INTRODUCTION: This chapter is a pivotal one in the book of Acts. Three momentous events take place in this chapter. The great persecution and scattering of the church begins. We witness the beginning of events that will culminate in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Finally, the gospel begins to spread to the whole world, just as God wanted it to. 

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."

A. "And Saul was consenting unto his death."

1. Consent literally means, "to think well of in common, i.e. assent to, feel gratified with:--allow, assent, be pleased, have pleasure."

2. Saul thought the sentence entirely justified. The law of Moses did say that those who taught men to ignore the law should be executed. ( Deuteronomy 13:7-10) This is not what Stephen was doing, but Saul thought at the time that it was what he was doing. Paul later recounted how he approved of Stephen's death at the time. (Acts 22:20)

B. "And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem..."

1. Using the stoning of Stephen as an excuse, the Jewish leaders now began a systematic persecution of Christians. While they had before feared the people, now with the passions of much of the population stirred against the church, it was thought that the time was ideal for a crackdown of the Christian sect.

2. The “all” here gives reference to the large majority of the church at Jerusalem, not every single person. We find in the next chapters that there remained a congregation at Jerusalem. In fact, it is spoken of as having elders in chapter 15.

C. “throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles."

1. It took the persecution by the Jewish authorities to begin the next phase of God’s plan for the world, the taking of the gospel to Judaea and Samaria. See Acts 1:8

2. It is the nature of the providence of God that he can use even a sinful event or person to fulfill his plan.

A. “And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.”

1. There was great sorrow over the death of Stephen. It was not over his eternal destiny, or which there was no doubt. It was the suffering he had to go through and the deep person tenderness that his brethren felt for him.

2. There was a period of mourning for him, as usual custom in the east.

3. It is significant that the Old Testament prohibited mourning for the wicked. See Jeremiah 22:18-19.

B. “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”

1. Saul was even more zealous than the rest of the persecutors. He went looking for Christians, not just persecuting those whom came to his attention. It is the picture of one dragging men and women out of their homes and throwing them into prison.

2. Later in the chapter we will read about him volunteering his services to the High Priest for a mission of mayhem on the body of Christ.

C. “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."

1. The Christians were just like seeds that are scattered by the wind. They bore fruit everywhere the went.

2. The result was not the destruction of the church, but the growth of it.

3. This serves as an bridge for a discussion of Philip’s work in Samaria and Gaza.

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.

A. "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.”

1. Philip is almost certainly one of those appointed to wait on tables in chapter 6.

a. Luke mentions him in Acts 21:8.

2. Some have argued that in was really the area of Samaria that is meant, but more recent scholarship butresses the KJV renedering.

a. Some maps of the period will recognize the city of Samaria as Sebaste.

B. “And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”

1. This was the whole purpose of the miracles in the New Testament. They were used to confirm the word of the one coming with the message. See Mark 16:17-20.

2. Philip had hands laid on him in Acts 6:6.

C. “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.”

1. Two types of miracles spoken of performed by Philip.

a. Unclean spirits - demon possession. Again notice that the cast out of these demons confirmed that Philip was a preacher approved by God.

b. Palsies - Those who had certain disabilities dealing with the paralysis of the legs or arms. The word lame would certainly emphasize problems with the legs.

2. These miracles caused great joy in the hearts of the ones for whom the miracles were done, and their families and friends.

A. “But there was a certain man, called Simon”

1. The early church father write a great deal about Simon, much of which is likely exageration.

2. We really know nothing sure about the man outside of what Luke tells us.

B. “which beforetime in the same city used sorcery....”

1. Simon was a practictioner of magic tricks, sorcery, etc.

2. These were used to impressed the Samaritan that he was something special, possessing the power of God.

3. It is obvious that stacked up against the miracles of the Holy Spirit, Simon’s “miracles” were cheap imitations.

C. “And to him they had regard...”

1. Bewitch comes from a Greek word that mean “to astonish.”

A. "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ....”

1. Philip preached about the kingdom of God.

a. Most assuredily would have talked about the promises in the Old Testament concerning the kingdom.

b. How the Holy Spirit was promised by Micah.

c. How it was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.

d. Would likely talk about Jesus’ promise that the kingdom would come with power in the lifetime of the apostles. See Mark 9:1

2. Philip also talked about the name of Jesus Christ.

a. He talked about Jesus

b. His promise by the Old Testament prophets (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; 53)

c. Would talk about his life, his teachings, and his death on the cross.

d. Would have followed the same pattern as the earlier New Testament sermons, by concluding with the resurrection of Jesus, followed by a call for the Samaritans to obey the gospel.

3. Notice that here, as in other examples of New Testament conversion, baptism immediately followed belief.

B. “Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized...”

1. Those who believe in “once saved, always saved” say that Simon was never truly converted. But they miss the fact that he didn’t exactly the same thing that the Samaritans did. He believed and was baptized.

a. Unless one is trying to prove the doctrine mentioned above, the meaning is obvious. Simon believed the gospel and obeyed it. He sinned afterward.

b. The New Testament teaches that a Christian can fall from grace and lose their soul after their conversion, if they do not remain faithful. See 1 Cor. 9:27; 10:12; 1 John 1:7-9; 2 Peter 2:20-22.

