Ethiopian Eunuch - Bible Story

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Ethiopian Eunuch - Bible Story

From chapter 8 of Acts, the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch and Philip the Evangelist illustrates how the teachings of Christ were circulated around the world in biblical times as they do today.  It begins with an angel visiting Philip, telling him to go south from Jerusalem to Gaza.  There he sees a eunuch, a court official of the Queen of Ethiopia, who had traveled to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home, seated in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah. 

The angelic spirit encouraged Philip to go to him, and he asked the eunuch if he understood what he was reading.  The Ethiopian replied, "how can I unless someone guides me?"  Worried that the bible passage was about himself, the eunuch was greatly relieved when Philip told him about the good news of Jesus.  He then requested to be baptized in nearby water and Philip went with him down to the water and performed the baptizing.  When they came up from the water, the spirit of the Lord carried Philip away and the eunuch saw him no more and went on his rejoicing in the salvation of Jesus. 

Read the full story of the Ethiopian Eunuch in scripture text below and find Articles, Videos and Audio Sermons relating to this inspiring story. 

Photo credit: Rembrandt, The Baptism of the Eunuch, c. 1626.

 

Acts 8:26-40

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.”
27 So 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 traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized? ”
38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized 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.
40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

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