'Philip an the Ethiopian' (Acts 8).

Background Story: God promised Abraham a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied in Egypt but were enslaved. God delivered them ‘out of Egypt’ and called them to be a ‘kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ at Mt. Sinai. They occupied their homeland under Joshua and later God promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon, built the Temple as a dwelling for God, but Solomon introduced an idolatry that led to the destruction of the ‘Northern kingdom’ and the exile of the ‘Southern Kingdom’ in Babylon. They returned to their land but they remained under Pagan rule. Israel longed for a ‘conquering king’ and God sent Jesus. Jesus was ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism and he overcame the devil’s temptations in the wilderness. He gathered a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and after disciples recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ outside Jerusalem on a cross. He looked like a failure, but on the third day God raised him from the dead. He showed himself alive to his disciples, and then he ascended into heaven. From there he poured out his Holy Spirit empowering his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In Jerusalem, the apostles proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Christ in Jerusalem though the religious leaders forbid they do so. When a disciple named Stephen testified how ‘Israel’s Story’ culminated in Jesus, the religious leaders had him stoned to death. Then a ‘great persecution’ scattered the believers who preached the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. The Samaritans believed and were baptized at the preaching of another disciple, Philip, and this brings us to the story of Philip and the Ethiopian from Acts 8. You can watch the story here and read the comments below.

The Ethiopian Eunuch: As we move through the Book of Acts we see the continued works of Jesus through his Spirit-filled Church. God sends an angel to direct Philip. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to Philip and directed him to a specific person at a particular place. Philip was one of the seven selected to oversee the feeding of widows. Then when persecution scattered the disciples, Philip went and evangelized Samaria. The Lord sent an angel who told Philip to go south to the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Without hesitation Philip went and there Philip met this Ethiopian man who was returning from worshiping God in Jerusalem. The Lord guided Philip both by an angel and by His Spirit. Philip was sensitive to God’s guidance and we see the gospel beginning to spread beyond Judea and Samaria.

On that desert road Philip met an Ethiopian eunuch, who was the official in charge of the treasury of the queen of the Ethiopians. This man was a worshiper of the God of Israel though he was not Jewish or even a proselyte to Judaism. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God, perhaps for one of the principle festivals, and was now returning to his home in Ethiopia. As he traveled he was seated in his chariot reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.  Having been directed to the road, the Spirit of God tells Philip to go over near the Ethiopian’s chariot. The Spirit tells Philip directly to stay near a very specific chariot. We aren’t told that Philip was seeking such guidance; we only know that Philip went to Samaria in response to the ‘great persecution’ and the command of Jesus (Acts 1:8). In Samaria crowds had listened to Philip preach Christ and do miracles and the Samaritans believed and were baptized.

Philip draws near the chariot where he hears the Ethiopian official reading from Isaiah the prophet. So Philip starts by asking the Ethiopian if he understood what he was reading. However, the man said the he needed someone to explain it and so he invited Philip to sit with him in his chariot.  He had been reading in Isaiah (Isaiah 53:7-8) where it says, “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was deprived of justice and who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from him.” Philip began by asking the man what he already knew. This implies that he could have understood without Philips help. However the man asks for help and so Philip was more than willing to help the man. What he wanted to know from Philip was whether the prophet Isaiah was speaking about himself or someone else?  So Philip began with that very passage and Philip told the man the ‘good news’ about Jesus. When they came to some water the Ethiopian eunuch wanted to be baptized. They stopped the chariot and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized the eunuch. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The Ethiopian didn’t see Philip again, and we are only told that he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:30-39).

This Ethiopian man comes into the picture right after we find Samaria accepting the gospel which was one of the results of the Jerusalem believers being scattered. In this story we find the gospel beginning to move out from Judea and Samaria to reach an Ethiopian God-fearer. He had gone up to Jerusalem to worship the God of Israel at the temple but being both a gentile and a eunuch he was essentially an outsider. We find him reading and seeking to understand the scriptures. When the Lord directed Philip to the Ethiopian and their paths crossed the man wanted Philip to explain the passage he was reading from Isaiah. Philip started with that passage and told him about Jesus. Seeing water the man wanted Philip to baptize him. Philip did this but when they came up out of the water Philip was mysteriously taken away leaving the Ethiopian to return home ‘rejoicing’!     

