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Acts Chapter Eight

                             

I. Content of the Chapter

 

The Spread of the Witness

I. The reason for the scatter------a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem (v.1-3).

II. The passive scatter was changed into the positive spread (v.4).

III. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached (v.5-8).

IV. Simon practiced sorcery was conquered (v.9-13).

V. Peter and John laid their hands on the believers of Samaria so that they received the Holy Spirit (v.14-17).

VI. Simon wanted to purchase gifts by money (v.18-24).

VII. Peter and John preached the gospel on the way back to the city of Jerusalem (v.25).

VIII. Philip was guided by the Spirit to go near the eunuch (v.26-29).

IX. Philip, beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to the eunuch (v.30-35).

X. The eunuch believed and was baptized (v.36-38).

XI. The eunuch went on his way rejoicing (v.39).

XII. Philip preached from Azotus to Caesarea (v.40).

  

II. Verse by Verse commentary

 

Acts. 8:1 “Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

   YLT: “And Saul was assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution upon the assembly in Jerusalem, all also were scattered abroad in the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles;”

   Meaning of Words: “consenting”: assent to, feel gratified with, have pleasure; “persecution”: squeeze, oppression; “scatter”: sow throughout, distribute in foreign lands.

   Literal Meaning: “Now Saul was consenting to his death” “Saul” was the name of Paul the Apostle. It is said that the reason why Luke knew the fact of Stephen’s trial and death was that Paul told him. The death of Stephen must have given Paul an indelible impression deeply.

The reason why Paul persecuted and injured men was that he did it ignorantly (1Tim. 1:13).

  “At that time” “That time” refers to the day when Stephen was martyred (See Acts. 7:57-60).

“The church which was at Jerusalem” It is the first time in the New Testament that the placename is used to call the church, showing that she is a local church (Acts. 13:1; Rom. 16:1; 1Cor. 1:2; 1Thess. 1:1; Rev. 1:11). It is used to differentiate the local church from the universal church.

“Except the apostles” Some Bible exegetes held that this sentence meant that, “only the apostles stayed in Jerusalem and the other disciples were all scattered throughout other places”. In other words, only the apostles were able to withstand the persecution because of their boldness (Acts. 4:13) and they got the concession and tolerance of the enemies (Acts. 5:38-40). However, this point of view is rather unfair and it conflicts with the later condition that how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law (Acts. 21:20).

The more acceptable point of view is that: 1) this persecution is mainly towards the Grecian believers among whom Stephen and Phillip are the leaders (Acts. 6:1) because they held that attitude of not sticking to the Law (Acts. 6:13-14); 2) the apostles and the Hebrew believers seemed to incline to observe the Law strictly (Acts. 15:1; 21:20) and therefore they had not been persecuted by the Jews.

  “And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” The spiritual reasons why a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem and the disciples were all scattered throughout the regions are as follows: 1) the Jews resisted the Holy Spirit again and again and killed Stephen and therefore they suffered God’s sacred reaction------God abandoned them temporarily and made the salvation be come unto the Gentiles (Rom. 11:11); 2) the church which was at Jerusalem became a church with considerable scale and it was about to become “a tree” from “a grain of mustard” (Matt. 13:31-32). And therefore God had to stretch out His hand to scatter them; 3) the Lord previously commanded them to be His witness to the end of the earth (Acts. 1:8), however, they were satisfied with one place. And therefore the Lord had to arise the circumstances to force them to scatter.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Many times, circumstances of persecution and tribulations are allowed by the Lord in order to fulfill His will.

2) If we encounter negative circumstances, we should not lose heart or faint and should contrarily surrender ourselves to the Lord positively in order to make the negative circumstances have positive effect. 

 

Acts. 8:2 “And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

   YLT: “and devout men carried away Stephen, and made great lamentation over him;”

   The Background: According to the Talmud “Mishnah”, the criminals who were stoned to death were regarded as rubbish of the world and they could only be buried carelessly and whom men were not allowed to lament.

   Literal Meaning: “devout men” refer to those who fear God. These men may be believers.

  “And made great lamentation over him” It indicates that they mourned for his death and sympathized with his being putting to death and it also implies their passive resistance to the potentate.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The power of darkness could close the mouth of the preacher by the execution of death, however, it could not weaken the influence of the martyr upon men.

2) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted (Matt. 5:4).

 

Acts. 8:3 “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

   YLT: “and Saul was making havoc of the assembly, into every house entering, and haling men and women, was giving them up to prison;”

   Meaning of Words: “make havoc of”: ravage, trample on, devastate; “commit to”: deliver, surrender.

