A CHURCH ON THE MOVE Acts 8
A CHURCH ON THE MOVE
Acts 8
There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world,” wrote Victor Hugo, “and that is an idea whose time has come.”
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is much more than an idea. The Gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16,nkjv). It is God’s “dynamite” for breaking down sin’s barriers and setting the prisoners free. Its time had come and the church was on the move. The “salt” was now leaving the “Jerusalem saltshaker” to be spread over all Judea and Samaria, just as the Lord had commanded (Acts 1:8).
The events in Acts 8 center around four different men.
A Zealous Persecutor—Saul (Acts 8:1–3)
The Book of Acts and the epistles give sufficient data for a sketch of Saul’s early life. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 22:3), a “Hebrew of the Hebrews” (see 2 Cor. 11:22; Phil. 3:5), the “son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6), and a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37; 22:25–28). He was educated in Jerusalem by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and became a devoted Pharisee (Acts 26:4–5; Phil. 3:5). Measured by the Law, his life was blameless (Phil. 3:6). He was one of the most promising young Pharisees in Jerusalem, well on his way to becoming a great leader for the Jewish faith (Gal. 1:14).
Saul’s zeal for the Law was displayed most vividly in his persecution of the church (Gal. 1:13–14; Phil. 3:6). He really thought that persecuting the believers was one way of serving God, so he did it with a clear conscience (2 Tim. 1:3). He obeyed the light that he had and, when God gave him more light, he obeyed that and became a Christian!
In what ways did Saul persecute the church? He “made havoc of the church,” and the verb here describes a wild animal mangling its prey. When Christ spoke to Saul on the Damascus road, He compared him to a beast! (Acts 9:5) The stoning of Stephen, which Saul approved, shows the lengths to which he would go to achieve his purpose. He persecuted both men and women “unto the death” (Acts 22:4), entering both houses and synagogues (Acts 22:19). He had the believers imprisoned and beaten (Acts 22:19; 26:9–11). If they renounced their faith in Jesus Christ (“compelling them to blaspheme”—Acts 26:11), they were set free; if they did not recant, they could be killed.
A Faithful Preacher—Philip (Acts 8:4–8)
Persecution does to the church what wind does to seed: it scatters it and only produces a greater harvest. The word translated “scattered” (diaspeiro, Acts 8:1, 4) means “to scatter seed.” The believers in Jerusalem were God’s seed and the persecution was used of God to plant them in new soil so they could bear fruit (Matt. 13:37–38). Some went throughout Judea and Samaria (see Acts 1:8), and others went to more distant fields (Acts 11:19ff).
Philip was chosen as a deacon (Acts 6:5) but, like Stephen, he grew in his ministry and became an effective evangelist (see Acts 21:8). God directed him to evangelize in Samaria, an area that had been prohibited to the Apostles (Matt. 10:5–6). Both John the Baptist and Jesus had ministered there (John 3:23; 4:1ff), so Philip entered into their labors (John 4:36–38).
The word for preaching in Acts 8:4 means “to preach the Gospel, to evangelize”; while the word in Acts 8:5 means “to announce as a herald.”
Philip was God’s commissioned herald to deliver His message to the people of Samaria. To reject the messenger would mean to reject the message and rebel against the authority behind the herald, Almighty God. How people respond to God’s messenger and God’s message is serious business.
A Clever Deceiver—Simon the Sorcerer(Acts 8:9–25)
It is a basic principle in Scripture that wherever God sows His true believers, Satan will eventually sow his counterfeits (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43). This was true of the ministry of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:7ff) and Jesus (Matt. 23:15, 33; John 8:44), and it would be true of Paul’s ministry also (Acts 13:6ff; 2 Cor. 11:1–4, 13–15). The enemy comes as a lion to devour, and when that approach fails, he comes as a serpent to deceive. Satan’s tool in this case was a sorcerer named Simon.
The word translated “bewitched” in Acts 8:9 and 11 simply means “astounded, confounded.” It is translated “wondered” in Acts 8:13. The people were amazed at the things that Simon did and, therefore, they believed the things that he said. They considered him “the great power of God.” Simon’s sorcery was energized by Satan (2 Thes. 2:1–12) and was used to magnify himself, while Philip’s miracles were empowered by God and were used to glorify Christ. Simon started to lose his following as the Samaritans listened to Philip’s messages, believed on Jesus Christ, were born again, and were baptized.
