Acts 8
1And Saul approved of their killing him.
In the previous chapter, we witnessed the martyrdom of Stephen. Stephen is the first martyr of the Christian church, and even though he dies in a way that seems inconsequential, there is great consequence to his death. First, we will see that Stephen’s martyrdom will scatter the church, but it also expands the church. The believers flee from Jerusalem and begin to preach the gospel further out. Second, we see that this murder is condoned by a man named Saul.
Saul is known by most of us as St. Paul, the greatest evangelist of the young church, the author of much of the New Testament, a man who will use everything he has to preach the gospel and to read the word of God by building churches in formerly pagan cities. Stephen’s murder is a type of linch pin for Saul, who will soon be emboldened and carry forward condemning Christians around Jerusalem. But this too is a mirror of what happens in the Christian community. As Christians are scattered, their turmoil widens the church. As Paul branches out, and then is ultimately converted, he too will bring a widening of the gospel message.
In this moment, Saul (Paul) is pleased with Stephen’s killing. The word used in Greek is Suneudokeo, which means to approve or to take pleasure. This is a man that has a definitive mission to stamp out a movement of which he has no desire to understand. His “truth” has been implanted in him and he has, at this moment, ferociously defended and risen through the ranks to be the main perpetrator of Christian persecution.
Acts 22:3
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
Paul was trained up in the religion of Judaism. He studied under Gamaliel, who was one of the most famous and revered teachers of the law in Israel. He grew in his fanaticism.
Acts 26: 9-11
“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
Paul was convinced that he was right. His truth told him to oppose Christ. But where did he get this idea? It was from his heritage, and the heritage of the Pharisees, that he was trained up by. He was supported by the chief priests. As Paul climbed the ranks, there were people supporting and cheering him in his fanaticism. This support of his “truth” turned into obsession. It wasn’t enough for Paul to hunt down Christians in Jerusalem. He went to foreign cities to find them as well.
Acts 9:1-3
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
Right before Paul was met by Jesus, he was at the height of his power and obsession. He was breathing out murderous threats. He had gained a notoriety and relished in it.
It is important to note where the persecution of the church is coming from. It is strictly, at this point, coming from Israel itself. Rome is not interested in the Jewish population or the Christians, which are viewed as a sect of Judaism.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 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.
As you can see from these verses, Stephen’s martyrdom fuels the persecution of the church. As Stephen is buried and the Godly mourn him, Saul ramps up his persecution.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
As Saul continues his persecution, chapter 8 veers away into a few stories about the followers. Although this may be jarring, there is a purpose to this, which we will see a little later. First, we’re going to explore these stories individually, then we’ll see how they work together for a larger and more nuanced story.
Even though believers were scattered and afraid, they continued to preach. The persecution was important in spreading the word of God.The word was spread not necessarily through formal teachers but regular people. Philip is an example of one of the regular people.
One item we can glean from this brief story is that Philip went to Samaria. Why is that? The Israelites hate the Samaritans. But as we can see, Jesus Christ is rejected in the same way the Jews had rejected God through the centuries. The word of God, as we will see in subsequent chapters, is for all people, and this truth will be taught to the followers, even to the apostles. Philip preached the gospel and showed miracles, which authenticated what he was teaching. This caused people to pay attention. Upon hearing the message, there was great joy in Samaria.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 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, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because
1.They weren’t truly converted under Philip’s teaching; they came to trust once Peter and John came.
2. Were truly converted but received the Holy Spirit in a subsequent experience.
3. Were truly converted but God wanted the people to wait for Peter and John, which would cement the unity of the church in place.
4. Were truly converted and did receive the Holy Spirit at that time but were bestowed gifts by Peter and John.
There is no consensus in this part of scripture.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
What is Simon’s problem? There is a disconnect here. The word Simony comes directly from this passage. It means the buying and selling of ecclesiastical privileges, for example pardons or benefices.
Simon believes that if he can attain the power, he can still hold spiritual authority over others. He’s taken a step back and believes the faith is something he can use for his own power. So the question becomes, has Simon really changed? We aren’t going to completely understand the answer to his story, but we can easily understand Peter’s response to him.
