hated each other (See John 4.9)
- Philip began proclaiming Christ to them; His teaching/miracles/death on the cross/resurrection/Ascension/Promised return.
- See V.12 also. Preaching Christ involves baptism also (V.35, 36).
- Purpose of miracles (Mk.16.20; Heb. 2.3,4).
- Philip cast out devils/unclean spirits/evil spirits: See 2 Peter 2.4; Matt.12.22-29).
- The Conversion of Simon and the Samaritans: 8:9-13)
- Simon the magician (Sorcerer).
- Contrast Simon’s “miracles” with Philip’s real miracles.
- Philip healed people and made them happy
- Simon fooled people and made them afraid
- Simon sought to buy the power that Philip demonstrated (19-22).
- Angel appeared to Philip and told him to go preach to an Ethiopian. (V.26-35).
- The road to Gaza was a desert road (not heavily traveled).
- No crowd was too small for Philip to preach to…lesson for us today!
- Eunuch: typically a man who has been castrated (Matt.19.12).
- Common practice of men holding high positions where they might be tempted ex. Charge of a harem or treasury.
- He was returning from Jerusalem and was reading Isaiah 53.
- Go and join the chariot: Heard him reading and asked if he understood what he was reading? How can I unless some man helps me? He was receptive to the truth! (See Jesus parable on hearts in Luke 8.15).
- Question: “To whom does this scripture apply?”
- The Philip opened his mouth and preached to him Jesus…”
- “Look, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?”
- How did he know to even ask this question????
- It is impossible to preach fully on Jesus without preaching about baptism!
- Jesus said we must be “born” of water (John3.3,5)
- Commanded baptism: (Mark 16.16).
- Jesus disciples baptized in His name (Acts 2.38).
- Baptism puts us in Jesus (Gal.3.26, 27).
- Baptism puts us into His body (1 Cor.12.13).
- He was immediately baptized: they both went down into the water
- Baptism: immersion; burial (Rom.6.3,4; Col.2.12).
- “They came up out of the water.
- He went on his way rejoicing!