This man was privileged in that he was a trusted Ethiopian official. However, in another sense the man was an outcast. He was a physically disabled Gentile and as a gentile and a eunuch—he remained an outsider who wasn’t able to fully participate in the temple worship. While reading from the prophecy of Isaiah on his way home he meets Philip and he wants Philip to explain whether Isaiah was speaking about himself or someone else (Acts 8:27, 32, Isaiah 53:7). Philip took the opportunity to explain how this prophecy and Israel’s story had recently come to a fulfillment in Jesus. The Ethiopian had been wrestling to understand the book of Isaiah, a book that offers hope to eunuchs, and when Philip told him about Jesus from the passage he wholeheartedly accepted. The story tells us the Ethiopian went home rejoicing and Church history tells us that he not only brought Christianity to his homeland but that he was responsible for the conversion of many in Ethiopia.  

Isaiah 56:3–8 (NIV84) ³ Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.” And let not any eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” ⁴ For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— ⁵ to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. ⁶ And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— ⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” ⁸ The Sovereign Lord declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”

Philip and the Samaritans (Acts 8).

Background Story: God promised Abraham a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied in Egypt but they became enslaved. God called Moses and led Israel out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai where they were formed them into a nation. Israel entered their land under Joshua and later God promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon, built the Temple as a dwelling for God. However, Solomon introduced an idolatry that led to the scattering of the ‘Northern kingdom’ by the Assyrians and the exile of the ‘Southern Kingdom’ in Babylon. The Persians conquered the Babylonians and the Jews returned to their land but they remained under Pagan rule. God’s people longed for a ‘conquering king’ and God sent Jesus, who was ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism. Jesus overcame the Devil’s temptations and gathered a ‘new people (12)’ around himself. When his disciples recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity he went to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. He looked like a failure, but God raised him from the dead. After Jesus showed himself to his disciples he ascended into heaven. From there Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit to empower his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The apostles proclaimed Jesus as both Lord and Christ and their message spread and the numbers increased. The religious leaders forbid that the apostles teach or preach in the name of Jesus, but Peter and John couldn’t stop speaking about Jesus. Then when a disciple named Stephen told the ‘story of Israel’ as culminating in Jesus he was stoned to death for his testimony. After this a ‘great persecution’ broke out against the church and the believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. This brings us to the story of Philip in the city of Samaria from Acts 8. Watch the story here and read the comments below.

Philip and the Samaritans: Those who stoned Stephen to death placed their cloaks at the feet of the young man, Saul. So Saul approved Stephen’s death and a ‘great persecution’ broke out against the Jerusalem Church. Determined to destroy the church, Saul went from house to house, dragging off both men and women believers to prison. As a result of the persecution, all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. The apostles stayed in Jerusalem while all the others were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, and preached the word wherever they went. The believers fled the persecution to protect their lives but they didn’t stop doing what got them in trouble which was the preaching the word of God.

Philip, who was one of those selected to oversee the feeding of the widows (Acts 6:5) went to the city of Samaria. Crowds there gathered to hear Philip proclaiming the Christ and to see the miraculous signs he performed. Evil spirits came out of many. Many who were unable to walk were healed and there was great joy in that city. The ‘great persecution’ in the city of Jerusalem resulted in ‘great joy’ in the city of Samaria. The persecution scattered the believers who preached the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria just as Jesus had told them to do (Acts 1:8).

Now there was a man in the city of Samaria named Simon. He practiced sorcery and boasted that he was someone great. Some who were amazed by Simon’s magic followed Simon saying that he was some kind of ‘divine and great power’. When they heard Philip preaching the ‘good news about Jesus and the kingdom of God’ they believed and were baptized, this included both men and women. Simon also believed Philip and was baptized.   Simon followed Philip very closely and he was amazed by the signs and miracles that he saw Philip doing.

