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Acts 8

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Persecution Scatters the Church 1–3

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. ​
2
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. ​
3
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. ​

Philip Preaches in Samaria 4–13

4
Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
5
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.
9
But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: ​
10
To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11
And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13
Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. ​

Apostolic Confirmation and Simon Magus 14–25

14
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: ​
15
Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: ​
16
(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18
And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, ​
19
Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. ​
22
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. ​
24
Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
25
And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch 26–40

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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. ​
27
And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, ​
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Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
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Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
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And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
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The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: ​
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In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
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And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
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Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. ​
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And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. ​
38
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. ​
40
But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 8

Verse 1

Saul was consenting unto his death — Suneudokeo is to think well of together: Saul approved the killing, as he later says, 'I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death' (Acts 22:20). The scattering 'throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria' reaches the places named in Acts 1:8, while 'the apostles' stay at Jerusalem.

Verse 2

devout men — Eulabes is pious, careful in religion; the same word describes the 'Jews, devout men' of Acts 2:5. 'Lamentation' is kopetos, mourning with beating of the breast. They buried Stephen at the time of the great persecution named in v.1.

Verse 3

made havock of the church — Lymainomai is to maltreat, ravage; 'haling' is suro, to drag. Women were taken as well as men. Paul later says, 'I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it' (Gal 1:13), and, 'I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief' (1 Tim 1:13).

Verse 5

Philip — One of the seven chosen with Stephen (Acts 6:5), later called 'Philip the evangelist' (Acts 21:8); not the apostle of that name. 'Preached' is kerusso, to herald as a crier, and the message is 'Christ', the Anointed. Samaria is the next region named after Judaea in Acts 1:8.

Verse 9

used sorcery — Mageuo, to practise magic. 'Bewitched' is existemi, to astonish, to put out of one's wits: Simon amazed the people, and in v.13 the same verb says he himself 'wondered'. He claimed to be 'some great one', and the people called him 'the great power of God' (v.10).

Verse 13

Simon himself believed also — He is baptized and 'continued with Philip', yet the verb for his 'wondered' is existemi, the one used of what he had done to the people (vv.9, 11): the astonisher is now astonished. Peter's verdict in vv.20–23 shows the heart had not changed.

Verse 14

they sent unto them Peter and John — Apostello, to send out on a commission: the apostles at Jerusalem send two of their number when they hear that 'Samaria had received the word of God'. Acts 11:1 uses the same phrase of the Gentiles, 'received the word of God'.

Verse 15

that they might receive the Holy Ghost — The Samaritans had believed and been baptized, but v.16 says the Spirit 'was fallen upon none of them'. Peter and John pray, and the Spirit is given with the laying on of hands (v.17), as at Ephesus (Acts 19:6). Acts 2:38 had joined 'the gift of the Holy Ghost' to repentance and baptism.

Verse 18

he offered them money — Chrema is wealth, a price. Simon saw the Spirit 'given' through the apostles' hands (epithesis, laying on) and tried to buy the power. It is the opposite of Christ's charge to the Twelve: 'freely ye have received, freely give' (Matt 10:8).

Verse 21

neither part nor lot in this matter — Meris is a portion and kleros an allotment, a lot drawn; 'matter' is logos, a thing spoken of, the subject in hand. 'Not right' translates euthys, straight: Simon's heart was not straight 'in the sight of God', whatever his baptism.

Verse 23

the gall of bitterness — Chole is gall, bile, pikria bitterness; 'bond' is sundesmos, a binding tie. Simon is bitter within and bound by iniquity: 'His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins' (Prov 5:22). Compare 'root of bitterness' (Heb 12:15).

Verse 26

toward the south — The Greek mesembria is midday, the sun's position, hence south. The angel names a road 'which is desert', a place with no crowd, after the great numbers of Samaria. Angels also direct in Acts 5:19, where the angel of the Lord opens the prison doors.

Verse 27

an eunuch of great authority — Dynastes, a potentate, officer; he kept all the queen's treasure. His journey fits the prophecy 'Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God' (Ps 68:31), and Isaiah's promise of 'a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters' to the eunuchs who keep the LORD's sabbaths (Isa 56:4–5).

Verse 32

as a sheep to the slaughter — The passage is Isa 53:7–8. 'Lamb' is amnos, a lamb, here dumb before its shearer. Peter applies the same chapter to Christ's suffering: 'Christ also suffered for us' (1 Pet 2:21), and 'by whose stripes ye were healed' (1 Pet 2:24, from Isa 53:5).

Verse 35

began at the same scripture — Philip starts from Isa 53 and 'preached unto him Jesus' (euangelizo, told the good news of him). The pattern is the risen Christ's own: 'beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself' (Luke 24:27).

Verse 37

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God — Philip sets the condition, belief 'with all thine heart' (holos, whole), and the eunuch answers with a confession: Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed, and the Son of God. Paul joins the two: 'with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation' (Rom 10:10).

Verse 39

caught away Philip — Harpazo, to seize, snatch. The Spirit of the LORD carrying a servant elsewhere is an Old Testament pattern: 'the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not' (1 Kgs 18:12). The eunuch 'went on his way rejoicing' (chairo), without Philip.

Verse 40

Azotus — The Greek form of Ashdod, the Philistine city to which the ark was once brought (1 Sam 5:1). From there Philip preached northward 'till he came to Caesarea', where he is later found with a house of his own (Acts 21:8) and where Cornelius lived (Acts 10:1).