Acts 8

Then Peter said, “Perhaps [the Lord] will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.” Peter wasn’t sure whether Simon would be forgiven or not, because he wasn’t sure whether Simon would truly repent. Only if Simon truly repented would he be forgiven. All who truly repent of their sin are forgiven (1 John 1:9).

24-25 When Simon heard Peter’s words, he was filled with fear. Simon had seen Peter’s great power, and now he feared that the words of such a powerful man might indeed come true. So he asked Peter to pray for him, that God’s judgment might not fall on him.

Whether Simon truly repented or not no one knows. He is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

After proclaiming God’s word in that place, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching in the villages as they went.

26 Some time later an angel of the Lord told Philip to go to the road running south from Jerusalem to Gaza. (Gaza was a city southwest of Jerusalem.) Notice how God led Philip. In this verse, an angel of the Lord spoke to him. In verse 29, the Holy Spirit spoke to him. Some think that the angel’s voice was, in fact, the voice of the Holy Spirit. But regardless of whose voice He used, God spoke to Philip, and Philip immediately did what God commanded.

27 On the road to Gaza Philip met a eunuch,⁴⁴ who was an official in charge of all the treasury of the queen of the Ethiopians.⁴⁵

28 Although the eunuch was not a true Jew, he was probably a follower of the Jewish religion. He had just been worshiping at the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and now he was returning in his chariot⁴⁶ to his own country. As he was riding along, he was reading from the Old Testament book of the prophet Isaiah.

29-31 The eunuch did not fully understand what he was reading. Where could he find a better teacher than Philip to explain the meaning of Isaiah’s prophecy! Because the verses in Isaiah that the eunuch was reading were written specifically about Jesus Christ.

32-33 The eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53:7-8.⁴⁷ In these verses, Isaiah is prophesying that Christ will be led like a sheep to the slaughter.

Most of the Old Testament prophets prophesied that Christwouldcomeasaking, or as an “anointed one” (the Messiah), or as a Savior. But in Isaiah Chapter 53, Isaiah writes that the coming One (Christ) would come as a “suffering servant,” who would sacrifice His life as an atonement for the sins of mankind. The Jews could not believe that the king or Savior they were waiting for was actually the same person as this “suffering servant” described by Isaiah. But Christ clearly said concerning Himself: “… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus also said: “Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?” (Mark 9:12). Therefore, from Jesus’ own words about Himself, we can understand that the prophecy of Isaiah quoted here is indeed written about Christ.

34-35 At the time of Philip’s meeting with the eunuch, the New Testament had not yet been written. There was only the Old Testament. Thus, aside from the Old Testament prophecies, there was nothing else written about Christ. It was indeed amazing that this very passage the eunuch was reading, Isaiah Chapter 53, gives the clearest description of Christ found anywhere in the Old Testament. Therefore, when the eunuch asked Philip who the prophet was talking about, Philip was immediately able to answer: “Jesus Christ.” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus (verse 35).

36-38 When he had finished telling the eunuch about Jesus Christ, Philip baptized him.⁴⁸ The eunuch did not have to wait a long time. Philip did not say: “I can’t baptize you now. You need more teaching. Come back another time.” Philip did not say: “Before I can baptize you, I need proof that your faith is genuine.” No, Philip didn’t say these things. Rather, as soon as Philip had finished explaining the Gospel and the eunuch had believed, Philip baptized him. Nowhere in the New Testament does it say that a person must wait a long time and receive extensive teaching before he can be baptized. Nowhere is it written that a person must first prove that his faith is genuine before being baptized. These ideas do not come from the New Testament. If any person, after hearing the Gospel, believes in Jesus Christ and asks for baptism, he should be baptized at the first suitable occasion and not be made to wait. Only God knows whether a person has truly believed from his heart or not. We men cannot know for sure. Therefore, even though we cannot be absolutely sure of a person’s faith, we must not refuse him if he asks for baptism; otherwise we will be disobeying the New Testament. Yes, it’s possible that a few will be baptized who do not have true faith; but it is God’s business to judge them, not ours.

Notice that although Philip was not an apostle, he had the authority to baptize (verse 12). From this we can understand that deacons and elders of the church also have the authority to baptize.

39 The Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and Philip disappeared from the eunuch’s sight (2 Kings 2:16; Ezekiel 3:14; 8:3).

40 God’s Spirit brought Philip to Azotus, a city north of Gaza on the Mediterranean coast. After that, Philip traveled farther northward to the city of Caesarea, preaching the Gospel as he went. It seems as if he decided to settle in Caesarea, because the next time Philip is mentioned in the book of Acts, he is living in Caesarea with four grown daughters, who were prophetesses (Acts 21:8-9).