When they heard the news back in Jerusalem that these Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent the two most prominent apostles, Peter and John. Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. They had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. This seems unusual in light of Peter’s message on Pentecost where Peter said, “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 (Acts 2:38).” These Samaritans believed Philip’s message about Jesus and were baptized but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. Then when Peter and John placed their hands on these Samaritans they received the Holy Spirit.

Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands. The Holy Spirit came on those Peter and John laid their hands on and Simon wanted this ability. When Simon offered the apostles money to get it he received a harsh rebuke from the Apostle Peter. Peter said, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” Peter discerned that Simon’s heart was not right with God and that he was still full of bitterness and was captive to sin. Peter told Simon to repent and to pray to the Lord that the Lord may forgive Simon then Simon answered “Pray to the Lord that what you have said may not happen to me.” Simon boasted that he was great and who liked to exercise power over people. When Simon came across the superior power of Philip and later that of Peter and John Simon wanted this power for himself. After the rebuke Simon concern was that he didn’t lose his money and his life. After this Peter and John returned to Jerusalem and we don’t know whether Simon ever repented and was forgiven. We only learn that the apostles preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages on their way.

Did Simon really believe when he heard Philip preach the gospel? Simon believed and was baptized (8:13), but Peter described Simon as someone who had no share in the ministry of the gospel. Peter also said that Simon’s heart was not right before God and that he needed to repent of his wickedness because he was full of bitterness and captive to sin (8:20-23). Does this describe someone who has trusted Christ and has been transformed by the Holy Spirit? The Bible speaks of a faith that accepts the truth of Scripture without any spiritual transformation (Acts 26:27-28; James 2:19) and also speaks of a temporary faith, which embraces the gospel without any change of heart. It is only temporary faith (Matt. 13:20-21) because it fails to endure under trials and persecution (1 Tim.1:19-20; I John 2:19). The ‘New Covenant’ promise of the gospel was that God would cleanse from sin, replace the heart of stone with a new heart indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Ezk.36:25-27)! This story should push us to ‘examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith’ and to realize that Christ Jesus is in us—unless, of course, we fail the test? (2Cor.13:5).

How is it that Samaritans believed and were baptized and yet they didn’t receive the Holy Spirit? They believed but they didn’t receive the Spirit until after the apostles Peter and John laid their hands on them. When Philip preached Jesus and did the miracles both men and women in Samaria believed Philip’s message and were baptized. When the apostles heard about this, they sent Peter and John who prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit. They had only been baptized into the name of Jesus so the apostles laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit (8:1-17). Why the delay in the receiving of the Spirit? Hadn’t Peter previously promised the ‘gift of the Spirit’ to those who would repent (Acts 2:38)?

Unlike Simon, nothing negative is said about the faith of these Samaritans (Acts 8:20-23). Also this is the first of only two accounts of the Spirit being given at the laying on of the apostle’s hands (Acts 8:18, 19:6). Simon witnessed some visible manifestation of the Spirit, but nothing is said about the ‘speaking in tongues’ and this event is very different than what happened at Pentecost (Acts 2). In Samaria the Spirit seems to have been uniquely manifested to emphasize that there was to be only one apostolic church. It was critical that Samaritans submit to Jesus’ Jewish apostles and for the Jewish believers to accept the Samaritans in that one apostolic church! At that time, Jews and Samaritans didn’t even associate with each other (John 4:9) so the unity of the one body of Christ was at stake. This is significant for us today as our witness is hindered by the many divisions in the church (John 17:20-21).

'The Stoning of Stephen' (Acts 6-7).