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 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. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
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.
Isaiah 55:1 says this: “God’s gifts are given freely by him, through faith.” This is a fundamental truth Simon doesn’t yet understand. Perhaps it is because he is new to the faith. Perhaps he is miming his way through faith, still trying to attain power over the people. Whatever the case, Peter offers a response to to Simon.
1. Rebuke: Verse 21 calls out the problem with , or rebuke of, Simon. You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Peter sees that Simon is looking for a personal gain of this new faith. His heart is not right. Pride is still present and so is greed. Peter correctly identifies this. Is Peter acting in judgment? Yes, but the judgment is pure. It is sourced in love. How do we know this? By the second part of Peter’s response.
2. Call for Repentance: Verse 22 begins with the word repent. Repent is a powerful word. It is what each true Christian is called to do. Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action. It is about turning away from the way of life that was moving away from God and adopting a lifestyle that is moving toward him. It is about identifying what God values and adopting a life that mirrors His values, not our own. It is the mark of a changed person. Peter further say that Simon is a captive to sin. This means that there are things in Simon’s heart that still are more important than Jesus.
3. Response: Simon’s response is interesting. He prays that he won’t experience the consequence of his sin. Is this sincere? Some people interpret it as sincerity (he doesn’t want to experience God’s righteous judgment on him). But his words are not directed at his repentance or at his humility but at his comfort. He doesn’t want it to happen to him. He isn’t coming humbly to God. Now this doesn’t mean that Simon isn’t saved, but it does mean, at the very least, that this snapshot shows us a man who doesn’t completely understand what Jesus is asking of him. He doesn’t understand that Jesus commands that he be the center of his life and order everything else behind in (Luke 14:25).
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
In verse 26, we see Philip getting a mission straight from God. God tells him to go to a desert place. Philip goes. This tells us something very important about Philip. Earlier in Acts we see that he has a thriving ministry in Samaria. But to Philip’s credit, he hears God and listens. He leaves his success for another place God wants him. If God’s plan are to be hindered, it would be because Philip didn’t listen.
There he finds an Ethiopian Eunuch returning from Jerusalem. This Eunuch is on a desert road reading a bible. Somehow this Ethiopian found God, or at least the bible, perhaps in Jerusalem or elsewhere. But nonetheless, this is where Philip has been swept to. A dirt road in the desert to administer to this man.
What we can also see is a little of the journey this man is on. First, he is a noble man, for he is in charge of all the treasures of the ruling Ethiopian royal (Candace). He is reading the book of the Isaiah, and we can see that the man is truly trying to understand what he is reading.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
The spirit guides Philip to approach the chariot. In the old world, this is a very bold move. But Philip does it and hears the man reading. In the old world, often reading was done aloud. God had opened a door for Philip to interact with this man.
The Ethiopian does not understand what he is reading, but Philip is there to enlighten him. It is important to note that a guide is a good way to help understand the bible. Some religions rely on a superficial reading of scripture and a hefty helping of tradition. But here we see that God wants us to understand scripture, and oftentimes we need help from someone mature in the faith.
32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
The Eunuch is reading a passage from Isaiah 53, a very specific passage about the coming of Jesus. So Philip has the divine meeting with this man, which allows him to take the Eunuch from understanding the gospel to preaching the gospel.
36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
The Eunuch responds the gospel. He understands what Jesus has done for him and wants to be baptized immediately. This shows us that the Ethiopian truly did believe.
Most remarkably, when the Ethiopian comes out of the water immersion, Philip is whisked away to another place, Azotus, also known as Ashdod, a Philistine city of old. The Ethiopian goes away rejoicing, showing that even after Philip’s strange departure, his is filled with the joy of the Lord.
And Philip goes onto more cities to preach, some of them Gentile cities. Philip is given the title “The Evangelist” and is seen throughout the book of Acts preaching in Caesarea (Acts 21:8).
The real meaning of this passage is to show us that God moves in our world in a very direct way. He uses us for His purpose, but we have to be willing to share it at any time, any place. It requires us to be active in our faith, and even more so, actively listening.