   Literal Meaning: “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church” “Made havoc of” in the Greek means the brutal cruelty. It is used to indicate that a wild hog tramples on the vineyard and the beast snaps a man incessantly. Moreover, the imperfect tense is used here to refer to the continuous action.

  “Entering every house” At that time, the church which was at Jerusalem gathered together in every house (Acts. 2:46) and therefore if someone wanted to seize men, he had to enter every house to see whether there were many people gathering together.

  “And dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” Please note that the objects who were persecuted also included women.

  This verse shows that Saul was the main character who planed to persecute the church which was at Jerusalem at that time (Acts. 22:3-5; 26:9-11; 1Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13, 22-23; Pill. 3:6; 1Tim. 1:13).

 

Acts. 8:4 “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

   YLT: “they then indeed, having been scattered, went abroad proclaiming good news -- the word.”

   Meaning of Words: “were scattered”: sow throughout, distribute in foreign lands; “preaching the word”: preach the word of the gospel (logos).

   Literal Meaning: that the gospel was preached everywhere is not of the active plan of the church but the arrangement of God’s hand------they were scattered went everywhere passively because of persecution.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Believers are forced to be scattered, however, they did not seek refuge. They arrived everywhere just as seeds were sowed throughout (the original meaning of “being scattered”) and spread the word of God’s life to make it sprout and grow.

2) Gathering is to enjoy the Lord’s abundance in fellowship and scatter is for the spread of the gospel.

3) Persecution cannot cool the zeal of believers and contrarily gives them opportunities of contacting with the outside world and preaching the gospel.

4) Many times, men’s evil works are contrarily utilized by God and become the opportunities of doing good things to the children of God.

5) Today the Lord scatters us everywhere by various circumstances, e.g. war, migration, change of jobs and etc. We should also learn from those who are scattered and spread the gospel of the Lord. Thus, our actions in various circumstances would have the spiritual value.

6) The feature of the life of God is that: the more the pressure is, the more powerful it will be. The more pressure believers suffer, the greater their life will be manifested.

 

Acts. 8:5 “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.

   YLT: “And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching to them the Christ,”

   The Background: Samaria was the main region of the northern kingdom of Israel in the dispensation of Old Testament, i.e. the location of the capital (1Kings. 16:24, 29). The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria about A.D. 700. The majority of the Jews were forced to move to foreign lands and men of other races moved into the cities within borders (2Kings. 17:6, 24). From then on, people there became men that were mixed with the Jews and other races and their descendants were Samaria. The history tells us that they had the Pentateuch and worshiped God according to the part of the Old Testament that they had. However, the Jews did not admit that they were the Jewish people.

   Literal Meaning: Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria” “Philip” was not Philip the Apostle (Matt. 10:3) but one of the seven ministers in the church which was at Jerusalem (Acts. 6:5). He was later called Philip the evangelist (Acts. 21:8). “Down” means going down to the lower terrain. “The city of Samaria” refers to the ancient capital of Samaria.

  “And preached Christ” There is a definite article before “Christ” in the original. It shows that what they preached is the message concerning the Messiah. In other words, Jesus is Christ.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Though the Jews despised the Samarians, Philip preached the gospel to them. Gospel is unto salvation to every one that believes (Rom. 1:16). When preaching the gospel, we should break through the hedges of races and we should not discriminate against others.

2) Christ is the content and center of gospel. There is not the gospel without Christ.

 

Acts. 8:6 “And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

   YLT: “the multitudes also were giving heed to the things spoken by Philip, with one accord, in their hearing and seeing the signs that he was doing,”

   Literal Meaning: with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip” “with one accord” shows that the multitudes had the unified response. “Heeded the things spoken by Philip” shows that they received the gospel that Philip preached.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Philip was merely one of the seven ministers and his work of the gospel was of great effect, showing that the spiritual works do not lie in positions and qualification but our mind towards the Lord.

2) The gospel should not only “be heard” but also “be seen” by men. If we want to have effect when preaching the gospel, we have to make our “deeds” be in accordance with our “words” (Phil. 1:27).

 

Acts. 8:7 “For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

   YLT: “for unclean spirits came forth from many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who have been paralytic and lame were healed,”

   Literal Meaning: unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice” “Crying with a loud voice” shows their great unwillingness towards their being cast out.

  This verse shows two kinds of healing: 1) the spiritual healing------casting out unclean spirits; 2) the physical healing------relief of pain.

   Spiritual Meaning: “many who were possessed” symbolizes that they were controlled by the power of darkness. And therefore casting out unclean spirits symbolizes that men are saved and delivered from the power of darkness.

  “Many who were paralyzed and lame” symbolizes the weakness of men’s flesh------for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I do not find (Rom. 7:18).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The gospel could not only deliver us from the bondage of sins but also release us from the control of Satan.