C. “he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.”

1. After his conversion (Luke does not supply how long) Simon noticed the wondrous miracles that Philip was able to perform. They were surely so fantastic, and far more authentic that his magicians tricks could have ever performed, that it cause amazement.

A. “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God...”

1. Word got back to the apostles, who were still headquartered in Jerusalem, of the results of the preaching of Philip.

2. Notice that one apostle did not have command of the other eleven. Peter was not Pope over them. In fact Peter was one of the ones sent by the others.

B. “Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost”

1. What measure of the Holy Spirit was Luke talking about? It was not what one receives at conversion, for it is promised to all disciples who repent and are baptized. See Acts 2:38.

2. From the context of the passage it is obvious it was the power to perform miracles, i.e. the various gifts of the spirit.

3. Why couldn’t Philip pass on these gifts? He could perform them. Because it was necessary for an apostles to pass on these gifts. They had the baptismal measure.

A. “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money”

1. This does not mean that Simon was not converted, but that the temptation of fame and glory drew him into sin.

2. Simon wanted the power to pass on spiritual gifts. It would be natural for one who had been caught up in the occult for so long to be enticed by this power.

3. There is little doubt that the Samaritans demonstrated the gifts in his presence.

4. An interesting possibility is that Simon might have been given some spiritual gift himself. Not a single person who received these gifts was sinless and some probably apostized from the faith.

5. An understanding of the laying on of the apostles hands is fundemental to understanding four major principles.

a. The cessation of apostolic miracles

b. The end of inspiration among evangelists and teachers

c. The impossibility of apostolic succession

d. The conclusion of the canon of the New Testament.

B. “Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.”

1. Receiving the Holy Ghost means to have one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost as passed on by the apostles.

A. “But Peter said unto him...”

1. Peter was not cursing him (“You take your money and go to hell”, Good News for Modern Man), but was rebuking him with the truth that he would perish just like his money if he didn’t repent.

2. “The Gift of God” would mean anything that God gave to man which could not be earned by him. Ephesians 2:7-9 tells us that salvation is a gift. In this passage it is the ability to pass on miraculous spiritual gifts.

B. “Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter: for they heart is not righ in the sight of God.”

1. Simon was not an apostle. This gift was received through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the apostles received but which no other Christian has experienced.

2. He also had no part in the working of the Holy Spirit because he his heart was not right with God. He had been desireous of the power of God to make money.

A. “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God”

1. This is the “second law of pardon” designed for the Christian who has erred from the faith. The erring Christian is not called upon to be baptized again. Notice the difference between this passage and Acts 2:38.

2. Notice also that he was not called upon to “accept Jesus as personal saviour” as those in the denominational world say the alien sinner should do.

B. “If perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.”

1. The thought of his heart was the desire to purchase the ability to pass on the spiritual gifts.

A. “For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness”

1. Thayers Greek Lexicon says that this means “extreme wickedness.”

2. Gall is a word which signifies the bile that is secreted by the liver. The ancient people thought that the poison from snakes came from this “gall.” Thus if wickedness was in a man and he allowed it to go unchecked, it would spread and poison the whole man.

B. “and in the bond of iniquity”

1. He was bound by sin. This is how Paul describes the power of sin in Romans 6:16-18.

2. Simon had escaped the pollutions of this world, only to get once again entangled in sin. Exactly the condition Peter uses to describe the Christian who goes beack into the world. See 2 Peter 2:20-22.

C. “Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me...

1. Some will contend that this shows that Simon did not truly repent, since he called on someone else to pray for him. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Simon was seeking the prayers of other Christians, exactly because he saw the seriousness of his spiritual condition and desired forgiveness.

2. Paul often asked brethren to pray for him. See 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Hebrews 13:18.

3. It seems clear that he was asking the apostles to pray for him along with his own prayer.

4. With this passage we conclude what we can be sure of concerning Simon. Numerous traditions have sprung up concerning him. Some say that he founded a gnostic cult that threatened the church for some time. Others say that he traveled to Rome and met his death trying to fly. Still others say that he was buried alive, at his request, to show that he would raise himself up after three days.

D. “And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord...”

1. Peter and John stayed for some time in Samaria, doing their apostolic work and strengthening the church through preaching and teaching.

2. From the reading it seems that Peter and John took their time returning to Jerusalem, preaching the word in every village of Samaria that they came to.

A. "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.”

1. Being a man who received miraculous spiritual gifts, it must have been terribly surprising to Philip to receive instructions concerning where he was to go next in the preaching of God’s word.

2. It may have seemed odd to him to be pulled away from a growing ministry like that of Samaria to go down to an area where there are few residents.

a. God’s commands may seem to make no sense to us sometimes. But we do not have the mind of God. He knows better than us.

b. Unknown to Philip, God was making a way for the gospel to be taken back to the continent of Africa.