1And Saul approved of their killing him.
In the previous chapter, we witnessed the martyrdom of Stephen. Stephen is the first martyr of the Christian church, and even though he dies in a way that seems inconsequential, there is great consequence to his death. First, we will see that Stephen’s martyrdom will scatter the church, but it also expands the church. The believers flee from Jerusalem and begin to preach the gospel further out. Second, we see that this murder is condoned by a man named Saul.
Saul is known by most of us as St. Paul, the greatest evangelist of the young church, the author of much of the New Testament, a man who will use everything he has to preach the gospel and to read the word of God by building churches in formerly pagan cities. Stephen’s murder is a type of linch pin for Saul, who will soon be emboldened and carry forward condemning Christians around Jerusalem. But this too is a mirror of what happens in the Christian community. As Christians are scattered, their turmoil widens the church. As Paul branches out, and then is ultimately converted, he too will bring a widening of the gospel message.
In this moment, Saul (Paul) is pleased with Stephen’s killing. The word used in Greek is Suneudokeo, which means to approve or to take pleasure. This is a man that has a definitive mission to stamp out a movement of which he has no desire to understand. His “truth” has been implanted in him and he has, at this moment, ferociously defended and risen through the ranks to be the main perpetrator of Christian persecution.
Acts 22:3
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
Paul was trained up in the religion of Judaism. He studied under Gamaliel, who was one of the most famous and revered teachers of the law in Israel. He grew in his fanaticism.
Acts 26: 9-11
“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
Paul was convinced that he was right. His truth told him to oppose Christ. But where did he get this idea? It was from his heritage, and the heritage of the Pharisees, that he was trained up by. He was supported by the chief priests. As Paul climbed the ranks, there were people supporting and cheering him in his fanaticism. This support of his “truth” turned into obsession. It wasn’t enough for Paul to hunt down Christians in Jerusalem. He went to foreign cities to find them as well.
Acts 9:1-3
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
Right before Paul was met by Jesus, he was at the height of his power and obsession. He was breathing out murderous threats. He had gained a notoriety and relished in it.
It is important to note where the persecution of the church is coming from. It is strictly, at this point, coming from Israel itself. Rome is not interested in the Jewish population or the Christians, which are viewed as a sect of Judaism.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 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.
As you can see from these verses, Stephen’s martyrdom fuels the persecution of the church. As Stephen is buried and the Godly mourn him, Saul ramps up his persecution.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
As Saul continues his persecution, chapter 8 veers away into a few stories about the followers. Although this may be jarring, there is a purpose to this, which we will see a little later. First, we’re going to explore these stories individually, then we’ll see how they work together for a larger and more nuanced story.
Even though believers were scattered and afraid, they continued to preach. The persecution was important in spreading the word of God.The word was spread not necessarily through formal teachers but regular people. Philip is an example of one of the regular people.
One item we can glean from this brief story is that Philip went to Samaria. Why is that? The Israelites hate the Samaritans. But as we can see, Jesus Christ is rejected in the same way the Jews had rejected God through the centuries. The word of God, as we will see in subsequent chapters, is for all people, and this truth will be taught to the followers, even to the apostles. Philip preached the gospel and showed miracles, which authenticated what he was teaching. This caused people to pay attention. Upon hearing the message, there was great joy in Samaria.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 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, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because
1.They weren’t truly converted under Philip’s teaching; they came to trust once Peter and John came.
2. Were truly converted but received the Holy Spirit in a subsequent experience.
3. Were truly converted but God wanted the people to wait for Peter and John, which would cement the unity of the church in place.
4. Were truly converted and did receive the Holy Spirit at that time but were bestowed gifts by Peter and John.
There is no consensus in this part of scripture.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
What is Simon’s problem? There is a disconnect here. The word Simony comes directly from this passage. It means the buying and selling of ecclesiastical privileges, for example pardons or benefices.
Simon believes that if he can attain the power, he can still hold spiritual authority over others. He’s taken a step back and believes the faith is something he can use for his own power. So the question becomes, has Simon really changed? We aren’t going to completely understand the answer to his story, but we can easily understand Peter’s response to him.