Background Story:

God called Abraham promising him a homeland and multiple descendants to bless the world. Abraham’s descendants multiplied but they became enslaved in Egypt. God called Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt to Mt. Sinai where God formed them into the ‘Nation of Israel’. God led them into their land under Joshua and later God promised David a ‘perpetual kingship’ over God’s people. David’s son, Solomon built the Temple as a dwelling for God, but he also introduced an idolatry that led to the scattering of the ‘Northern kingdom’ by the Assyrians and the exile in Babylon of the ‘Southern Kingdom’. When the Persians conquered the Babylonians they let the Jews return to their land but they remained under Pagan rule. God’s people longed for a ‘conquering king’ and God sent Jesus. Jesus was ‘anointed by the Spirit’ at his baptism. He overcame the Devil’s temptations and proclaimed the ‘Kingdom of God’. He gathered a ‘new people (12)’ around himself and when they recognized his Messianic identity he went to Jerusalem where he was enthroned as ‘KING of the JEWS’ on a cross. Yet, God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus showed his disciples that he was alive and then he ascended into heaven. From there Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit to empower his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

The apostles, Peter and John, healed a crippled beggar in the temple courts and explained that the man had been healed ‘in the name of Jesus’. Peter told the religious leaders that they had crucified Jesus, but God had raised him from the dead. This message continued to spread and the number who believed continued to increase. The religious leaders forbid that the apostles teach or preach in the name of Jesus in an effort to stop the message from spreading. But Peter and John had to obey God and couldn’t stop speaking about Jesus. In the previous story we saw what happened to ‘Ananias and Sapphira’ who lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 4-5). Now we look at the story of the ‘stoning of Stephen’ (Acts 6-7). Watch the story here and read the comments below.

Stephen tells Israel's Story:  Their numbers were increasing, and they distributed food with their widows daily. However, things were not perfect for some widows were being favored and others were being neglected. So the apostles came up with an idea but trusted the community to settle the matter. The community was to select spiritually wise representatives to distribute the food fairly. They chose Stephen, he was a man full of the Spirit and wisdom, and 6 others who the apostles laid hands on and prayed for. In this way the ‘word of God’ spread and their numbers continued to increase. The early followers of Jesus shared their resources and lived as the extended family of Abraham. They had problems for some of their widows were being neglected in the distribution of food. The apostles let the people chose seven who were known to be full of the ‘Spirit and wisdom’ to take on this responsibility. The apostles had been doing the work themselves and yet there were still problems.  The crisis served to prioritize the ministry of the ‘word of God and prayer’ for the apostles (5:20). The community chose seven who were full of the ‘Spirit and wisdom’.  This was spiritual work and apostles set them apart by laying hands on them and praying for them. In this way the ‘word of God’ spread and their numbers continued to increase (Acts 6:1-7).

One of the seven was Stephen, a man full of God’s Spirit, wisdom, grace and power. Stephen did ‘signs and wonders’ but some from a local Synagogue opposed Stephen. They couldn’t stand up to Stephen’s wisdom or to the Spirit by which he spoke so they seized Stephen and brought him before the religious authorities. They got some false witnesses to testify that Stephen never stopped speaking against the temple and the law. They also claimed that Stephen said that Jesus would destroy the temple and change the Mosaic Law. Yet, Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law and that the temple would be destroyed within a generation (Matt. 5:17, 24:2, 34). So Stephen stood without fear before the religious leaders, with his face shining like that of an angel. Stephen defended himself by telling Israel’s story beginning with God’s covenant with Abraham. Stephen retells Israel’s story showing how their fathers rejected both Joseph and Moses who God used to rescue them. Moreover, Stephen connects the Abrahamic covenant with the story of the Exodus, and his story culminates in his vision of Jesus.

Stephen emphasized how God called Abraham in Mesopotamia to leave that country and that people to go to the land God would show him.  Abraham obeyed and after his father died God sent him to the land where Stephen and his hearers were living. Abraham had no land and no children, but he had God’s promise that he and his descendants would possess the land. This would not be until after 400 years in a land not their own where they would be enslaved. Yet, God would punish their oppressors and they would return to the land to worship God. God gave Abraham the ‘covenant of circumcision’ and when Abraham became the father of Isaac and he circumcised Isaac on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of Israel’s twelve patriarchs. The patriarchs were Israel’s fathers but they sold their brother Joseph to be a slave in Egypt out of jealousy. However, God was with Joseph and caused the Pharaoh to put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. Then when a famine struck Egypt and Canaan, Jacob sent their fathers to Egypt to buy grain. On their second trip to Egypt, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers. Joseph sent for his father Jacob who brought his whole family, 75 in all, down to Egypt where Joseph could take care of them. God used Joseph, who they rejected, to rescue them and preserve their family. They settled in Egypt and died there, but they were brought back and buried in Canaan in the tomb Abraham had bought in Shechem.

