ACTS CHAPTER 8:25-40, “Conversion Of The Ethiopian
Eunuch”
by
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our study today we will
see Philip called and in obedience leave the great revival he has started in
1.1.1.Philip leaves not even knowing that the Lord is calling him to share
the gospel with an Ethipian Eunuch
1.2.
We will see the Ethiopian
Eunuch get saved and then immediately be baptized
1.3.
Philip will then be
transported by the Holy Spirit to the city of
2.
VS 8:25 - “25 And
so, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they
started back to
2.1.
In this study, we see that Peter and John now had
gotten motivated and challenged to preach to the Samaritans themselves, having
visited the work that Phillip had begun in
2.2.
The Samaritans were half-breed Jews so in Peter’s
and John’s minds they did not see themselves as taking the gospel to the
gentiles at this point in time yet.
2.2.1.Peter will be called to
preach the gospel to a gentile named Cornelius in chapter 10, and this will be
a first for him.
3.
VS 8:26-27 - “26
But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go south to the
road that descends from
3.1.
This man, the Ethiopian Eunuch is a eunuch, however
the word eunuch can have a couple of different connotations as The New
Bible Dictionary has the following entry concerning eunuchs, “The primary meaning is ‘court
officer’. In Hebrew a secondary meaning is found, namely, a ‘castrate’ or
‘eunuch’. From Herodotus we learn that ‘in eastern countries eunuchs are valued
as being specially trustworthy in every way’ (8. 105, tr. Selingcourt). Such
persons were frequently employed by eastern rulers as officers of the
household. Hence, … it is sometimes difficult to know which of the two meanings
is intended or whether both are implied.”
3.2.
Matthew Henry writes telling us that there were two Ethiopias in
that day and that this was the Ethiopia that was down to the south of Egypt, “There
were two Ethiopias, one in Arabia, but that lay east from Canaan; it should
seem this was Ethiopia in Africa, which lay south, beyond Egypt, a great way
off from Jerusalem; for in Christ those that were afar off were made nigh,
according to the promise, that the ends of the earth should see the great
salvation.”
3.3.
The New Bible Dictionary records the following
concerning the origin of this Queen of Ethiopia named Candace, “In
Acts 8:27
3.4.
Notice the facts related in the story here:
3.4.1.It is an angel who speaks to
Philip telling that he is now to head down south towards
3.4.1.1.We saw already from Heb. 1:14 about how that angels were
ministering spirits sent out to render assistance to us who are inheriting
salvation, “14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out
to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?”
3.4.2.The city of
3.4.3.The angel could have
preached the gospel message to the Ethiopian Eunuch, however God has chosen not
angels but men to preach the gospel.
3.4.3.1.Angels do not have personal
experience of salvation so they do not make very good witnesses, plus it is
from the mind of God that He has chosen to use man to preach the gospel.
3.4.3.2.People need more than just
the scriptures in order to believe unto salvation, they need a preacher,
someone to preach to them the good news of the gospel as Paul writes in Rom.
10:14-15, “14 How
then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall
they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is
written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good
things!””
3.4.3.2.1.God wants to use each of us
Christians as evangelists for the preaching of the gospel.
3.4.4.The angel does not tell
Philip where he will end up nor what it is that he is being sent to do, so just
as with Abraham in obedience he goes out to a place he does not know to which
the Lord is calling him
3.4.5.Philip had learned to be an
obedient servant as he served as a deacon for the church in
3.4.6.The Ethiopian Eunuch was
different than most who are followers of the Lord, for he was man of prominence
and a high official under queen Candace of Ethiopia, in charge of all of her
treasures.
3.4.6.1.There are not many but there
are a few people of prominence who do make it into Christ’s kingdom and become
His servants.
3.4.7.The Ethiopian Eunuch was a
Jewish proselyte, a ‘gentile of the gate’, meaning that as a proselyte and not a
native born Jew, he was only allowed to come as far as the gate of the temple
and not into the temple itself.
