Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ACTS 8
1 And Saul approved of their killing him.
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.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip 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 paralysed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practised 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 he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 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 baptised, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptised. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
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.”
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.
Philip and the Ethiopian
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.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
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.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
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.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
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 baptised?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him. 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. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and travelled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Application Notes
8:1-4 Persecution pushed the Christians beyond Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria, thus fulfilling the second part of Jesus' command (see 1:8). The persecution helped spread the gospel. God would bring great results from the believers' suffering.
8:4 A believer were forced out of Jerusalem, along with them went the gospel that through Jesus, every Jew and Gentile could receive the gift of salvation. Sometimes God moves us out of our comfort zones. He loses doors and opens others to fulfil his plans for all people. When you are tempted to complain about uncomfortable or painful circumstances, stop and consider whether God might be preparing you for a special task.
8:5 This is not the apostle Philip (see John 1:43-44) but a Greek-speaking Jew, "known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom" (Acts 6:3), who was one of the seven men chosen to help with the food distribution program in the Jerusalem church (6:5).
8:5 Israel had been divided into three main regions: Galilee in the north, Samaria in the middle, and Judea in the south. The city of Samaria (in the region of Samaria) had been the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel in the days of the divided kingdom, before it was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC. During that war, the Assyrian king had taken many captives, leaving only the poorest people in the land and resettling it with foreigners. These foreigners had intermarried with the Jews who were left, and the mixed race became known as the Samaritans. The Samaritans were considered half-breeds by the "pure" Jews in the southern kingdom of Judah, and the two groups hated each other intensely. But Jesus himself went into Samaria (John 4), and he commanded his followers to spread the gospel there (Acts 1:8).
8:7 Jesus encountered and drove out many impure spirits during his ministry on earth. Impure spirits, or demons, are ruled by Satan. Most Bible interpreters believe that demons are fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion against God. Demons can cause a person to be mute, deaf, blind, or out of control, and they also tempt people to sin. Although they can be powerful, they are not able to read our minds and cannot be everywhere at once. Demons are real and active, but Jesus has authority over them, and he gave this authority to his followers. Although Satan is allowed to work in our world, God is in complete control. He can drive demons out and end their destructive work in people's lives. Eventually Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire, forever ending his evil work in the world (Revelation 20:10).
8:9-11 In the days of the early church, sorcerers and magicians were numerous and influential. They worked wonders, performed healings and exorcisms, and practised astrology. Their wonders may simply have been magic tricks, or the sorcerers may have been empowered by Satan (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9). Simon had done so many wonders that some even thought that he was the Messiah; however, his power did not come from God (see Acts 8:18-24). •
8:14 Peter and John were sent to Samaria to find out whether the Samaritans were truly becoming believers. The Jewish Christians, even the apostles, were still unsure whether Gentiles (non-Jews) and half-Jews could receive the Holy Spirit. Only after Peter's experience with Cornelius (Acts 10) did the apostles become fully convinced that the Holy Spirit is for all people. John had once asked Jesus if they should call fire down from heaven to burn up a Samaritan village that refused to welcome them (Luke 9:51-55). Amazingly, John and Peter now went to the Samaritans to pray with them. God truly can change hearts and minds, so never give up hope that he can bring transformation to your nonbelieving friends and family or to your own heart and mind if you are struggling to believe or accept what you read in the Bible.
8:15-17 This was a crucial moment for the spread of the gospel and for the growth of the church. Peter and John had to go to Samaria to help keep this new group of believers from becoming separated from other believers. When Peter and John saw the Lord working in these people, they were assured that the Holy Spirit works through all believers--Gentiles and people of mixed descent as well as "pure" Jews.
8:15-17 Many interpreters believe that God chose to give this dramatic filling of his Spirit as a sign at this special moment in history--the spread of the gospel into Samaria through the powerful, effective preaching of believers. Normally, the Holy Spirit enters a person's life at conversion. This was a special event. The pouring out of the Spirit would happen again with Cornelius and his family (10:44-47), a sign that uncircumcised Gentiles could receive the gospel.
8:18-23 ·Everything has a price· seems to be true in our world of bribes, wealth, and materialism. Simon thought he could buy the Holy Spirit's power, but Peter harshly rebuked him. Why? The only way to receive God's power is to do what Peter told Simon to do--repent, ask God for forgiveness, and be filled with His Spirit. No amount of money can buy salvation, forgiveness of sin, or God's power. These things are only gained by repentance and belief in Christ as Saviour. In addition, Simon apparently wanted the ability he was trying to purchase for selfish reasons: to have power, to make money, to gain prestige. God doesn't give us abilities to enhance our own lives. He grants us gifts so that we may bring him glory by building up others. When you find yourself wishing for an ability that would put you in the limelight or somehow enrich you personally, check your motives. Instead of sitting around wishing for talents you don't have, spend your time serving God and others with the gifts you do possess.
8:24 The last time a parent or friend rebuked you, were you hurt, angry, or defensive? Learn a lesson from Simon and his reaction to what Peter told him. He exclaimed, "Pray to the Lord for me." If you are rebuked for a serious mistake, it is for your good. Admit your error, repent quickly, and ask for prayer.
8:26 Philip had a successful preaching ministry to great crowds in Samaria (8:5-8), but he obediently left that ministry to travel on a desert road. Because Philip went where God sent him, Ethiopia was opened up to the gospel. Follow God's leading, even if it seems like a demotion. At first you may not understand his plans, and perhaps you never will, but trust that his plan will result in the greatest possible impact.
8:27 Ethiopia (known as Cush) was located in Africa south of Egypt. This eunuch was obviously very dedicated to God because he had traveled such a long distance to worship in Jerusalem. The Jews had had contact with Ethiopia in ancient days (Psalm 68:31; Jeremiah 38:7), so this man may have been a Gentile convert to Judaism. Because he was in charge of the treasury of Ethiopia, his conversion brought Christianity into the power structures of another government. This is the beginning of the witness ·to the ends of the earth· (Acts 1:8). (See Isaiah 56:3-8 for a prophecy about foreigners and eunuchs.)
8:29-35 Philip found the Ethiopian man reading Scripture. Taking advantage of this opportunity to explain the gospel, Philip asked the man if he understood what he was reading. Philip (1) followed the Spirit's leading, (2) began the discussion from where the man was (immersed in the prophecies of Isaiah), and (3) explained how Jesus Christ fulfilled Isaiah's prophecies. When we share the gospel, we should start where the other person's concerns are focused. Then we can show how God's Word applies to those concerns.
8:31 The man begged Philip to explain a passage of Scripture that he didn't understand. When we have difficulty understanding the Bible, we should ask others to help us. We must never let our insecurity or pride get in the way of the absolute importance of comprehending God's Word. If we ask for help, God will surely send us the help we need.
8:35 Some think that the Old Testament is not relevant today, but Philip led this man to faith in Jesus Christ by using the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is found in the pages of both the Old and New Testaments. God's entire Word is applicable to all people in all ages. Don't avoid or neglect to use the Old Testament. It, too, is God's Word. Many of the stories and prophecies point to Jesus, and every prophecy about Jesus either was fulfilled during his life or will be fulfilled when he returns.
8:38 Baptism is a sign of identification with Jesus and with the Christian community. Although Philip was the only witness, it was still important for the eunuch to take this step.
8:39-40 Why was Philip suddenly transported to a different city? This miraculous sign confirmed the power of the Holy Spirit to the Ethiopian and showed the urgency of bringing the Gentiles to belief in Jesus. Azotus is Ashdod, one of the ancient Philistine capitals. Philip probably lived in Caesarea for the next 20 years (21:8).
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)