The crucial moments in Israel’s nearly 2000 year history revolved around God calling Abraham, the calling of Moses, the Exodus and the giving of the law. In addition God uniquely shaped the lives of Joseph and Moses in order to rescue Israel. Again, Stephen tells this story to indicate how Moses, like Joseph, was Israel’s rejected rescuer. Stephen also pointed out how God called the place where God revealed Himself and His saving purpose ‘holy ground’. The Israelites multiplied in Egypt but they became enslaved by a Pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph. This Pharaoh forced them to throw out their newborn babies and this is when Moses was born. Moses was protected by his parents for three months then he was then placed outside. Pharaoh’s own daughter recused Moses and raised him as her own son in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. 40 years later, Moses saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite. He killed the Egyptian and he thought the Israelites would realize that God was using him to rescue them but they didn’t. The next day Moses tried to reconcile two Israelites who were fighting, but the Israelite who was in the wrong said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?  Do you want to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?’  So Moses fled Egypt and settled in Midian, and another 40 years had passed when the Lord called Moses from the flames of a burning bush near Mount Sinai. The Lord revealed Himself to Moses as the God of his fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and he told Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. God went on to say that He had seen the oppression of His people in Egypt and He had come down to rescue them. They had rejected Moses but God would send the very same Moses back to Egypt to deliver Israel out of Egypt (Acts 7:17-34). Moses did signs and wonders, leading Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and for 40 years in the desert.

This is the Moses who was with the Israelites in the assembly in the desert and who God spoke to on Mt. Sinai giving him living words to pass on to them. Again, Stephen emphasizes how their fathers had rejected Moses and the law. The rejected Moses who had fled to Midian was called by God to return to Egypt to rescue Israel. Moses delivered Israel out of Egypt and he was given words of life, referring to the 10 commandments. But Israel turned back to Egypt in their hearts when they had Aaron make an idol for them to worship. This would happen again and God would carry them away into exile in Babylon. Stephen points out that they did this even though they had the tabernacle with them. Under Joshua they brought the tabernacle with into the land they took from the nations God drove out before them. The tabernacle remained in the land until David asked to build a house for the God of Jacob, though it was Solomon, David’s son, who would build the temple. While the temple was a more permanent dwelling for God, but Stephen points out that no man-made temple could contain the Lord of heaven and earth. Stephen concluded by saying that his hearers were no different than those who had persecuted the prophets. They were like those who killed those who predicted the coming of the ‘righteous one’ for they had murdered Jesus. They were stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and resistant to the Holy Spirit. They had the law but they didn’t obey it. His hearers were enraged but Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, saw heaven open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Refusing to listen, they dragged Stephen out of the city and they laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him to death Stephen, in imitation of Jesus, prayed, “Lord, receive my spirit” and, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:39-60).

Those opposing Stephen had descended from Abraham, but they weren’t obeying God like Abraham. They had accused Stephen of speaking against the law but they were being like their forefathers who had rejected Moses and the commandments God. Instead of acting like heirs of the Abrahamic covenant they were the heirs of those who persecuted the prophets and killed those who foretold the coming of the righteous one. They were like those who had the tabernacle in the wilderness but God wasn’t with them. For the ‘Most High’ doesn’t live man-made temples for the prophets had said that Heaven is God’s throne, and the earth is God’s footstool. Stephen’s vision demonstrates that the temple was superseded by Jesus. The high priest and the religious leaders condemned Stephen but Stephen’s Daniel 7 like vision of Jesus showed that Israel’s history culminated in Jesus and that Jesus stood as Stephen’s advocate. The story shows how important it is to be able to tell the story of Jesus as the climax of the Old Testament story. Then with the story of Jesus as the foundation, the ongoing story of the church is the continuation of the Jesus story.