3.4.7.1.The Ethiopian Eunuch is
really the first gentile convert to Christianity recorded in the book of Acts.
3.4.8.Some have surmised that the
Ethiopian Eunuch might have been a proselyte as a result of the influence of
the Queen of Sheba who a few centuries before this time came to
3.4.9.The Ethiopian Eunuch had a
great desire to worship and serve the Lord, and he desired to know the Lord in
a personal way, and thus he had traveled the 200 or so miles by chariot to
3.4.9.1.Many people have a desire to
know the Lord and thus they show up at church one day, however having merely
attended a worship service their curiosity and desire to know the Lord is
pacified enough that they are content to leave the service without inquiring
further about their spiritual need.
3.4.9.2.Some people object to
driving but just a few miles by car in order to worship God on a regular basis
and for them this Ethiopian Eunuch ought to cause them shame because of his
eagerness and determination to worship the Lord.
3.4.10.This Ethiopian was probably
riding in a chariot that was part of a caravan of chariots that were traveling
across the desert on this day when Philip ran up to his chariot.
3.4.11.As the name ‘Pharaoh’ was
popular among the kings of
4.
VS 8:28 - “28 And
he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.”
- The Ethiopian Eunuch is reading the
book of Isaiah when Philip approaches him
4.1.
We see here that there is perfect timing for Philip
the evangelist to show up on the scene, for here this Ethiopian Eunuch is
returning from worshipping in Jerusalem and not really having found what his
heart is looking for there, now he is reading from a chapter in the Bible that
just happens to be the best chapter in all of the Old Testament for teaching of
the work that the Messiah was to do when he came to earth.
4.1.1.We Christians need to
realize that there are no such things as accidents in this world for the Lord
is leading us in all that we do and He will use us in a great way if we will
allow ourselves to be available and usable by Him.
4.1.2.I think that if we
Christians were to be more committed to spreading the good news of the gospel
as was Philip at this moment in time that the Lord would miraculously lead
people into our path and do great and mighty works through our lives as He did
through Philip.
5.
VS 8:29 - “29 And
the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”” - The Holy Spirit speaks to Philip telling him
to go up to the Ethiopian Eunuch’s chariot
5.1.
An angel had originally spoken to Philip and told
him to start heading in this southerly direction, now we see that the Holy
Spirit has spoken to him and is leading him to join the man’s chariot.
5.2.
At the moment when the Holy Spirit tells Philip to
go up to the chariot, Philip is either running already or he begins running,
and this reveals the zeal and joy that he had in following the Lord’s leading.
6.
VS 8:30-31 - “30
And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and
said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how
could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit
with him.” - Philip hears the
Ethiopian Eunuch reading aloud chapter 53 of Isaiah, and Philip asks him if he
understands what it is that he is reading
6.1.
It is interesting to see how naturally this
conversation is begun by Philip, and his naturalness must have totally thrown
the Ethiopian Eunuch off guard, yet this is the way in which Jesus, the master
evangelist, witnessed to people, for Jesus just responded appropriately as a
witness to each situation under the Spirit’s leading and He did not bring up
issues or scriptures at inappropriate times.
6.2.
There are many spiritual principles that could be
seen operating in this situation:
6.2.1.Nothing ever happens by
accident.
6.2.1.1.Be careful not to attribute
things to luck then, etc.
6.2.2.The Lord knows how to reach
each and every person.
6.2.3.When we follow the leading
of the Holy Spirit in our lives and are faithful as an evangelist as the Lord
leads us, then He brings us to people who are in situations where we can say
just the very thing that they need to hear to bring them closer to accepting
Christ as their Lord and Savior.
6.2.4.As mentioned before, people
not only need to have the scriptures, but they also need someone to explain and
preach the truth of the scriptures to them since their minds are slow to
understand spiritual truth.