2) Anyone who is a hearer of word but not a doer, as “the one who is paralyzed and lame”, knows how to do but cannot do.

 

Acts. 8:8 “And there was great joy in that city.

   YLT: “and there was great joy in that city.”

   Literal Meaning: where the gospel is preached, the two great sufferings of the world are solved: 1) the suffering that men are controlled by the power of darkness (1John. 5:9); 2) the suffering of the weakness of the flesh (Rom. 7:24). And therefore the gospel is able to bring men joy.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Where the gospel is received, there is “great joy”. The true effect of the gospel is to bring men joy.

2) When preaching, if we only tell men the passive condemnation and do not show them the positive way, we preach “the bad tidings” in stead of “the glad tidings”. Such preaching only brings men sadness and suffering instead of joy.

 

Acts. 8:9 “But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,

   YLT: “And a certain man, by name Simon, was before in the city using magic, and amazing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be a certain great one,”

   Meaning of Words: “astonish”: amazed, be beside self, be petrified.

   Literal Meaning: who previously practiced sorcery in the city” “sorcery” refers to the heathen magic.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The heathens also practice sorcery and therefore we should never regard all supernatural signs as “miracles”.

2) If one seeks signs and wonders blindly, he may fall in the trap of Satan unconsciously.

 

Acts. 8:10 “to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.’”

   YLT: “to whom they were all giving heed, from small unto great, saying, `This one is the great power of God;'”

   Literal Meaning: This man is the great power of God” Simon may call himself god or god’s representative on the earth.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Today in the heathen groups of Christianity, some people call themselves “god” or “god’s representative of authority”. They claim that they are someone great as Simon.

2) We should never honor anyone above what is written (1Cor. 4:6), lest we defend others and ourselves.

 

Acts. 8:11 “And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.

   YLT: “and they were giving heed to him, because of his having for a long time amazed them with deeds of magic.”

   Meaning of Words: “heed”: pay attention to; “a long time”: a long period of time; “astonish”: amaze, bewitch, be petrified.

 

Acts. 8:12 “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

   YLT: “And when they believed Philip, proclaiming good news, the things concerning the reign of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women;”

   Literal Meaning: “preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God” When preaching the gospel, we have to preach the kingdom of God (Mark. 1:15). In fact, preaching the kingdom of God includes preaching Christ because the kingdom of God begins when the Savior Jesus Christ is sowed in the hearts of believers as the seed of life for men (Mark. 4:26; 1Pet. 1:23; 1John. 3:9) and the sphere of authority of God is developed on the earth.

 

Acts. 8:13 “Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

   YLT: “and Simon also himself did believe, and, having been baptized, he was continuing with Philip, beholding also signs and mighty acts being done, he was amazed.”

   Literal Meaning: Then Simon himself also believed” Please note that here it does not show the problem of the faith of Simon though some Bible exegetes doubted that his motive may be impure: 1) he did not want to lose his previous position in the hearts of people (See v.11); 2) he was interested in the great signs of Philip (See v.13); 3) he wanted to learn to do signs from Philip for his own use (See v.19).

 

Acts. 8:14 “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

   YLT: “And the apostles in Jerusalem having heard that Samaria hath received the word of God, did send unto them Peter and John,”

   Literal Meaning: they sent Peter and John to them” “sent” means setting apart. Though Peter and John were leaders of the apostles at that time, they were sent by the apostles. It shows that nobody is in a prominent position so that he only sends others and does not receive others’ sending. The deeds of workers of the Lord are restrained by the fellow-workers.

    The apostles in Jerusalem were originally instructed “the word of God”. They sent Peter and John to Samaria because they showed their deep concern over whether the word preached there was pure and therefore their deeds mean proof, help and enjoyment of the word of God. Here it does not mean that “the head supervises and interferes in the local branches”.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Every worker is the one who is restrained. The more one is of spirit, the more he is restrained.

2) There is only the relationship of communion and help instead of subordinate among churches in various regions.

 

Acts. 8:15 “who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

   YLT: “who having come down did pray concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit, --”

   Literal Meaning: that they might receive the Holy Spirit” It does not mean that the believers of Samaria did not have the indwelling spirit when they believed the Lord. Every one who truly repents and believes the Lord Jesus shall receive the Holy Spirit who dwells in him (Acts. 2:38; Rom. 8:9). Here the so-called “receive the Holy Spirit” refers to “the falling upon of the Holy Spirit” (See v.16; Acts. 1:8), i.e. “the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit” (Acts. 2:17-18). The Holy Spirit comes upon or pours out upon men so that men shall receive power to work for the Lord and be witnesses of the Lord.

