Scripture: Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Acts 8:26-40 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Philip travels to the capital city of Samaria, where he casts out evil spirits, heals the lame, and baptizes converts. A magician named Simon jealously notices his fellow Samaritans giving their attention to Philip. So Simon seeks baptism and follows Philip to learn his craft. Meanwhile, Peter and John visit Philip to assess his ministry. Upon arrival, they pray and lay hands on the converts to receive the Holy Spirit. Amazed, Simon approaches Peter and offers money to obtain this same power. But Peter rebukes Simon for thinking he can buy the Holy Spirit, pointing out that his heart is not for God but for selfish gain. So Peter pronounces a curse over Simon (that his silver will perish with him) and calls Simon to repent and receive forgiveness. Fearful of Peter’s prophetic words, Simon asks Peter to pray to his Lord to rescue him from ruin. Peter and John then return to Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel to the many Samaritan villages they passed along the way.
Today’s devotion presents a second vignette of the expansion of the church. Philip’s work in Samaria is done for now. So an angel of the Lord directs Philip to set foot on the road to Gaza. Without delay, Philip heads south to its desert region and spots a royal official traveling in a chariot with his entourage. Luke parenthetically adds that he is a eunuch and the treasurer of the Ethiopian Queen Candice and was returning home from Jerusalem, where he had been worshipping. As the story continues, the Spirit of the Lord directs Philip to go over and join the chariot. So Philip runs alongside, overhears this royal official reading from Isaiah, and questions whether he understands the text. The eunuch contends he needs someone to guide him, and thus, he invites Philip to sit in the chariot.
The Scripture is a messianic prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:7-8), and the eunuch asks Philip who the prophet has in mind. Philip expounds on this passage, explains how it points to Jesus, and then presents the Gospel. As they carry on, they approach a body of water. This now-excited believer orders his driver to stop the chariot so Philip can baptize him. As they leave the water, the Spirit of the Lord teleports Philip to Azotus, where he sets out for Caesarea, preaching the Gospel to all the villages en route. Meanwhile, the eunuch, undisturbed by Philip’s supernatural departure, returns home, rejoicing in God.
Of note: The Greek word eunouchos, translated here as “eunuch,” frequently appears in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) to designate a high military or political official without implications of emasculation. Given this official of Candice worshipped in the temple, if emasculated, Levitical law would prohibit his presence among a worshipping assembly (see Deuteronomy 23:1).
Of further note: The ancient kingdom of Ethiopia lies in the region of modern-day Nubia that begins at the point just south of Khartoum in the Sudan where the Blue and White Nile join and is linked to Egypt by the Nile River, which flows northward through both lands to the Mediterranean. Its succession of queens oversaw administrative affairs for their sons, who were designated divine sun kings and, thus, too holy to be involved in secular matters. Also, the proper noun Candance is not a personal name but a title for the queen-mother.
Takeaway: As a proselyte to Judaism, the eunuch would have received the customary baptism of a convert. So he likely expected a second baptism for initiation into this advancement of Judaism centered on his commitment to Jesus. Regardless, his joyful response illustrates a genuine outward expression of an authentic inward transformation. Moreover, this is what Paul implies when he says no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). Also, the eunuch’s conversion marks the first Gentile disciple of Christ. And he paid it forward, for Irenaeus writes that the eunuch became a missionary to his fellow Ethiopians (Contra Haereses 3.12).
So what are we to make of Philip’s supernatural teleporting? The Greek word Luke uses is hērpasen, translated above as “carried away,” which connotes a forceful and sudden action that one cannot resist. We see a similar example of Jesus walking through a closed door (John 20:19). And even Jesus walking on water points to the same reality: our Triune God who created the universe and its laws is unrestricted by them.
But that’s not the point of this story. It’s our Gospel, unrestricted by ethnicity and time and irresistible to those whom the Holy Spirit woos—whether Jew or Gentile, whether yesterday or today. Indeed, two thousand years later, Christians comprise two-thirds of Ethiopia’s religious population. As for Philip, in addition to his Palestine mission, we later read that Philip settled in Caesarea and raised a godly family with four daughters who exercised their gifts of prophecy (Acts 21:8-9).
Our takeaway? Like Philip, we go where the Holy Spirit leads us so that we can guide others in explaining how the Scriptures reveal Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior of the world. And we raise disciples in our homes to carry forward the Good News to the next generation. And like the Ethiopian eunuch, we rejoice in the Father and Son as we travel with the Good News.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who faithfully followed your Holy Spirit to his cross where Satan faced defeat and we gained victory over the penalty of sin. And we thank you for your Holy Spirit, who guides us in taking the Good News to our families, friends, and even our foes. Still, sometimes, our pace of life or the hostility we encounter can weigh us down. So would you please help us persevere going where your Holy Spirit leads us, guiding others in the truth of Scripture, particularly our Gospel, and rejoice along the way? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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