Acts 8:1-25 — Saul Ravages the Church, Simon the Magician
Acts 8:26-40 — Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
The growing church is now on the run because the likes of Saul are openly persecuting people for their faith, “he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). No doubt the Sanhedrin thought this was a good plan, but God used the stoning of Stephen to launch the spread of Christianity. “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went…and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy” (8:4, 7-8).
With the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, the gospel begins to spread even farther than the apostles could have imagined. This Ethiopian was “an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’)” (8:27). The divinely appointed encounter gives Philip the opportunity to share the Gospel and the eunuch is so excited that he sees water and asks Philip to baptize him (8:36-38). A remarkable thing happens next, “the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see hime again” (8:39); Philip is miraculously transported to Azotus some 20 to 30 miles away and continues spreading the Gospel. An angel prompted Philip to talk to the eunuch and the Spirit whisked him away after baptism.
One lesson to learn from today’s reading is this: God’s church will prevail! Through whatever trials and tragedies that come our way, His word will not return void! And all honor and glory to Christ our Lord!