 

Acts. 8:16 “For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

   YLT: “for as yet he was fallen upon none of them, and only they have been baptized -- to the name of the Lord Jesus;”

   Meaning of Words: “fall upon”: fall upon from above.

   Literal Meaning: For as yet He had fallen upon none of them” “Falling” shows that the Holy Spirit falls upon men from above. Believers of Samaria had already obtained the indwelling spirit, however, they did not obtain the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. And therefore the functions of the Holy Spirit had not been manifested clearly and others could not notice that clearly and immediately.

They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” “Only” shows that baptism and the falling of the Holy Spirit are two different things. The baptism of water is not the baptism of the spirit. “Been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” is “been baptized to the name of the Lord Jesus” in the original. One’s name represents his reality and the name of the Lord Jesus represents the reality of Jesus Christ. And therefore “to the name of the Lord Jesus” means “being spiritually and mysteriously united to Christ”. Believers who buried with Christ in baptism also are risen with Him (Col. 2:12) so that they receive the resurrection life of Christ and in the life they have the mysterious union with Christ.

 

Acts. 8:17 “Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

   YLT: “then were they laying hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

   Literal Meaning: Then they laid hands on them” “Laying hands on” means union; the apostles represented the body of Christ and they united with them through laying their hands on them and received them into the body of Christ.

   “And they received the Holy Spirit” The anointing oil of the Holy Spirit was previously poured out upon the head Christ (Matt. 3:16) and the oil ran down from the head Christ to the body------the church------on the day of Pentecost (Acts. 2:1-4). The apostles laid their hands on men, representing that the body accepted them in. And therefore the anointing oil of the body------the Holy Spirit------through them ran down upon those who had been laid hands on and received in (Ps. 133:2).

  Note1: the coming of the Holy Spirit is specially recorded four times in the Acts of the Apostles: the first time is that the Holy Spirit came upon the Jewish disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts. 2:1-4); the second time is that the Holy Spirit came upon Samaria (the Jews mixed with the Gentiles) (Acts. 8:16-17); the third time is that the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his friends and relatives (Acts. 10:44-48; 11:15-16); the fourth time is that the Holy Spirit came upon the twelve disciples in Ephesus (Acts. 19:1-7) and some Bible experts held that they were Greek. Except these four times, the example that the Holy Spirit came upon men is not recorded in the Bible. Even on the day of Pentecost when three thousands men were baptized to the Lord and that day when the number of people who believed the Lord reached five thousands, the Holy Spirit’ coming upon men is not recorded (Acts. 2:41; 4:4). It shows that the four times have the meaning of representative and they represent that in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts. 1:8), all the Jews and the Gentile believers received the baptism of the spirit and were baptized into one body (1Cor. 12:13).

Among the four times that the Holy Spirit came upon men, the apostles laid their hands on men two times (Acts. 8:17; 19:6) and men had not been laid hands on the other two times because 1) on the day of Pentecost, nobody could be representatives of the church and the Holy Spirit directly came upon men from above; 2) in the house of Cornelius, Peter did not clearly understand the will of God at that time and he did not dare to represent the church to receive the Gentile believers. And therefore the fact that Holy Spirit directly came upon men reminded Peter that God had accepted the Gentile believers (Acts. 11:15-17).

Note2: the “baptism” in the previous verse stresses on one’s individual being saved and “laying hands on” in this verse stresses on building the body of Christ. “Baptism” declares that I have departed from the world passively and “laying hands on” declares that I have been in the body positively.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Though Philip was full of the power of the Holy Spirit, the believers of Samaria received the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit when Peter and John laid their hands on them and prayed for them. It shows that: a) no matter how many spiritual gifts one has, he cannot depart from the principle of the body of Christ; b) the Lord’s workers have to cooperate with each other.

2) No matter how many differences we have before we believe the Lord, after we have believed Him, in the church there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28).

 

Acts. 8:18 “And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,

   YLT: “And Simon, having beheld that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Spirit is given, brought before them money,”

   Literal Meaning: And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given” Later “Simony” is deduced from the name “Simon” and it refers to obtaining the positions of the church through improper transactions.

    The Holy Spirit is invisible to eyes, however, here it is recorded that the Holy Spirit is seen, showing that it indicates that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were manifested upon men instead of that the Holy Spirit dwelled in men.

 

Acts. 8:19 “saying, Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’”

   YLT: “saying, `Give also to me this authority, that on whomsoever I may lay the hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.'”

   Meaning of Words: “power”: privilege, authority, mastery.

 

Acts. 8:20 “But Peter said to him, Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!

   YLT: “And Peter said unto him, `Thy silver with thee -- may it be to destruction! because the gift of God thou didst think to possess through money;”

   Literal Meaning: Your money perish with you” “Perishing” has two aspects of meanings: 1) to unbelievers, it refers to the eternal perdition (John. 17:12); 2) to believers, it refers to the temporary perdition of punishment (Heb. 10:39).

