Verse 1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Saul, whose name after conversion was changed to Paul, was a devout Pharisee. As such, he would have had the first five books of the Old Testament memorized, but he would also have been taught the Babylonian Talmud which is a series of books that teaches how to break God’s law through various loopholes. So he would have practiced a mixed up religion just as the rest of the Jewish religious elite practiced and taught, a religion full of witchcraft and flavored with a little Mosaic teaching here and there. They went through the motions and rituals, but they knew it was false and they deceived the people. How does this writer know this? Because at the crucifixion of Jesus, the Temple curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the sanctuary was supernaturally torn from the top to the bottom exposing that this area was empty. There was no ark of the covenant with the cherubim upon which the high priest was supposed to offer sacrificial blood once a year for the sins of the nation. The high priest entered through the curtain and poured the blood on the floor. So from the time of the Jew’s return from Babylonian captivity to the crucifixion of Jesus, the Jews performed the rituals established by Moses as directed by God/Jesus but, like the Holy of Holies, their religion was empty and void, without God, and therefore nothing more than Satanic false doctrine and deception.
Application: How do you spread the Gospel to other parts of the world? God allowed persecution to scatter believers to other parts of Judah and Samaria. And He used Saul to accomplish this. It is estimated that the reign of terror that Saul “legally” created with orders from the Sanhedrin lasted approximately 45 days.
Verses 2-4 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
The prophet and disciple Stephen was well loved. He served people and he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so his murder and burial was the turning point in the beginning of Church history. The 70th week as prophesied by the Prophet Daniel was completed at this time, and this action by the Jewish leadership in the halls of the Temple fulfilled the prophecy regarding the abomination of desolation. What was left of the nation Judah was now desolate as predicted by the LORD Jesus Christ and it was destroyed once and for all time by the Romans in 70 AD. End of story. The nation located today where former Israel was located is fake. The people calling themselves “Jews” are fake. They are a creation of political manipulation by the power elite known as the Illuminati at the behest of Satan, the god of this world, for the purpose of bringing about a one world government. So don’t be fooled. Jesus declared that because the people of Judah rejected Him, the remnant nation would be destroyed. Jesus is God and He does not lie.
The Greek word translated as “havock” is “lumainomai” and it means to affix a stigma to, to dishonour, spot, or defile, to treat shamefully or with injury, to ravage, devastate, or ruin. So the early Church was being relentlessly persecuted by Saul of Tarsus. So believers had to flee for their lives and for the lives of their families. As a result, those fleeing Jerusalem and Judea took the good news of the Gospel to wherever they went and the Word of God was spread abroad.
Application: The enemy of God and of His Church, Satan, and his fallen angels tried to extinguish the Gospel through persecution, but all that they accomplished was the Gospel being delivered to more and more people. Whenever Satan tries to thwart the will of God, the Church becomes stronger. The nation of China is an example. When the Chinese people were/are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus, the authorities tried to extinguish the light of the Gospel by arresting, torturing, and killing believers. So the Church went “underground” and it flourished and became stronger. So if Satan brings persecution or temptation into the life of a believer, resisting all that he attempts to do will strengthen the believer and become a blessing instead of a hardship. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 Eventually, the enemy will leave off attempting to derail the believer’s faith and leave just as Satan left Jesus in the wilderness when he tried to tempt Him to sin and was unsuccessful in his efforts.
Verses 5-8 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
The name, Philip, means “lover of horses”. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ and an evangelist. Samaria was the capital city of the nation Israel and it remained after Israel was taken away captive by the nation of Assyria. Philip preached the Gospel and performed miracles so that the people not only heard his message, but saw the proof of his message as evil spirits were cast out and people were healed. No wonder there was great joy in the city. The light of the Gospel had come to those people who were in spiritual darkness.
Application: Miracles were performed in the Old Testament times as were performed by Jesus and His followers in the New Testament times, but there was one exception. Evil or unclean spirits were not cast out by the prophets of old. Waters were parted, armies were destroyed, people were healed, the dead were raised to life, but this writer can find no Scripture to indicate that devils were ever cast out by the prophets of old. Why? Because Jesus had not come yet. When Jesus came to Earth He had power over Satan and his army of evil spirits and therefore He could cast them out. He defeated Satan at the cross. When He sent the Comforter, His Holy Ghost, to inhabit His servants, they then had the same divine power and authority to rid the oppressed and possessed of evil spirits and to set them free from the bondage of sin and Satanic control. So why are not the miracles of the early Church seen in most churches today? Why are not people flocking to the doors of the churches to receive the message and power of the Gospel? Because Satan has weakened the Church through infiltrating it with false bibles, false doctrines, pagan holidays, financial greed, entertainment, the teachings of Catholicism and witchcraft, and many other subtle methods of distraction and disbelief. Until the Church goes back to the basics and follows the example given by Jesus through New Testament writings and obeys and follows the leading of the Holy Ghost, it will remain weak and ineffective and be unable to reach the lost.
Verses 9-11 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
The Apostle Philip was to encounter a false prophet, Simon the sorcerer. The Greek word translated as “sorcery” is “mageuo” and it means to be a magician, or to practice magical arts. The Greek word translated as “bewitched” is “existemi” and it means to displace, to amaze, to astonish, to throw into wonderment, to be out of one’s mind, or to be insane. Simon used occult power to make people believe he was what he was not. He was not of God, but of the devil, and all that he did was through Satanic power. Apparently, all the people of the city believed him to be a man of God and they thought highly of him and listened to him.