6.2.5.God could have chosen to use
angels to preach the gospel, however He has chosen man as His agency for
winning the world to Christ.
6.2.6.If a person has a teachable
heart, and willingness to consider the truth for what it is, then he will be in
the place where he can come to understand the gospel.
6.2.6.1.How important it is for all
of us as Christians to have a teachable heart.
In my work with Campus Crusade during my college years, the way we were
told to look for young men whom we could pour our lives into and disciple was
just to look for two characteristics in their life, for if they had those two
characteristics God would give them everything else that they needed to be used
mightily by Him:
6.2.6.1.1.A heart for God.
6.2.6.1.2.A teachable attitude.
6.3.
How awesome it is to follow the Lord’s leading and
to be looking for opportunities for the preaching of the gospel, for I believe
that there is nothing more exciting in life that a person can experience than
that of leading another person to faith in Christ for salvation.
6.3.1.I have seen over and over
again the person who led a person to Christ experience more blessings than even
the person who came to Christ.
7.
VS 8:32-34 - “32
Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a
sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before
its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. 33 “In humiliation His judgment was taken
away; Who shall relate His
generation? For His life is removed from
the earth.” 34 And the eunuch answered
Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of
himself, or of someone else?”” - The
Ethiopian Eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53:7-8 the prophesy about the
suffering servant who was to come
7.1.
I cannot think of a section of scripture in all of
the Old Testament that could create a better springboard for the preaching of
the gospel concerning Jesus Christ than this 53rd chapter of Isaiah,
so in this story you can see so clearly the Lord’s setting up of this
opportunity for Philip to witness to this Ethiopian Eunuch.
7.2.
Here we see the Ethiopian Eunuch asking a very good
question of Philip concerning whom the passage refers to, and we are wise when
we think to ask questions of our teachers about what passages in the scriptures
mean.
7.3.
I have often wondered how the nation of Israel and
those who practice Judaism can be so blind that when they read sections of the
Old Testament such as Isaiah chapter 53 they do not come to the conclusion that
the scripture must be teaching that their nation’s Messiah was to come and die
for the sins of God’s people, just exactly as Jesus did.
7.4.
From these verses in Isaiah we see that it was no
accidental or unfortunate death that happened to Jesus in dying upon the
cross. It was not that God’s primary
plan for Jesus was thwarted or refused of men and therefore Jesus fulfilled
God’s Plan B for His life. No, it was
from all eternity that God had planned to send His Son into the earth to die
for the sins of mankind.
7.4.1.In 1 Peter
1:18-21,
Peter writes that it was before the foundation of the worlds (i.e. before the
creation of anything) that Jesus Christ was to come to the earth to die for the
sins of mankind, “18 knowing that you were not redeemed with
perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited
from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and
spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of
the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who
through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him
glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
7.4.2.In Ephesians
1:3-6 Paul
wrote that even we who are believers in Christ were also chosen to receive
salvation before the foundation of the world, “3 Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He
predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace,
which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”
7.5.
You see, God is omnipotent, and He knows the end
from the beginning, so therefore there is nothing that ever will take the Lord
by surprise, and though we do not always understand why He chooses to do some
things the way He chooses to do them, we know that all things are working
together according to His plans.
8.
VS 8:35 - “35 And
Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to
him.” - Philip explained the
scriptures to the Ethiopian Eunuch beginning right there at those verses in
Isaiah 53:7-8
8.1.
It appears here that Philip went into a very
detailed preaching of the gospel to the Ethiopian Eunuch because after he was
done the man understood why the church had baptized new believers and how that
the baptism symbolized the change that had already occurred in a Christian’s
life in coming to salvation, and thus he immediately desired to be baptized.
8.2.
Phillip used the Old Testament book of Isaiah to preach
the gospel to this Ethiopian Eunuch but I just wonder how many of us could have
taken this same book and used it to preach the gospel to someone
effectively? This shows how important it
is to study God’s Word so that we can then become skillful swordsmen ourselves.