Concerning whether it was sincere or not that Simon repented and believed the Lord, the Bible exegetes had two opposite kinds of opinions: the god-father Justin and others held that he was still a Christian and he thought that he could purchase the gifts of the Holy Spirit by money because of ignorance. 2) Other Bible exegetes held that he was a false believer and he was amazed (v.13) and admired the other who had higher signs and therefore his “believing” was a kind of “superstition”.

    The editor of this book inclined to accept the former opinion that “he was a Christian” and the reasons are as follows: 1) it is written in the Bible that he believed and was baptized (v.13). We could not doubt that the “believing” in the Bible is not true; 2) believers also have corrupt conditions and we could not conclude that one believer has not been saved (1Cor. 5:5) because of his corrupt condition; 3) many believers fall in money and fame and gain like Simon, however, we could say that the falling Christians are not Christians; 4) “Your money perish with you” in this verse indicates that if he did not depart from the bondage of this evil thing (v.22-23) for the rest of his life, he and his money will be punished together after death.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Many people call themselves Christians and their motives are for the economic, educational and material benefits.

2) We may desire and seek spiritual gifts (1Cor. 14:1), however, they cannot be purchased by money.

 

Acts. 8:21 “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.

   YLT: “thou hast neither part nor lot in this thing, for thy heart is not right before God;”

   Meaning of Words: “part”: companion, portion, share; “portion”: lot, inheritance, bear; “not right”: incorrect, not straight.

   Literal Meaning: “in this matter” “this matter” (account) refers to the gifts of God (v.20).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) “Your heart is not right in the sight of God”. Among all the counterfeit goods of faith, the most abominable one is allowing our hearts to change. In fact, the true faith is to cherish the love of Christ in our hearts------Whitefield.

2) In the church, we should make our hearts right and simple and we should never bring in the evil thoughts of transaction, fame and gain and others. 

3) Concerning anyone who wants to gain something for himself, even the spiritual gain, and compares it with others, “his heart is not right” in the sight of God.

 

Acts. 8:22 “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

   YLT: “reform, therefore, from this thy wickedness, and beseech God, if then the purpose of thy heart may be forgiven thee,”

   Meaning of Words: “repent”: the change of minds; “wickedness”: evil, badness; “thought”: attention of the mind, attempt.

 

Acts. 8:23 “For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.’”

   YLT: “for in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness, I perceive thee being.'”

   Literal Meaning: For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness” “Being poisoned by bitterness” is the Hebrew metaphor and it shows that one worships idols and abandons God and consequently his behaviors bring bitterness to himself and those whom he deceives (Deut. 29:18).

  “And bound by iniquity” “The iniquity” of Simon lies in the greedy heart and the spirit of jealousy.

 

Acts. 8:24 “Then Simon answered and said, Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.’”

   YLT: “And Simon answering, said, `Beseech ye for me unto the Lord, that nothing may come upon me of the things ye have spoken.'”

   Literal Meaning: Pray to the Lord for me” According to this verse some Bible exegetes condemned that Simon did not repent sincerely. It may be too assertive because many true Christians also ask others to pray for them (See James. 5:14).

 

Acts. 8:25 “So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

   YLT: “They indeed, therefore, having testified fully, and spoken the word of the Lord, did turn back to Jerusalem; in many villages also of the Samaritans they did proclaim good news.”

   Literal Meaning: So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord,” “Had testified the word of the Lord” indicated that they used their individual experience of the Lord to bear witness to the word of the Lord. “Preached the word of the Lord” indicates that they preached and taught according to the revelation of the Lord.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The word of the Lord could be testified. Anyone who has subjectively experienced the resurrection life of the Lord can testify that the Lord that we believe is true and living.

2) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season (2Tim. 4:2). We should use all kinds of opportunities to preach the gospel for the Lord.

 

Acts. 8:26 “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert.

   YLT: “And a messenger of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, `Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza,' -- this is desert.”

   Literal Meaning: “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip” Here “an angel of the Lord” is a synonym with “the Spirit” in v.29.

  “Arise and go toward the south” “South” in the original also means “noon” and therefore it could also be explained that, “though it is at noon, he had to arise and go immediately”.

  “Along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” “Gaza” was about more than one hundred kilometers away from Samaria and it was a narrow corridor along the sea which was the only way to Egypt. The west of it is the Mediterranean Sea and the east of it is a large desert.

