v.1-3
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
v.4-8
Philip in Samaria
v.9-25
Simon the Sorcerer
v.26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian
v.1-3
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
v.1
And
Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution
broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the
apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
v.2
Godly
men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
v.3
But
Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he
dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
[Passage
Synopsis: From that
moment great persecution broke out and Saul was a major instrument
in it.]
v.4-8
Philip in Samaria
v.4
Those
who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
v.5
Philip
went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.
v.6
When
the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all
paid close attention to what he said.
v.7
For
with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were
paralyzed or lame were healed.
v.8
So
there was great joy in that city.
[Passage
Synopsis: Philip,
who had been one of the seven deacons, left town and went to Samaria
and there preached with signs and wonders following so many were
saved.]
v.9-25
Simon the Sorcerer
v.9,10
Now
for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city
and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone
great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention
and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of
God.”
v.11
They
followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his
sorcery.
v.12
But
when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,
both men and women.
v.13
Simon
himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere,
astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
v.14
When
the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the
word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
v.15,16
When
they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they
might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not
yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus.
v.17
Then
Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the
Holy Spirit.
v.18,19
When
Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles'
hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability
so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
v.20
Peter
answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought
you could buy the gift of God with money!
v.21
You
have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is
not right before God.
v.22
Repent
of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may
forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
v.23
For
I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
v.24
Then
Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have
said may happen to me.”
v.25
After
they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified
about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the
gospel in many Samaritan villages.
[Passage
Synopsis: A sorcerer
named Simon who lived there was converted along with many who
had followed him. When the church at Jerusalem [the apostles obviously
not fleeing the persecution] heard of what was happening at the
hands of a deacon, they sent Peter and John to check it out, who
came and imparted the Spirit with power on the new believers there.
Peter has to rebuke Simon who sees this power and wants it for
himself. They eventually return to Jerusalem, preaching as they
went.]
v.26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian
v.26
Now
an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the
desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
v.27,28
So
he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian [That
is, from the southern Nile region] eunuch,
an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Candace
(which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to
Jerusalem to worship, and
on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of
Isaiah the prophet.
v.29
The
Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
v.30
Then
Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah
the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip
asked.
v.31
“How
can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited
Philip to come up and sit with him.
v.32
This
is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led
like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its
shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
v.33
In
his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak
of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” [
Isa 53:7,8 ]
v.34
The
eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking
about, himself or someone else?”
v.35
Then
Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him
the good news about Jesus.
v.36
As
they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the
eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of
my being baptized?” [37 Some manuscripts
include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart,
you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God.”]
v.38
And
he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch
went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
v.39
When
they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly
took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went
on his way rejoicing.
v.40
Philip,
however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the
gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
[Passage
Synopsis: Philip
meanwhile is told by the Lord's angel to leave Samaria and go
south, where he encounters an African official on his way home
from Jerusalem who is a seeker. He explains the gospel to him
and he is saved and baptized and goes on his way home. Philip
continued preaching in the south.]
Continue
to chapter 9