Verses 12-13 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
It appears that Simon the sorcerer had a conversion experience and was baptized and became a follower of Philip in the ministry. He saw all the miracles that Philip performed through the power of the Holy Ghost/Spirit, and he liked what he saw. Notice that Luke wrote clearly that Simon believed and was baptized.
Verses 14-17 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
The apostles Peter and John were working in the ministry together in Jerusalem and they traveled to Samaria to help the Apostle Philip with the work occurring there. Through their ministry, the converted Christians received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and therefore received power from on high.
Application: Notice that again Scripture teaches that baptism must be done in the name of the LORD Jesus. The Catholic teaching of baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost does not provide a name, but just titles. Father is not a name. Son is not a name. Holy Ghost is not a name. It is the name of Jesus by whom people are saved and by whom power is received. To not use the name of Jesus when being baptized is a waste of time and the one being baptized is merely getting wet. This is serious because Jesus said, “Except a man be born of water (baptism) and of the Spirit (infilling of the Holy Ghost), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 Does this mean that if a converted Christian believer is not baptized using the name of Jesus he/she will not be part of the spiritual kingdom of God? What does the verse above say? You decide.
Verses 18-19 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Simon was still operating in the flesh and not in the Spirit. He wanted the power that the apostles displayed, not because he wanted to further the ministry and help people, but because he wanted to have fame and glory that was even greater than that which he had been given by the people of Samaria when practicing with occult powers. He didn’t grasp that it was a gift from God and thought he could purchase it with money.
Verses 20-24 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. 24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Perhaps Simon was what is called a carnal Christian, having one foot in the world and one foot in the spiritual kingdom of God, also known as “sitting on the fence”. If that was the case, he could go either way and return to his world of witchcraft and satanic sorcery or he could repent and continue to follow the teachings of the apostles. Unfortunately, Scripture does not report what happened to Simon.
Verse 25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
The apostles Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, but they shared the gospel with the people living in the villages they traveled through. Remember that the Apostle Peter had been given the keys to the kingdom and he was now ministering to Samaria as well as at Jerusalem just as Jesus had said he would.
Verses 26-28 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
As stated elsewhere in this study of the Bible, when Scripture refers to “the angel of the LORD” it usually means the LORD Jesus Christ as opposed to “an angel of the LORD.” Philip was apparently done with the ministry in Samaria and he was instructed to go south. He was not told why, but just told to go. He eventually encountered a Gentile from Ethiopia who apparently was a man of great standing in the royal house of the queen of Ethiopia. The word “Ethiopian” means “black”. So this man was from eastern Africa and he was a eunuch who is a man who has been castrated and so cannot reproduce children. This man had some understanding of the God of the Bible as he had come to worship in Jerusalem and was at this time reading the writings of the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his chariot. The prophet Isaiah wrote more about the coming Messiah than any other prophet in the Old Testament, and the eunuch was reading a prophecy about Jesus just at the moment the Apostle Philip approached him. Coincidence? Hardly. A divine appointment by the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 29-31 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
The Apostle Philip was walking in the Spirit which means he was listening to and obeying the guidance of the Holy Ghost/Spirit. So he approached the Ethiopian man and simply started the conversation by asking him if he understood what he was reading. Now remember that the Apostle Philip was a fisherman and uneducated so it was doubtful that he had read the Scripture written in scrolls in the Temple in Jerusalem and yet he knew God’s Word when he heard it. That in itself was a miracle of God. The Ethiopian man answered that he did not understand and that he needed someone to explain what he was reading. So he invited the Apostle Philip to “come up” and sit in the chariot with him. So the Apostle Philip standing on the ground would not have been able to see what the Ethiopian man was reading either which confirms that this whole encounter was a magnificent miracle from the LORD who cared enough about this one man’s soul to have His servant travel many miles and go to him and clarify the prophecy written by the prophet Isaiah.
Verses 32-33 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
This prophecy was/is all about the LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of God, becoming the last Sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world who allowed His life to be taken by the Jews and the Romans so that all of mankind could be saved from sin, death and Hell through repentance, baptism, and the filling of the Holy Ghost.
Verses 34-35 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
The Apostle Philip had an open door and was able to share the Gospel message with this Ethiopian man and, no doubt, he also shared his own personal experiences with Jesus and the recent events in Jerusalem of the death, burial and resurrection of the promised Saviour.
Verses 36-37 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The Ethiopian man was converted and had faith to be baptized in the name of Jesus. He was then going to carry the message of the Gospel back to his country to the very palace of the queen.
Verses 38-40 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8)
The Apostle Philip was obedient to the Holy Ghost/Spirit and went to the divine appointment with the Ethiopian man, and as a result, when his work was done he was supernaturally physically relocated from the waters of baptism to Azotus, a city near the Mediterranean. One can only imagine the Apostle Philip’s surprise to find himself in another city in a part of the country he most likely had never been in before. This is the first recording in the Church age of God translating a man from one location to another and defying all the laws of nature that He had created to do so. But the Apostle Philip was not ruffled at all, and merely resumed what he was doing, spreading the Gospel message everywhere he traveled.