8.3.
Notice that Philip preached ‘Jesus’ to the Ethiopian
Eunuch not dogma, tradition, Churchianity, philosophy, psychology, humanism,
etc., etc.
8.3.1.If we Christians will stick
to simply and clearly preaching ‘Jesus’ to people from the scriptures and avoid
the other subjects as much as we can, then we will find that people will
respond to the gospel message, and then after they get saved God will begin to
teach them doctrine and the deep truths of
scripture.
8.3.2.I’m sure that Philip told
the man about a ‘Vicarious’ death upon the cross which Christ died for all of
us who deserved to to die on that cross and pay the penalty for our own
sins. I’m sure he told him about the
blood of atonement (or covering) for our sins which the blood of Christ
procures when any person turns his life over to Christ in repentence and faith
in His completed work on the cross. I’m
sure he told him about eternal judgment and damnation averted, and eternal life
obtained through Christ.
9.
VS 8:36-38 - “36
And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch
*said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 [And 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.”] 38 And he ordered the chariot
to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch;
and he baptized him.” - The eunuch
requests of Philip that he baptize him since he is now believing upon Christ
for salvation
9.1.
No doubt as Philip preached Christ to the Ethiopian
Eunuch he told him how that from the beginning of the church the gospel had
always been preached and that the people who had believed on Christ for
salvation had then been baptized in water, and that this spurred the man to want
to baptized himself.
9.2.
The Jews would baptize the converted proselytes of
the nations, so perhaps this Ethiopian Eunuch had already been baptized as a
Jew so now it only seemed natural for him to be baptized as a Christian.
9.3.
There are not many places in that desert that the
Ethiopian Eunuch and Philip had been traveling where there would be a suitable
place for a person to be baptized, so finding this spot for the baptism shows
yet again that the Lord is leading the events of this day and the witness by Philip
to the eunuch.
9.4.
The oldest manuscripts do not contain verse 37, thus
it is in braces, however there is nothing wrong with these verses and this
response by Philip to the man’s request to be baptized. It is also possible that this question that
Philip asked the man before baptizing him was a question of profession that was
typically asked of those who desired to be baptized into the church in
subsequent years.
9.4.1.Concerning this question, if
Philip really asked it, it represents a question that tests the true nature of
a person’s faith in Christ. If a person
has true saving faith, then that faith must be more than just an assent of the
intellect, it must be a faith that involves all of him, his heart and emotions,
for he is placing his complete hope upon Christ alone for salvation.
9.4.2.Note also here that there is
no record in all of the scripture of anyone baptizing either an infant or any
other person who has not come to have personal belief upon Christ for
salvation.
9.4.2.1.In complete doctrinal
perversion the Mormons believe that they can be baptized for people who have
died and weren’t Mormons and thus effect their eternal destination?!
9.4.2.1.1.However, as I have mentioned
often baptism doesn’t save anyone it is simply to be done as an act of faith
and to be a testimony to the world for it symbolizes the death and resurrection
of the spiritual life of the person who now believes in Christ for salvation.
9.5.
It is interesting to note that Philip was a mere
deacon who was faithful, but not an apostle, and yet here as well as in
9.5.1.Some churches teach that it
is not good enough in God’s sight to be baptized by any other church or even
any other church leader, their leaders alone have the authority to baptize
anyone and all other baptisms are therefore invalid.
9.5.1.1.The churches that teach this
way usually believe in the doctrine of ‘baptismal regeneration’, or that a
person is actually regenerated to be a new person and thereby receives
salvation by going into the water.
However, again this is not what the scripture teaches at all, for
salvation does not procure salvation for a person rather it is only a symbol of
what Christ has ‘already’ done in a person’s life, and it is to be done out of
obedience to the Lord.