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 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. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
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.
Isaiah 55:1 says this: “God’s gifts are given freely by him, through faith.” This is a fundamental truth Simon doesn’t yet understand. Perhaps it is because he is new to the faith. Perhaps he is miming his way through faith, still trying to attain power over the people. Whatever the case, Peter offers a response to to Simon.
1. Rebuke: Verse 21 calls out the problem with , or rebuke of, Simon. You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Peter sees that Simon is looking for a personal gain of this new faith. His heart is not right. Pride is still present and so is greed. Peter correctly identifies this. Is Peter acting in judgment? Yes, but the judgment is pure. It is sourced in love. How do we know this? By the second part of Peter’s response.
2. Call for Repentance: Verse 22 begins with the word repent. Repent is a powerful word. It is what each true Christian is called to do. Repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action. It is about turning away from the way of life that was moving away from God and adopting a lifestyle that is moving toward him. It is about identifying what God values and adopting a life that mirrors His values, not our own. It is the mark of a changed person. Peter further say that Simon is a captive to sin. This means that there are things in Simon’s heart that still are more important than Jesus.
3. Response: Simon’s response is interesting. He prays that he won’t experience the consequence of his sin. Is this sincere? Some people interpret it as sincerity (he doesn’t want to experience God’s righteous judgment on him). But his words are not directed at his repentance or at his humility but at his comfort. He doesn’t want it to happen to him. He isn’t coming humbly to God. Now this doesn’t mean that Simon isn’t saved, but it does mean, at the very least, that this snapshot shows us a man who doesn’t completely understand what Jesus is asking of him. He doesn’t understand that Jesus commands that he be the center of his life and order everything else behind in (Luke 14:25).
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
In verse 26, we see Philip getting a mission straight from God. God tells him to go to a desert place. Philip goes. This tells us something very important about Philip. Earlier in Acts we see that he has a thriving ministry in Samaria. But to Philip’s credit, he hears God and listens. He leaves his success for another place God wants him. If God’s plan are to be hindered, it would be because Philip didn’t listen.
There he finds an Ethiopian Eunuch returning from Jerusalem. This Eunuch is on a desert road reading a bible. Somehow this Ethiopian found God, or at least the bible, perhaps in Jerusalem or elsewhere. But nonetheless, this is where Philip has been swept to. A dirt road in the desert to administer to this man.
What we can also see is a little of the journey this man is on. First, he is a noble man, for he is in charge of all the treasures of the ruling Ethiopian royal (Candace). He is reading the book of the Isaiah, and we can see that the man is truly trying to understand what he is reading.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
The spirit guides Philip to approach the chariot. In the old world, this is a very bold move. But Philip does it and hears the man reading. In the old world, often reading was done aloud. God had opened a door for Philip to interact with this man.
The Ethiopian does not understand what he is reading, but Philip is there to enlighten him. It is important to note that a guide is a good way to help understand the bible. Some religions rely on a superficial reading of scripture and a hefty helping of tradition. But here we see that God wants us to understand scripture, and oftentimes we need help from someone mature in the faith.
32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
The Eunuch is reading a passage from Isaiah 53, a very specific passage about the coming of Jesus. So Philip has the divine meeting with this man, which allows him to take the Eunuch from understanding the gospel to preaching the gospel.
36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
The Eunuch responds the gospel. He understands what Jesus has done for him and wants to be baptized immediately. This shows us that the Ethiopian truly did believe.
Most remarkably, when the Ethiopian comes out of the water immersion, Philip is whisked away to another place, Azotus, also known as Ashdod, a Philistine city of old. The Ethiopian goes away rejoicing, showing that even after Philip’s strange departure, his is filled with the joy of the Lord.
And Philip goes onto more cities to preach, some of them Gentile cities. Philip is given the title “The Evangelist” and is seen throughout the book of Acts preaching in Caesarea (Acts 21:8).
The real meaning of this passage is to show us that God moves in our world in a very direct way. He uses us for His purpose, but we have to be willing to share it at any time, any place. It requires us to be active in our faith, and even more so, actively listening.