  “This is desert” This sentence should be Luke’s additional explanation instead of the word of the Lord’s angel. “Desert” is the place where there are few people. Luke explained it, obviously stressing on the “unusual” commandment from the angel to Philip.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Once we have gained the communion of the Holy Spirit, though it is under the burning sun, we should obey the Spirit immediately and should not hesitate because of perspiration.

2) “This is desert” Desert is the place where nobody lives. God’s wonderful guidance makes Philip help the eunuch with great authority receive the Lord Jesus there. There are many deserts in our lives, however, in every lonely circumstance, we shall have the opportunities of service if we are able to wait with endurance. At the unexpected time, there are men who always need our help.

3) Thomas a Kempi said that, “what matters is not much service to God but whether we fully please God” (it is translated from the Chinese version). We shall go to wherever God has asked us to go regardless of the desert.

 

Acts. 8:27 “So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,

   YLT: “And having arisen, he went on, and lo, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of rank, of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship to Jerusalem;”

   Literal Meaning: a man of Ethiopia” The majority of the Bible exegetes hold that this word refers to “Cush” in the Old Testament at that time, i.e. “Sudan” today which is in the northeast of Africa.

  “A eunuch of great authority” “Eunuch” is the title of an officer. He may be not a eunuch. According to the Law of Moses, eunuch is not allowed to enter in the temple to worship (Deut. 23:1).

  “Under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury” “Candace” is the title of the queen in that country, just as the king of Egypt is called “pharaoh”; “who had charge of all here treasury” is the financial minister today.

  “And had come to Jerusalem to worship” If this eunuch did not convert to Judaism officially, he must be a pious Gentile who feared God.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The guidance of the Holy Spirit is unexpected (“behold”).

2) Philip saved a man of great influence in the unexpected place------“desert” because he obeyed the Holy Spirit. We should fully obey the Holy Spirit and His guidance though sometimes it is hard to understand them so that many wonderful things may happen to us.

 

Acts. 8:28 “was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

   YLT: “he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.”

   Literal Meaning: it shows that the eunuch not only feared God but also sought to know Him fervently.

 

Acts. 8:29 “Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and overtake this chariot.’”

   YLT: “And the Spirit said to Philip, `Go near, and be joined to this chariot;'”

   Literal Meaning: “Then the Spirit said to Philip” How does the Holy Spirit speak to men? The Spirit may speak through the angel (See v.26), however, He may also speak to men through men’s inner instinct. All the work of the Holy Spirit are done in our spirit (Rom. 8:16). Instinct is the sense in men’s spirit and it is neither the physical feelings nor thoughts. It is the sense of the spirit. The voice of the Holy Spirit could be heard in the instinct. Men can hear Him in the instinct. We cannot hear Him by the physical ears or guess Him by thoughts.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Those who lay stress on rationality always seek the Holy Spirit through thoughts. Those who are fervent and lack the knowledge of the Bible and who are spiritually naïve want to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit by the physical ears. These ways all lead men to go astray. It is these men that are deceived by Satan. If believers of today do not serve the Lord by obeying their inner instinct, they may walk beyond the will of God.

2) Preaching the gospel does not rely on men’s power but the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

3) If we want to preach the gospel to someone, we have to “go near” him------get close to him and contact with him in order to gain his favorable impression. Paul said that, I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some (1Cor. 9:22).

 

Acts. 8:30 “So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you are reading?’”

   YLT: “and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, `Dost thou then know what thou dost read?'”

   Literal Meaning: “So Philip ran to him” “Ran” shows that his obedience is diligent.

  “And heard him reading the prophet Isaiah” Men in the old times were accustomed to reading the book aloud.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) When preaching the gospel, we should learn from Philip and obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit------look upon the Holy Spirit and know whom we should see and what we should say.

2) If men have obeyed the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the first time (v.26-27), it will be easy for them to continually obey the Holy Spirit (v.29-30).

3) When preaching, we should not be afraid of being asked. Many times, question is a good way to open a dialogue.

 

Acts. 8:31 “And he said, How can I, unless someone guides me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

   YLT: “and he said, `Why, how am I able, if some one may not guide me?' he called Philip also, having come up, to sit with him.”

   Literal Meaning: this verse shows that the eunuch had two merits at least: 1) he was brave to admit his limitation and ignorance; 2) he was willing to turn to others for advice humbly.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) “How can I, unless someone guides me?” Today many people hold that, “we should read the Bible only and should not read the reference book”. However, there are many difficult points in the Bible (especially the Old Testament) and keys are needed to open the mysteries.

2) Believers should not despise prophecies and should test all things (1Thess. 5:20-21).

 

Acts. 8:32 “The place in the Scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

   YLT: “And the contents of the Writing that he was reading was this: `As a sheep unto slaughter he was led, and as a lamb before his shearer dumb, so he doth not open his mouth;”

   Literal Meaning: The place in the Scripture which he read” is Is. 53:6-8. These verses predict the redeemer Christ.