3. “Desert” here is not desert in the normal sense that we think of, but simply a deserted area. McGarvey says that the area to the south was well populated, with the exception of an area known in the Old Testament as the Valley of Elah.

B. “And he arose and went”

1. There was never a doubt as to whether Philip would comply with the angelic messanger.

2. Immediate compliance was necessary. God’s providence was at work to bring both preacher and sinner together at a single spot in that Valley of Elah

A. “behold, a man of Ethiopia”

1. There can be little doubt that this man was either a Jew or proselyte.

2. His purpose in travelling to Jerusalem was to worship Jehovah.

3. The very precedent setting nature of the conversion of Cornelius tells us that this man was not a gentile.

4. If he were a proselyte convert to Judaism, he would no longer be considered a Gentile. All gentiles who were proselyted to Judaism had to give up all ties to their Gentile nature. This is why there were so many “God fearers”, i.e. men and women who believed in Jehovah as the one true God but who were not willing to take such a radical step as being cut off from all of their former life.

5. There was said to be a large colony of Jews in Ethiopia.

B. “an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure”

1. He was a man of great authority.

2. Eunichs were often in high positions. They were emasculated at an early age so that they would concentrate on service to the king.

3. They were thought to be of great value in sensitive posts because they would not be sway by sexual desires.

C. “had come to Jerusalem for to worship, {28}Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.”

1. His whole purpose in travelling over 500 miles, over rough terrain, at some danger, by chariot, was to worship Jehovah.

a. Eunich were banned under the Law of Moses from the worship services within the tabernacle (Deuteronomy 23:1), although they certainly were not excluded from the other forms of worship. There is some hint that theses prohibition might have been lifted by the prophets (Isaiah 56:3; Jeremiah 38:7), but this is far from certain.

2. This shows that he was devout. From the text we can see that he was searching for truth.

3. It is quite possible that he had heard a great deal about the messiah while in Jerusalem, perhaps even hearing some things about Jesus and had been made curious. What better book to read more about the messiah than in Isaiah?

4. It is also possible that the Eunich had purchased this copy of Isaiah while in Jerusalem. From the text we can see that he was reading from the Septuagint version. He was fulfilling the spirit of Dueteronomy 6:7.

A. “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”

1. There was certainly divine intervention in this case of conversion. The angel, as God’s messanger, commanded Philip to travel toward Gaza. The Holy Spirit commanded him to join the Eunich.

2. But notice that while there was divine help in getting the preacher and the sinner together, there was NO divine help concerning the message.

B. “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?”

1. Philip ran to catch the chariot, and possibly followed alongside for a moment or two.

2. The Eunich was reading alound, which was a common practice in ancient times.

3. Philip was anxious to know how much the Eunich understood about the Messiah before preceeding with his preaching concerning Jesus.

C. “And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?”

1. This does not meant that this man could not understand, but that he did not have the information yet to allow him to understand what this passage meant.

2. The Scriptures can be understood.

a. Acts 17:11; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:19; Revelation 1:3.

A. “The place of the scripture which he read was this...”

1. This suggests that the eunich had some interest in the topic of the messiah.

2. It is likely that the eunich had heard a great deal of talk about the coming of the messiah. It is also possible that he had heard some concerning Jesus.

B. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter...”

1. Taken from Isaiah 53:7ff.

2. Verse 33 tells us that this suffering one would have his life taken from him before its normal life span.

A. “And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this....”

1. The eunuch was honestly perplexed about the passage.

2. If one had only the passage, without any illumanation, it would be difficult to understand.

3. It seems that there was not a universal acceptance in Jesus’ day that this passage was a prophecy of the messiah. Some accepted it, while others did not.

B. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”

1. Philip started with the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 53 and related it to the life of Jesus.

2. Part of his preaching was about baptism. Notice the next verse that it was the eunuch that brought up the subject. From whom did the eunuch receive this information, if not from Philip? Just coming from a man who had no understanding of what Isaiah 53 meant, it had to mean that Philip related baptism to Jesus in his preaching.

3. Romans 6:1-4 teaches us that baptism is an integral part of the gospel of Christ.

A. "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water..."

1. This clearly shows that baptism was a part of the gospel which the Christians in the first century preached.

2. It was also part of "preaching Jesus" as Philip did.

B. "And Philip said, I thou believest with all thine heart..."

1. The confession that the treasurer gave was consistent with the other passages that deal with the necessity of confessing Christ.

a. Romans 10:9-10; Matthew 10:32-33

2. ASV, and other more modern versions, omit the confession as lacking textual evidence. But it seems to this writer that it would leave a gap that would be unexplained if it were not there.

3. In any event, the good confession is a doctrine that rests on more than this passage.

C. "And he commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down..."

1. Notice that this is a clear reference to the fact that baptism was immersion in the first century. The went down into the water and came up out of the water. Why, if sprinkling were the mode?

2. Notice the joy that they treasurer had when he came up out of the water. He had begun a new life.

a. Romans 6:3-4