9.5.1.1.1.We will see this point much
more clearly in chapter 10 with the household of Cornelius, for they all were
saved, received the Holy Spirit, and were baptized in the Holy Spirit, before
they were ever baptized in water.
10.
VS 8:39-40 - “39
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched
Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing. 40
But Philip found himself at Azotus; and as he passed through he kept preaching
the gospel to all the cities, until he came to
10.1. Here again we see that the
Lord was doing incredible works through the lives of the people of the early
church, for Philip is transported body and soul to Azotus where the Lord had
the next assignment for him to preach the gospel.
10.2. Philip is transported away
to the city of
10.3. Philip ends up in Caesarea
and evidently he stays there for 20 years later in Acts 21:8 we find that he is
living at
10.3.1.I believe that if we in the
church today were to get about the business of preaching the gospel to the lost
people of this world as Philip was a faithful example for us, then we too might
find the Lord doing mighty wonders through our lives as He did through the
early church!
10.4. Philip was faithful to use
his gift of evangelism for the Lord under His leading, and here we see him
preaching his way all of the way back to
10.5. It has been believed all
through the centuries that this Ethiopian Eunuch went back to his native home
in Ethiopia and began preaching the gospel and established a church there, and
it is to be noted that there has always been a Christian influence in that
region.
10.6. In God’s wisdom we have to
see here also that this Ethiopian did not need to have a man as his teacher,
for he went off to his land alone to have God as his teacher, and we do well to
realize that we do not need to depend too much upon man for our spiritual
growth and insight.
11.
CONCLUSION:
11.1. It is so
important that in our lives as Christians we listen to the Lord’s leading for
us and go to where He leads us, even when to do so might mean that we are going
to a humble desert to serve just one soul.
11.1.1.So many
times we miss opportunities to be used by the Lord because we aren’t ready and
willing to be used right where we are, but we are thinking that the ministry
that God wants to use us in is somewhere way down the road or in some arena
that is much greater than where we find ourselves today.
11.1.2.What is the
value of just one soul? It is so great
that Jesus would have died for that one soul, and it is so great that we should
be willing to minister even just to that one soul whom God brings across our
path.
11.2. We
Christians ought to have a heart for God and a teachable attitude as did this
Ethiopian Eunuch, for then the Lord shall reveal His mysteries to us and use us
in a great way.
11.3. We need to
preach ‘Jesus’ to people from the scriptures, simply and clearly, and try not
to get caught up explaining to them other stuff.
11.4. God wants us
to be faithful witnesses of the gospel to the lost people in our world as was
deacon Philip.
11.4.1.The following is written about the great
preacher Spurgeon by Paul Lee Tan which shows Spurgeon’s commitment to winning
souls, “A few years before the death of Charles Spurgeon, an American
lecture bureau tried to hire him to come to
11.4.2.John R. Rice wrote the following poem
which is entitled,
“So Little Time”
So little time! The harvest will be
over,
Our reaping done, we reapers taken
home.
Report our work to Jesus, Lord of
Harvest,
And hope He’ll smile and say, “Well
done!”
How many times I should have strongly
pleaded;
How often did I feel to strictly warn,
The Spirit moved, oh, had I pled for
Jesus!
The grain is fallen, lost ones not
reborn.
Despite the heat, the ceaseless toil,
the hardship,
The broken heart o’er those we cannot
win;
Misunderstood because we’re oft
peculiar,
Still no regrets we’ll have but for our
sin.
A day of pleasure, or a feast of
friendship;
A house or car or garments, lair or
fame,
Will all be trash, when souls are
brought to Heaven.
And then how sad to face the slackers’
blame!
The harvest white, with reapers few is
wasting
And many souls will die and never know
The love of Christ, the joy of sins
forgiven.
Oh let us weep and love and pray and
go!
Today we reap, or miss our golden
harvest!
Today is given us lost souls to win.
Oh then to save some dear ones from the
burning.
Today
we’ll go to bring some sinner in.