  He was led as a sheep to the slaughter” It predicts that the Lord Jesus was the lamb that bore the sin of men (John. 1:29) and was led to be crucified in Golgotha (Mark. 15:22).

  And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth” It predicts that the Lord Jesus kept silent before the council and the governor and did not defend for Himself (Matt. 26:63; 27:14).

 

Acts. 8:33 “In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.’”

   YLT: “in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and his generation -- who shall declare? because taken from the earth is his life.'”

   Literal Meaning: In His humiliation His justice was taken away” It predicts that the Lord Jesus suffered injustice under the hand of men and the Holy and Just one was condemned (Matt. 27:24-26; Acts. 3:14).

  And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth” It predicts that the Lord Jesus suffered death on the cross and it was a great event which had not occurred through all ages.

 

Acts. 8:34 “So the eunuch answered Philip and said, I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?’”

   YLT: “And the eunuch answering Philip said, `I pray thee, about whom doth the prophet say this? about himself, or about some other one?'”

   Literal Meaning: I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” This sentence shows that the eunuch understood the condition of the suffering of injustice which was described in the Bible and he did not understand it was whom that suffered such injustice. It includes that: 1) what was the position of this man before God? 2) why did God let Him suffer such treatment?

 

Acts. 8:35 “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

   YLT: “and Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him -- Jesus.”

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The Bible typifies and predicts Christ in all aspects and therefore if one wants to know Christ, he has to read the Bible.

2) Christ is the central content of the Bible. And if one wants to understand the Bible, he has to find out Christ in the Bible.

 

Acts. 8:36 “Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’”

   YLT: “And as they were going on the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch said, ‘Lo, water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?'”

   Literal Meaning: See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” From the words, we could know that when Philip preached the gospel to the eunuch, he must have mentioned the necessity of “baptism”. And the word “here is water” shows that baptism is not the symbolic sprinkling but immersing the whole body into water and therefore “some water” is needed.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) When preaching, we should not only lead men to believe but also lead them to receive baptism. And therefore we should also preach “the baptism” when preaching.

2) The example that the Bible shows us is that men should be baptized the moment they receive the gospel (Acts. 2:41; 8:12; 37-38; 16:33). Those who have received the gospel do not need to wait for a long time and learn to understand the whole Bible gradually and then receive the baptism.

 

Acts. 8:37 “Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’”

   YLT: “[And Philip said, `If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;' and he answering said, `I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;']”

   Literal Meaning: “if you believe with all your heart, you may” “with all your heart” refers to the full belief instead of half belief and half doubt. Please note that here the “heart” does not refer to the mind but the heart.

  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” “Christ” is the appellation for the ministry of the Lord Jesus. “The Son of God” is the appellation for the identity of the Lord Jesus. He is Christ who comes to accomplish the will and plan of God. He is the Son of God who comes to manifest and declare God Himself.

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The only condition for baptism is believing the Lord. He whoever truly believes the Lord and has the experience of being saved could be baptized.

2) “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” This sentence shows the object and content of Christians’ faith. 

3) Christ is related to the work of God and the Son of God is related to the life of God. The Lord Jesus is the Son of God and comes to be Christ of God. He does the work of God by the life of God and in the result, we believers obtain the life of God and are able to do the work of God by the life of God.

 

Acts. 8:38 “So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

   YLT: “and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him;”

   Literal Meaning: And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water” When the eunuch was baptized, he went down into the water fully and he “came up out of the water” (v.39) after baptism. It shows that baptism is to immerse the whole body into water and it is the way of baptism that the Bible appoints. 

   Spiritual Meaning: “went down into the water” The one who is baptized is immersed into water, showing that he has died and buried with the Lord (Rom. 6:4).

 

Acts. 8:39 “Now when they came 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.

   YLT: “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 was going on his way rejoicing;”

   Literal Meaning: “and he went on his way rejoicing” It is said that the eunuch made many Ethiopians become Christians after he returned. At least we could know that such one who went on his way rejoicing had to share the joy that he had found.

   Spiritual Meaning: “came up out of the water” One “came up out of the water” after baptism, showing that the one who is baptized lives with the Lord (Rom. 6:5, 8).

   Enlightenment in the Word:

1) The gospel makes men have relation with the Lord directly, however, today many preachers lay between the Lord and men and take forcible possession of those whom they have gained through the gospel and regard them as “their sheep” instead of “the Lord’s sheep”. “The Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away” makes him depart from the effect that he preached the gospel and does not let him keep men in his own hands.