What does it mean that “Simon himself believed”? (Acts 8:13) We can answer that question best by asking another one: What was the basis of his “faith”? His faith was not in the Word of God, but in the miracles he saw Philip perform;
The wickedness of Simon’s heart was fully revealed by the ministry of the two apostles. Simon not only wanted to perform miracles, but he also wanted the power to convey the gift of the Holy Spirit to others—and he was quite willing to pay for this power! It is this passage that gives us the word simony, which means “the buying and selling of church offices or privileges.”
He also gave the silversmiths trouble in Ephesus and helped cause a riot (Acts 19:23–41). The early church had its priorities straight: it was more important to preach the Word than to win the support of the wealthy and influential people of the world.
Peter’s words to Simon give every indication that the sorcerer was not a converted man. “Thy money perish with thee!” is pretty strong language to use with a believer. He had neither “part or lot in this matter” (“this word”) and his heart was not right before God. While it is not out of place for believers to repent (see Rev. 2–3), the command to repent is usually given to unbelievers. The word thought in Acts 8:22 means “plot or scheme” and is used in a bad sense. The fact that Simon was “in the gall of bitterness” (Deut. 29:18; Heb. 12:15) and “the bond of iniquity” would indicate that he had never truly been born again.
Simon’s response to these severe words of warning was not at all encouraging. He was more concerned about avoiding judgment than getting right with God! There is no evidence that he repented and sought forgiveness. A sinner who wants the prayers of others but who will not pray himself is not going to enter God’s kingdom.
This episode only shows how close a person can come to salvation and still not be converted. Simon heard the Gospel, saw the miracles, gave a profession of faith in Christ, and was baptized; and yet he was never born again. He was one of Satan’s clever counterfeits; and, had Peter not exposed the wickedness of his heart, Simon would have been accepted as a member of the Samaritan congregation!
Even though the persecution was still going on, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel in “many villages of the Samaritans” as they went their way. They lost no opportunity to share the Good News with others now that the doors were open in Samaria.
A Concerned Seeker—an Ethiopian(Acts 8:26–40)
Philip was not only a faithful preacher; he was also an obedient personal worker. Like his Master, he was willing to leave the crowds and deal with one lost soul. The angel could have told this Ethiopian official how to be saved, but God has not given the commission to angels: He has given it to His people. Angels have never personally experienced God’s grace; therefore, they can never bear witness of what it means to be saved.
D.L. Moody once asked a man about his soul, and the man replied, “It’s none of your business!”
“Oh, yes, it is my business!” Moody said; and the man immediately exclaimed, “Then you must be D.L. Moody!” It is every Christian’s business to share the Gospel with others, and to do it without fear or apology.
Philip’s experience ought to encourage us in our own personal witness for the Lord. To begin with, God directed Philip to the right person at the right time. You and I are not likely to have angels instruct us, but we can know the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our witnessing, if we are walking in the Spirit and praying for God’s direction.
This Ethiopian represents many people today who are religious, read the Scriptures, and seek the truth, yet do not have saving faith in Jesus Christ. They are sincere, but they are lost! They need someone to show them the way.
As Philip drew near to the chariot, he heard the man reading from the Prophet Isaiah. (It was customary in those days for students to read out loud.) God had already prepared the man’s heart to receive Philip’s witness! If we obey the Lord’s leading, we can be sure that God will go before us and open the way for our witness.
Isaiah 53 was the passage he was reading, the prophecy of God’s Suffering Servant. Isaiah 53 describes our Lord Jesus Christ in His birth (Isa. 53:1–2), life and ministry (Isa. 53:3), substitutionary death (Isa. 53:4–9), and victorious resurrection (Isa. 53:10–12). Isaiah 53:4 should be connected with 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:7 with Matthew 26:62–63; Isaiah 53:9 with Matthew 27:57–60; and Isaiah 53:12 with Luke 23:34, 37.
The Ethiopian focused on Isaiah 53:7–8, which describes our Lord as the willing Sacrifice for sinners, even to the point of losing His human rights. As Philip explained the verses to him, the Ethiopian began to understand the Gospel because the Spirit of God was opening his mind to God’s truth. It is not enough for the lost sinner to desire salvation; he must also understand God’s plan of salvation. It is the heart that understands the Word that eventually bears fruit (Matt. 13:23).