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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
II. The passive scatter was changed into the
positive spread (v.4).
III. Philip went down to the city of
IV. Simon practiced sorcery was conquered (v.9-13).
V. Peter and John laid their hands on the believers
of
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
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
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
YLT: “And Saul was
assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution upon the
assembly in
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
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
“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
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
YLT: “And Philip having
gone down to a city of
The
Background:
Literal Meaning: “Then Philip went down to
the city of
“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
YLT: “And a certain man,
by name Simon, was before in the city using magic, and amazing the nation of
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
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
YLT: “And the apostles in
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
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
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
“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
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
YLT: “They indeed,
therefore, having testified fully, and spoken the word of the Lord, did turn
back to
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
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
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
“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
“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
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 (
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
“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 (
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 (
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
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 “
“Till he came to Caesarea” There were about a hundred kilometers from
Azotus to
III. Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Persecution Became Greater
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
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
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
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
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
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 Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren