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Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Cole adds "From reading many stories of those who have given their lives for the cause of Christ, I have concluded that God gives special grace to them in their dying moments. The Czech martyr, Jan Hus, whose statue and church we saw in Prague, was promised safe passage to discuss his criticisms against the Catholic Church. But they betrayed him and burned him at the stake. He died, not cursing at his persecutors for their deception and brutality, but singing praise to God as the flames consumed his flesh." And dragging off men and women - The present tense pictures Saul continually forcibly dragging believers irrespective of gender! A vivid picture of vicious persecution. One wonders if CNN would have had footage of these events? It is probably not a coincidence that these this same verb (suro) is used of Satan sweeping "away a third of the stars in heaven" (See note Rev 12:4+). Indeed, there is little doubt that Saul's sweeping away of saints was Satanically inspired! Even in one of his last letters Paul remembers his horrible actions writing I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; (1 Ti 1:12,13) Robertson on men and women - A new feature of the persecution that includes the women. They met it bravely as through all the ages since (cf. Acts 9:2; 22:4). This fact will be a bitter memory for Paul always. John Stott on Saul and women - “Not only did he not spare the women, but he did not stop short of seeking—and securing—his victims’ death (Acts 9:1; 22:4; 26:10). Saul of Tarsus had blood on his hands, for several others followed Stephen into martyrdom.” (The Message of Acts) Dragging (4951)(suro) means to draw, pull, draw, drag away, lead by force (against their will), "as moving someone or something along by force drag (away), pull (along), "dragged him (Paul had been stoned) out of the city" (Acts 14.19) and in Acts 17:6 of " dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities;" "dragging the net full of fish" (Jn 21.8); of stars sweep away out of the sky (Rev 12.4) Suro may involve the notion of violence. Of dragging a heavy object with great effort. He would put them in prison (phulake) (Acts 26:10) - Put them in is the verb paradidomi (imperfect tense) which means over and over he was handing them over to the power of the authorities. Paradidomi described the actions of the Jews against Jesus Who they "delivered (paradidomi) and disowned in the presence of Pilate." (Acts 3:13). Luke uses paradidomi in a similar context quoting Paul's confession that “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting (paradidomi both men and women into prisons." The writer of Hebrews addressing the persecutions of the first century Jews who were coming out of Judaism into Christianity exhorted them to Remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict (athlesis = picture of struggling athlete engaged in rigorous contest) of sufferings, Partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. 34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. (Hebrews 10:33-34+) Paul Apple's final applications Persecution is inevitable for the godly; don’t be surprised by it; Prepare! Persecution accomplishes God’s overall goals for the health and growth of His church - We can fortify ourselves by studying the grace that God provided to His servants who gave the ultimate sacrifice down through church history We should have solidarity and prayer support for our brothers and sisters who are under direct attack We should be confident in our ultimate victory as we focus on the vision of heavenly glory and the Advocacy on our behalf by the Righteous One Rich Cathers - Moved by pain - Sometimes it takes some tough times to get us to move into the place we’re supposed to be. I’m not sure I want to say with confidence that the early church had become fat and lazy, staying in Jerusalem, but that’s certainly what happens sometimes to us. And sometimes God has to let us experience a little discomfort before He has our attention. For many of you, it was a very tough time in your life that got you to the place where you started seeking God. For some of you, you might have come to church today because there’s been a sort of crisis in your life, and you’ve begun to feel that you need to start seeking God for the answers. For some of us, it was a difficult time that led to the direction our lives have taken today. Pain isn’t always a pleasant thing. But sometimes it gets us going in the direction we ought to be going. Illustration - God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) Illustration - God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away. To live with your "thorn" uncomplainingly—that is, sweet, patient, and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak—is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace. The healing of your sinful person thus goes forward, even though the healing of your mortal body does not. (J. I. Packer) Illustration - Cripple him, and you have a Sir Walter Scott. Lock him in a prison cell, and you have a John Bunyan. Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George Washington. Raise him in abject poverty and you have an Abraham Lincoln. Strike him down with infantile paralysis, and he becomes Franklin Roosevelt. Burn him so severely that the doctors say he'll never walk again, and you have a Glenn Cunningham who set the world's one mile record in 1934. Deafen him and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven. Have him or her born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Marian Anderson, a George Washington Carver. Call him a slow learner, "retarded," and write him off as uneducable, and you have an Albert Einstein. Life is about 20% in what happens to us and 80% in the way we respond to the events. - Ted Engstrom (Sermon) Acts 8:4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. KJV Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. NET Acts 8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. Acts 11:19; 14:2-7; Mt 10:23; 1 Th 2:2 Acts 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SCATTERED TO SCATTER THE GOOD SEED OF THE GOSPEL Therefore - Term of conclusion. This always begs the question what is being concluded? The pressure of persecution pushed them out of their "comfort zone" in Jerusalem. It is important to note who it is who is "gospeling the Gospel" (see notes below). Are these apostles? Clearly not (Acts 8:1b). Are they "seminary-trained" evangelists? Hardly! These are lay men and lay women, the Jerusalem Jewish converts to Christ. It's very interesting. Kenneth Latourette, the Yale historian, says the chief agents in the expansion of Christianity appear not to have been those who made it a profession, but men and women who carried on their livelihood in some secular manner and spoke their faith to those they met in this natural fashion, that the expansion of the church at this point didn't depend upon the apostles, but on the grass roots, men and women gossiping the gospel as they went. Now, think about that because these are men and women who've lost their homes, who have been scattered on the same day, so they probably left much of their belongings behind them. They may even have left members of their family who have been carried off into prison. And you might have expected them to lie low and to hide somewhere in caves until the trouble dies down and it's astonishing, it's breathtaking that these men and women are going about and they’re gossiping the gospel of Jesus Christ. God uses people in evangelism, people like you and me, ordinary folk. And the rule of our duty here is not that we are able to pry into the secret will of God and discern who the elect are. The rule of duty here is: God has commanded us to do this: ‘Go into all the world. You are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and in the uttermost parts of the world.’ And that's you and you and you. (See Adrian Rogers - Every Christian An Evangelist) Derek Thomas adds that "Renowned Yale historian Kenneth S. Latourette said that “the chief agents in the expansion of Christianity appear not to have been those who made it a profession…but men and women who carried on their livelihood in some purely secular manner and spoke of their faith to those they met in this natural fashion.” This should be an example to every Christian today: like the early disciples, we, too, must take the Gospel with us wherever we go and speak about Jesus in our day-to-day conversations with those whom we meet. This is the most effective evangelism of all. There is something beautiful, untrained, and unforced about what these Christians did. As Everett Harrison notes, they left as missionaries rather than refugees. One might have expected them to leave Jerusalem saying nothing for fear of raising further persecution in their new environments. But those who love Jesus—or, better, those who know the love of Jesus—find it difficult to keep quiet about him or his love. “The love of Christ constrains” them (2 Cor. 5:14+). Will Metzger writes, “In our world probably 99.9 percent of all Christians are not in the ministry. Unless everyone engages in evangelism—praying, initiating and fervently speaking the gospel—not much will happen. New birth into God’s kingdom usually involves people as spiritual midwives.” This is church growth the early-church way—by every-member evangelism. This episode is instructive. God’s church is not dependent upon buildings and stratagems and programs for its survival and growth. Bereft of the apostles, God equipped “ordinary” men and women to tell the story of what Jesus Christ had done for them. (Reformed Expository Commentary Acts - see related sermon).(Bold added) Those who had been scattered - This is the same verb (diaspeiro) used in Acts 8:1 and as noted there literally meant to sow here and there as when one sows or scatters seed. How apropos, given that the believers who were being physically scattered would immediately began to scatter the good seed of the Gospel! They could have complained about the persecution, but instead of complaining to God they began proclaiming His Son. What a model to imitate! In Acts 6:7 Luke recorded that in Jerusalem "The word of God kept on spreading." Now, like sowers with salvation seed, saints were sovereignly scattered beyond the confines of Jerusalem in ever widening circles, as when a rock is thrown in the center of a pond sending out ripples that reach to the uttermost parts of the pond! In this case the Gospel ripples are still rippling to the uttermost part of the earth for the glory of the Lord. Amen (Acts 1:8KJV). Went about (imperfect tense)(1330)(dierchomai) means they went through (from place to place) and is a verb frequently used by Luke to describe missionary activity (Acts 8:40; Acts 9:32; Acts 9:38, Acts 11:19, Acts 12:10; Acts 13:6; Acts 13:14; Acts 14:24; Acts 15:3; Acts 15:41; Acts 16:6; Acts 17:23; Acts 18:23; Acts 18:27; Acts 19:1; Acts 19:21; Acts 20:2; Acts 20:25) Preaching the Word is the translation of most modern versions but is probably not the best translation. It would be more literally translated as gospelizing the word or could be paraphrased as "gospeling the Gospel." Barclay renders it "Those who were scattered abroad went throughout the country telling the message of the good news." Stott adds that "The statement that they ‘preached the word’ is misleading; the Greek expression does not necessarily mean more than ‘shared the good news’." Robertson on preaching the Word - Evangelizing or gospelizing the word (the truth about Christ). In Acts 11:19 Luke explains more fully the extent of the labours of these new preachers of the gospel. They were emergency preachers, not ordained clergymen, but men stirred to activity by the zeal of Saul against them. The blood of the martyrs (Stephen) was already becoming the seed of the church. “The violent dispersion of these earnest disciples resulted in a rapid diffusion of the gospel” (Alvah Hovey). Preaching the word (present tense)(the gospel, good news)(2097)(euaggelizo/euangelizo from eu = good, well + aggéllo = proclaim, tell; English = evangelize; gives us English words Evangel, Evangelize) means to announce good news concerning something. Euaggelizo was often used in the Septuagint for preaching a glad or joyful message (cf. 1Sa 31:9; 2 Sa 1:20; 4:10). Euaggelizo as it does in this passage usually has the technical meaning of publishing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The present tense indicates that they were continually preaching. One use of euaggelizo (where it is actually used twice) in the Septuagint depicts exactly what these scattered believers were doing... How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news (euaggelizo), Who announces peace and brings good news (euaggelizo) of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7 quoted in part by Paul in Ro 10:15+) Gilbrant has an interesting note on the secular use of euaggelizo/euangelizo - This verb is related to the noun angelos, “messenger.” Originally the term stood for proclaiming a military victory, “to bring good news” of various content from the battlefield. Such messages were not always reliable since deceptive messages were often brought. Due to political motives or in order to boost morale of the troops, false reports of victory were not uncommon. This naturally led to a certain degree of skepticism among those who received the message. Gradually the meaning of euangelizō expanded. It was used of public political decrees or of private messages of a joyous nature. In Hellenism the term acquired a religious-sacral significance in connection with an oracle. In this circumstance euangelizō might imply “to promise” something. (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) Below are all the uses of euaggelizo/euangelizo in Acts - notice that Acts 8 is the most concentrated use of this verb in the NT -- (used in 5 times our of 52 uses in the NT) Acts 5:42; Acts 8:4; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:25; Acts 8:35; Acts 8:40; Acts 10:36; Acts 11:20; Acts 13:32; Acts 14:7; Acts 14:15; Acts 14:21; Acts 15:35; Acts 16:10; Acts 17:18; Charles Swindoll - Luke’s summary passage (Acts 8:1-4) reassures the reader that Saul’s campaign failed. Instead of wiping out the church, his efforts facilitated the plan of God. Stage one of God’s plan saw the arrival of the Holy Spirit and the evangelization of Jerusalem; the believers had become His witnesses (Acts 2:1–7:60). The persecution became the catalyst for stage two: “Judea and Samaria” (cf. 1:8).(Swindoll's Living Insights - NT Commentary - Acts). Stott adds that "What is plain is that the devil (who lurks behind all persecution of the church) over-reached himself. His attack had the opposite effect to what he intended. Instead of smothering the gospel, persecution succeeded only in spreading it. As Bengel comments, ‘the wind increases the flame’. An instructive modern parallel is what happened in 1949 in China when the National Government was defeated by the Communists. Six hundred and thirty-seven China Inland Mission missionaries were obliged to leave. It seemed a total disaster. Yet within four years 286 of them had been redeployed in South-East Asia and Japan, while the national Christians in China, even under severe persecution, began to multiply and now total thirty or forty times the number they were when the missionaries left (the exact figures are not known). Life Application Commentary - BEHIND THE PAIN - Persecution forced the believers out of their homes in Jerusalem, but with them went the gospel. Sometimes we have to become uncomfortable before we’ll move. We may not want to experience it, but discomfort may be the best thing for us because God may be working through our pain. When you are tempted to complain about uncomfortable or painful circumstances, stop and ask if God might be preparing you for a special task. Illustration of the Passion of the Jerusalem Saints for Gospeling the Gospel - I read of a Chinese farmer who had cataracts removed from his eyes at a Christian mission clinic. A few days later, the missionary doctor looked out his window and noticed this farmer holding the end of a long rope. In single file holding to the rope were several dozen blind Chinese who had been rounded up and led for miles to the doctor who had worked a miracle on this farmer’s eyes. That’s how we who have received God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ should be. We are so blessed that we want everyone to know, so that they can receive the same good news. (Steven Cole) Good Gossip Read: Acts 8:4-8 Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word. —Acts 8:4 Acts 8:4 has been paraphrased as follows: “Those who were scattered abroad went everywhere gossiping the Word.” It is interesting to note that the first meaning of the word gossip was to “chat” or “rehearse.” The early Christians, when scattered by persecution, could not help but repeat the glorious message of the gospel to everyone they met. Good gossip, in the original sense of the word, can become a glorious instrument for spreading the truths of the gospel. When you get together with your friends, do you make it a point to discuss the things of the Lord? David said, “My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long” (Ps. 71:24). Another psalm says, “Talk of all His wondrous works!” (Ps. 105:2). A woman was discouraged because she thought she had no opportunities to serve Christ. She couldn’t teach or sing or do much in the church because she had a large family to care for. Then one day she realized that she could testify to the people who made deliveries to her house. It proved to be a wonderful avenue of service, and the Word of God bore fruit. Through witnessing she found great joy. Wherever you are today, remember to seize every opportunity to “gossip” the gospel to everyone you meet. Gossip the gospel! G Campbell
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Cole on behold - When he got there, he was a bit surprised, as seen by the word, “behold” (8:27). What in the world is this Ethiopian official and his entire retinue doing out here in the midst of this forsaken road? ETERNITY IN AN ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH'S HEART And there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure - So not only was Philip the first to go to the hated Samaritans, he now is the first to go to the detested Gentiles (cf "the remotest part of the earth” in Acts 1:8+)! Why would God send Philip from a flourishing ministry to one soul on a desolate desert road. As Dr. S. Lewis Johnson answers that “One sheep is enough to move the heart of God to love and His hand to action.” (Read the parable of the lost sheep - Lk 15:3-7+). Mark Guy Pearse - Never fear when the Lord bids us go down to the way “which is desert.” The moment we set our foot in the wilderness we are the Lord’s guests, and He ever keeps His table right royally furnished. Kent Hughes on God's sovereignty and man's responsibility - As Lloyd Ogilvie says, “The Lord of all creation has ordained that he would do his work through us. Our seeking the Spirit’s guidance and obeying what he wants us to do and say is the way he works to bless the world.” God’s sovereign work plus man’s obedience brings the touch of God to needy human lives. Put another way, there are all kinds of “chance” meetings ready to take place in a life that is sensitive and obedient to God’s leading. Ian Thomas (or here) tells of getting on an airplane and being so tired that he planned to just curl up and sleep. But then he heard a “psssst” and then another “psssst.” Looking in the direction of the sound, he heard a man say, “I am reading in the Bible about Nicodemus in John 3, and I do not understand it. Do you know anything about the Bible?”...Divine appointments await us if we are obedient to God’s leading (See note on Henry Blackaby's "Experiencing God"). That was Philip’s experience, and it can be ours. (Preaching the Word - Acts) Warren Wiersbe tells a similar story - Late one afternoon, I was completing my pastoral calling and I felt impressed to make one more visit to see a woman who was faithfully attending church but was not a professed Christian. At first, I told myself that it was foolish to visit her that late in the day, since she was probably preparing a meal for her family. But I went anyway and discovered that she had been burdened about her sins all that day! Within minutes, she opened her heart to Christ and was born again. Believe me, I was glad I obeyed the leading of the Spirit! (Bible Exposition Commentary) Related Resource: Alexander Whyte - The Ethiopian Eunuch (Whyte's Dictionary of Bible Characters) Who Was the Ethiopian Eunuch? Ethiopian (128)(Aithiopos from aithomai = to burn + ops = face) which Liddell-Scott says this properly is termed "Burnt-face" which Thayer says means "swarthy," naturally having skin of a dark color. ( The country of Ethiopia refers to upper Ethiopia also called Abyssinia. Jack Arnold observes that "While not all Ethiopians were black, the majority were and most Bible scholars agree that the Ethiopian Eunuch was probably a black man. This, then, would be the first account of a black man coming to Christ, for we know that the gospel is for all races of men without distinction." In any case, Philip was "color blind" as is the Gospel and as all believers should be! Related Resources: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Ethiopia Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Ethiopia Fausset Bible Dictionary Ethiopia Holman Bible Dictionary Ethiopia Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Ethiopia
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Cole has an interesting question - After making this long journey, and considering that he (THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH) probably stayed in Jerusalem for a period of time, why didn’t the Lord direct one of the apostles in Jerusalem to share the Gospel with him there? He could have led the man to Christ and given him a crash course in discipleship before he left. Meanwhile, Philip could have continued his fruitful ministry in Samaria. Later, Philip settles in Caesarea, where a centurion needed to hear the gospel. But rather than send Philip, who was there, God sent Peter, who was not there (chapter 10)! We cannot view world missions as an efficient, American business enterprise. God’s ways are not our ways. Sometimes He does things that seem to us like a waste of money or personnel. Our job is not to question the Lord, but to be obedient. William Carey must have wrestled with God’s “inefficiency” when, after 19 years of labor, a warehouse fire destroyed ten complete Bible translations, his massive polyglot dictionary, two grammar books, and all of the tediously shaped type fonts. But God used the tragedy to spread the word about the mission, and in two months enough gifts had poured into the mission to pay for the huge losses. “Carey accepted the tragedy as a judgment from the Lord and began all over again with even greater zeal” (Tucker, p. 120)....Someone has observed that in Acts 8 we see the conversion of a son of Ham (Ethiopian eunuch); in Acts 9, a son of Shem (Paul); and, in Acts 10, a son of Japheth (the Roman centurion). (JOHN PHILIPS WRITES - The three great racial families are now made one in the family of God. The curse of Babel, which enforced God's deliberate division of mankind, is reversed in the church. - Exploring Acts) These represent the three divisions of humanity after the flood. Thus Luke is showing us the Gospel going out to all the nations, just as Jesus had commanded (Acts 1:8+). In Revelation 5:9+, John sees before God’s throne the four living creatures and the 24 elders singing, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Until all whom Jesus purchased with His blood are brought to salvation, we must, as Paul put it, “do all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10+). (Sermon) Rich Cathers on So he got up and went - The first step in God’s will. We are often looking for God’s will in our lives. We talk about wanting all that God has for us. But it usually starts with a single step. We might say to ourselves, “Well fine, I’ll get around to that, but I want to know what’s up ahead!” Yet often God won’t show you the next step until you take the first one. God didn’t give Philip all the details about what was up ahead. He just said, “Go to Gaza”. Example: You may be saying to God, “When are you going to fix all the problems in my marriage?” And God responds, “When are you going to start loving your spouse like you should?” You respond with, “Well I know that it’s important, and I plan to do that, but I want the problems fixed first!” Yet often God is waiting to fix the problems until you take the first step. It’s important in understanding God’s will for my life that I learn to take the step in front of me. Illustration - At a conference in Ben Lippen, South Carolina, a young woman was giving testimony to her call to service. In the course of her message she held up a blank sheet of paper, saying that it contained God’s plan for her life. The only writing on it was her signature at the bottom. Then she said, “I have accepted God’s will without knowing what it is, and I am leaving it to Him to fill in the details.” She was a true disciple, and she was on safe ground. With such a yielded will, the Holy Spirit would be able to guide her mental processes as she moved along the path of life. God is looking for the day when we’ll just say “Yes” without having all the details. Often I find that I’m not told what “step 2” is until I’ve taken “step 1”. Illustration - Years ago before the days of GPS and radar, the old Norwegian sea captains devised a way of navigating through the sometimes treacherous fjords at night. They set up a system of light houses at certain key points in the fjords. All the captain needed to do was to point his ship towards the lighthouse until he could see around the corner and get a glimpse of the next lighthouse. Then he’d turn his ship towards the second lighthouse until he could see the third lighthouse. We may want to see the whole map of what is up ahead for our lives, but often I find that God just shows us the next lighthouse. Acts 8:28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. KJV Acts 8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. and he arose and went Acts 17:11,12; Dt 6:6,7; 11:18-20; 17:18,19; Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2,3; Ps 119:99,111; Pr 2:1-6; 8:33,34; Jn 5:39,40; Col 3:16; 2 Ti 3:15-17 sitting in his chariot Acts 28:25; Isaiah 1:1 the prophet Isaiah Luke 3:4; 4:17 Acts 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SEEKING GOD IN HIS WORD And he was returning (hupostrepho) and sitting in his chariot - He was returning to Ethiopia and he was not riding on Goodyear tires and a paved road! It would have been at the very least a bumpy ride and yet so eager is he to know God that he is reading the scroll! Note also the fact that he was sitting is evidence that he was a high official and that this chariot was not a little "one seater!" In fact in Acts 8:31 we see that there was room for Philip and logic tells us there would have also been room for a driver, because the eunuch is reading. And you know the law about driving and reading text! And was reading (anaginosko - imperfect tense - over and over) the prophet Isaiah - Now keep in mind that he has just been to the "Holy City" and at the very least seen Herod's magnificent temple and other holy sites. One would think he would be talking about these grand sites as he meandered home to Ethiopia but that was not the case. Remember Paul's words stating that "there is (absolutely) none that seeketh after God" (Ro 3:11KJV) And yet here we see this Ethiopian eunuch seeking after God reading the prophet Isaiah! His seeking is clear evidence that the Spirit of God had placed in his heart a desire to read the Word of God that he might know the God of the Word. You can see the "soil" of his heart being "plowed" and "prepared" for the sower Philip to plant the seed of the Living Word. There is a principle here -- When we are sensitive to the Spirit and sense that He is calling us to share the Gospel with someone, we need to respond to His urging, for it is very likely that He has already gone before us and prepared the soil of their heart just as He had done with the Ethiopian eunuch. Reading the prophet Isaiah - While Luke does not say specifically what he was reading, clearly he was not reading a book similar to the books we have today (Gutenberg did not begin to print books until circa 1439). And so he almost certainly was reading from a scroll (pix of scroll) of Isaiah (cf Isaiah scroll). Most Hebrews did not have scrolls as they were costly and the fact that he had obtained a scroll indicates his wealth, but even more his willingness to part with his money to obtain something he would only later come to recognize as priceless! If he was on Isaiah 53 presumably he had begun reading at the beginning as he returned home. And it just so happened that he had arrived at one of the most Messianic texts in the entire Old Testament! Philip's arrival at this point was no human accident but a providential appointment! As Jack Arnold says "God, through the years and through various circumstances, had been preparing the Ethiopian Eunuch to believe. He was searching because God was moving and the day of his appointed salvation was drawing nigh. God was not only preparing the Eunuch but He was also sending Philip with the message of Christ to him. It was divine providence that these two men should meet, for an eternal transaction was about to take place. When Philip came, he was merely picking the ripe fruit which had been prepared by God. When God has a soul He is going to save, He will get the message of Christ to that person by one means or another." (Sermon) The words of Paul would be apropos to the events of this seeking Gentile... For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (OR GENTILE = THE ETHIOPIAN); for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (THE ETHIOPIAN IS A TRUE SEEKER) 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? (PHILIP WOULD SOON FILL THAT ROLE IN CONCERT WITH ISAIAH 53) 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? (PHILIP HAD BEEN SENT BY AN ANGEL - Acts 8:26 AND BY THE SPIRIT - Acts 8:29) Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” (WATCH PHILIP'S "BEAUTIFUL FEET" RUN UP TO THE CHARIOT -- PHILIP HAD SHOD HIS FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE! - Eph 6:15+) (Ro 10:12-15+) Steven Cole has some excellent comments on the power of the Word of God in salvation - Don’t underestimate the power of God’s Word to bring people to salvation! As 1 Peter 1:23+ explains, “For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” James 1:18+ states, “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth….” Paul tells Timothy that from childhood he has “known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15+). God’s Word is powerful to save sinners. I read of a Muslim priest who was asked to do a series of character studies on great people from the Koran: Abraham, Joseph, David, and the prophet Jesus. When he came to prepare his talk on Jesus, he wanted more background information, so he borrowed a Bible and began to read the gospels. As he realized that Jesus was more than a prophet, his Muslim friends were appalled and excommunicated him. He continued to read and on his own trusted Christ as Savior. He went to a local Christian and asked if he could be baptized. He now works with Operation Mobilization doing evangelism among his own people (OM India Newsletter, Summer, 1997). (ED: WOW! HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!) Thus we should encourage people to read the Bible, especially the gospels. Give out Gospels of John or New Testaments (ED: I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE THEM TO READ THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE I WILL PROBABLY NEVER ENCOUNTER AGAIN). When you share the gospel, have the person read the Bible verses himself. God uses His Word to bring sinners to salvation. (Sermon) Warren
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Cole - Just prior to this (ETHIOPIAN'S READING THE TEXT IN Isa 53:7-8), the eunuch would have read, “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:6+) Philip thus would have explained that we all have sinned. Because of our sin, none of us can merit eternal life by our own efforts or good deeds. Thus the Lord, to satisfy His holy justice, out of love for us, provided a substitute who bore the penalty we deserve. Jesus Christ bore God’s wrath for our sin on the cross. Related Resource: In depth verse by verse commentary of Isaiah 53. Philip preached Jesus to him because he knew that Jesus is the key to unlock the meaning of the OT And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26“Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. (Lk 24:25-27+) Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Lk 24:44-47+) Jesus had declared to the Jews the value of the OT in revealing His true identity... “You search the Scriptures (THE OLD TESTAMENT) because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 (HERE IS THEIR PROBLEM - NOT AS MUCH PROBLEM IN UNDERSTANDING AS A PROBLEM OF THEIR HEART!) and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. (Jn 5:39-40) As Matthew Henry once wrote "The only reason why sinners die is because ‘they will not come’ to Christ for life and happiness: it is not because they ‘cannot,’ but because they ‘will not’” (AGAIN JESUS DECLARED) Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. 46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (Jn 5:45-47) Luke does not give us detail, but Philip surely preached Jesus to him from all 12 verses of Isaiah 53:1-12 (This fourth "Servant Song" in Isaiah actually begins in Isa 52:13-15+) and then related that to the fulfillment of this prophecy in the Person of Jesus, explaining to him the cardinal doctrines of Christ - His supernatural virgin birth, His sinless life, His crucifixion for sinners and His substitutionary death, His burial, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension to the right hand of the Father and His promise to return. And of course he would have related to him how Jesus promised eternal life and the forgiveness of sins to all who would trust in Him as their personal Lord and Savior. So Philip begins with passages from Isaiah 52:13-53:12, a chapter that later (when the NT books were completed) would be quoted many times as referring to the Lord Jesus - e.g., John 12:38 and Ro 10:16 both quoting Isaiah 53:1+; ; Mt 8:17 quoting Isa 53:4+; Luke 22:37 (cf Mk 15:28) from Isaiah 53:12+, 1 Pe 2:22 quoting Isa 53:9+. 