2) Philip came freely in the Holy Spirit and went away clearly in the Holy Spirit. The guidance of the Holy Spirit is not restrained by the bondage of sensibilities, letters and words, traditions, organizations and etc at all. 

3) Though the eunuch did not see Philip any more, he still “went on his way rejoicing”. After believers have been saved, we should not rely on those who lead us and should look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

 

Acts. 8:40 “But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

   YLT: “and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, till his coming to Cesarea.”

  Literal Meaning: But Philip was found at Azotus” “Azotus” is the “Ashdod” in the Old Testament (1Sam. 5:1) and it is one of the five great cities of the Philistines. It is about thirty kilometers away from Gerar.

  “Till he came to Caesarea” There were about a hundred kilometers from Azotus to Caesarea. “Caesarea” is the section place where the Roman Empire set apart the governor of Palestine and most of its residents were Greek.

 

III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons

 

The Persecution Became Greater

I. From the few individuals (4:21; 5:17-18; 7:58) to the whole assembly (v.1).

II. From the public places to every house (v.3b).

III. From dealing with men to dragging off men and women, committing them to prison (v.3c).

 

Those Who Preach the Gospel

I. Those who are persecuted for the gospel (v.1-3).

II. Those who are scattered and become sowers (v.4).

III. Those who do not have the racial discrimination (v.5).

IV. Those who are full of the power of the Holy Spirit (v.6-7).

V. Those who bring men joy (v.8).

VI. Those who are able to baptize men in the name of the Lord (v.12, 16).

VII. Those who are able to share the Holy Spirit (v.15-18).

VIII. Those who are not influenced by money (v.18-20).

IX. Those who are able to testify the word of the Lord (v.25).

X. Those who are able to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit (v.26-27).

XI. Those who are diligent (v.29-30).

XII. Those who understand the Bible (v.30-35).

 

The Place of Preaching the Gospel

I. They were forced to preach in the scattered places (v.4).

II. They preached on their way returning to Jerusalem (v.25).

III. Philip was guided by the Holy Spirit to preach along the road to the desert (v.26, 35).

IV. He preached when passing through (v.40).

 

The Content of Preaching the Gospel

I. Preach the word of the gospel (v.4).

II. Preach Christ (v.5).

III. Preach the things concerning the kingdom of God (v.12).

IV. Preach the word of God (v.14).

V. Preach the word of the Lord (v.25).

VI. Preach the gospel (v.25, 40).

VII. Preach Jesus (v.35).

VIII. Preach the baptism (v.36-37).

 

The Way of Preaching the Gospel

I. Preach good new (v.4, 12, 25, 35, 40).

II. Proclaim (v.5).

III. Do wonders (v.6-7, 13).

IV. Testify and speak (v.25).

V. Guide (v.31).

VI. Explain the Bible (v.35).

 

The Proof of the Effect of Preaching the Gospel

I. Those who heard with one accord heeded the things spoken by him (v.6).

II. The spiritual power was manifested (v.7).

III. Great joy was brought to men (v.8).

IV. The multitudes believed and were baptized (v.12).

 

The Benefits of the Gospel to Men

I. Cast out unclean spirits (v.7).

II. Bring great joy (v.8).

III. Receive the Holy Spirit (v.17).

IV. Go on one’s way rejoicing (v.39).

 

Philip’s Example of Preaching

I. Obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit:

  A. Do not be afraid of being exposed to the sun (the “south” in v.26 in the original could be translated as “noon”).

  B. Do not be afraid of the long wade (v.26 “go toward the road which goes down to Gaza”).

  C. No matter it is the wilderness (v.26 “This is desert”).

  D. Obey immediately (v.27 “So he arose and went”).

II. The main points to contacting the other:

  A. Go near (v.29)------try to get close in order to find an opportunity to have a talk.

  B. Run to him (v.30a)------be diligent, lest the opportunity goes away.

  C. Hear him (v.30b)------understand the mind and problem of the other.

  D. Ask him (v.30c)------asking the question is a good way to make the other open.

III. He, beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus (v.35).

IV. Till he led men be saved fully (v.36-38).

V. He did not regard the one who has been saved as his own (v.39).

VI. He preached the gospel everywhere continually (v.40).

 

The Example of the Eunuch of Ethiopia

I. He had great authority and influence and was not controlled by authority and influence (v.27b).

II. He made light of long travelling in order to seek God (v.27c).

III. He read the Bible diligently (v.28).

IV. He humbly admitted that he did not understand something (v.30-31a).

V. He received the teachings humbly (v.31b. 34).

VI. He obeyed the teachings urgently (v.36-38).

VII. He was full of the joy of salvation (v.39b).

 

── Caleb HuangChristian Digest Bible Commentary Series

   Translated by Sharon Ren