Acts 8
Stephen’s death proved to be the catalyst for further persecution on the church. While many of the men who had killed Stephen had been seriously affected by their actions – one young man had been affected completely differently! Saul, who had held the coats, took this as his opportunity to begin his personal vendetta towards this new Christian movement within the Jewish faith he loved so dearly. His actions spark the “Diaspora” – the evacuation of the Christians from Jerusalem to the far flung parts of the known world.
As a result of the Diaspora, Philip (one of the deacons who had been ordained in the previous chapters) arrived in Samaria. Philip is undeterred, and immediately starts to proclaim the Gospel in the main square. His message was accompanied by great signs, miracles and healings. Demons were exorcised, people were healed, and all this was accompanied by great joy.
This new power and demonstration of power immediately brings him to the attention of a magician called Simon. He draws close to Simon, believing the Gospel, and the news of their witness spreads, even as far as Jerusalem. The apostles send Peter and John to Samaria to anoint them with the Holy Spirit.
Simon, formerly a magician whose magic had earned him great respect in the city before the arrival of Philip, Peter and John, was amazed at this new power, and asks for it from the Apostles. He is so desperate for it, that he offers to pay for the privilege. The Apostles doubt his motivation – they rightly feel that he wants this power for his own good, not to use for the purpose which it should be used, namely the Gospel. When they ask him to repent of the wickedness of his desire, he replies to them, “You pray for me.” Given that this is the last of the conversation, it is more than likely that Simon is being flippant with the Apostles, perhaps abandoning his pursuit of the Holy Spirit having been exposed!
Philip, who has been a mighty tool of the Holy Spirit in Samaria, is then directed by an angel to go to the road south from Jerusalem to Gaza. Here he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the queen of Ethiopia. As he traveled along, the official was reading from the words of the prophet Isaiah. He was a Gentile Jew, who had been in Jerusalem worshipping at the Temple.
Philip approached the chariot, and offer assistance in understanding the Scriptures to the eunuch. As he explained the Gospel, showing that Jesus was the true subject of the prophecy, the eunuch believed and wished to be baptised. The act of baptism was infinitely more important than the location, so the eunuch stopped at the first water they found and was baptised by Philip. At this, Philip was miraculously taken from the scene and taken to Azotus, many miles away on the coast (now known as Ashdod).
Both Philip and the eunuch continued on their journeys, happy in the knowledge of salvation and Philip continued his mission to proclaim the Gospel wherever he went!
Comments
Post a Comment