1 Pe 2:24 quoting Isaiah 53:5+ (See list of all Isaiah quotes in the NT or arranged by NT book) Given the fact that the Ethiopian was a eunuch Philip may have taken him to Isaiah 56:3-5+ "Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from His people.” Nor let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” 4 For thus says the LORD, “To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 To them (THE EUNUCHS) I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. Comment - Notice God's promise of an everlasting name to eunuchs who otherwise could not perpetuate their name because of their inability to have any offspring! In a word, Philip taught the Ethiopian eunuch that the lamb Isaiah 53:7+ is none other than the Messiah, Son of God and Son of Man... The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn 1:29) Peterson sums up the Christology of the Isaiah chapter - The passage continues to be a powerful testimony to the person and work of Jesus and an effective means of evangelism. It begins with the claim that the Servant’s suffering and exaltation will benefit many nations (Isa 52:13–15+). It continues with the amazing story of his rejection and suffering, claiming that this punishment by God was ‘for our transgressions’ (Isa 53:1–6+). Then comes the portion that the Ethiopian was reading, with its focus on the Servant’s willingness to suffer and experience injustice (Isa 53:7–9+). The passage concludes with a further statement of God’s intention to make his life ‘an offering for sin’, to ‘justify many’, and to ‘bear their iniquities’ (Isa 53:10–12+). The thoughtful reader may indeed ask, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? There is no one else in history, apart from Jesus of Nazareth, to whom these words can truly be applied. (Ibid) Kent
Atos 8
Cole comments that "We can infer (THE FACT THAT HE DESIRES BAPTISM), then, that God graciously imparted new life and obedient faith to this man when he heard Philip present the gospel. Apparently, inferring this was not enough for some early scribe who was copying the manuscript of Acts. So he inserted verse 37, where the eunuch confesses, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” The verse is not in any of the early or best manuscripts, and the style, according to Greek scholars, is not Luke’s style of writing. But even though the verse is not original to Acts, the eunuch must have given some such confession of his faith in Christ, or Philip would not have baptized him. The difference between this man’s genuine faith and Simon’s false faith (8:13) was that the eunuch’s faith came from God, whereas Simon’s faith came from himself. And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." - This statement parallels that written by Paul "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Ro 10:9-10) And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" Even is this verse is not found in the original manuscripts, the principles are true and the necessity of true faith is highlighted in Acts 8 as Pastor Phil Newton observes... The Ethiopian eunuch had a true faith. It stood in sharp contrast to Simon the magician who considered faith a matter of personal, selfish consumption, rather than for the glory of God. While Simon's false faith was exposed, the eunuch's true faith was revealed. But how about your own faith? Is yours a true faith that has united you savingly to God through Jesus Christ? Or is it a false faith of your own making and design, a faith that produces no lasting joy, a faith centered on self and not on Jesus Christ? My friend, come to Jesus Christ empty-handed and plead for His mercy. He is mighty to save! (Acts 8:26-40 A True Faith Revealed)
Atos 8
Cole - We do not know from history if he became an evangelist to his people, but it is not hard to imagine that he did. A life of joy in Jesus is hard to keep to oneself! It is the best advertisement for the gospel. John
Atos 8
Cole concludes his sermon on the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch with some interesting quotations... If evangelizing the lost, especially those of other cultures and nationalities, were up to our abilities, it would be hopeless. But, thankfully, evangelism depends on our sovereign God working through our obedience. In his book, The Preacher’s Portrait [Eerdmans], John Stott shows that according to the Bible, lost people are both sightless and lifeless, blind and dead. Then he asks, “How can we reach him? Are we so foolish as to imagine that we can somehow, by our own argument or rhetoric, induce within him either spiritual understanding or life? No. It is not given to us to give sight to the blind or life to the dead. God alone is the author of light and life” (pp. 107-108). Later (p. 118) he cites Charles Spurgeon, who used to say over and over to himself as he climbed the stairs into his high pulpit, “I believe in the Holy Ghost, I believe in the Holy Ghost.”