TRV
Bede
Late Patristic · AD 500–800 · 6,271 passages across 45 books
Commentary
Acts 8:5
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
But Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And he was from among the disseminated ones, who first preached Christ in Samaria, and he began through the deacon, as Christ said to the apostles: And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria (Acts I).
Acts 8:6
And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
But the crowds paid attention to what was being said by Philip. From this chapter and from the story of the Samaritan woman, it is proven that this nation was prompt in spirit to believe.
Acts 8:9
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:
A certain man who had previously been in the city, a magician seducing the people of Samaria. For seducing, in Greek it is written ἐξιστῶν, which signifies putting into ecstasy or mental displacement, that is, amazement and awe, through the displays of his tricks.
Acts 8:10
To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
All listened to him from the least to the greatest, saying: This man is the power of God. This, not as an adverb of place, but as a pronoun. As if to say: This one is the power of God.
Acts 8:13
Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Then Simon himself also believed. Either he truly believed in the Lord, having been overcome by the words and virtue of the blessed Philip, or, as it is more credible, he pretended to believe until he received baptism, so that, because he was very eager for praise, in such a way that he wanted to be considered the Christ, as the stories tell, he might learn from Him the arts by which he performed miracles. This is also said to have been done by his successors, who, initiated in their author’s malevolent arts, customarily entered the Church by any deceit and secretly acquired baptism.
Acts 8:14
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
They sent Peter and John to them. Arator beautifully explains this: Peter often makes John his companion, because the Church favors the virgin.
Acts 8:17
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
It should be noted, however, that Philip, who evangelized Samaria, was one of the seven. For if he had been an Apostle, he would certainly have been able to lay hands on them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For this is reserved to bishops alone. For presbyters, whether outside the bishop’s presence or in his presence, are allowed to baptize and anoint the baptized with chrism, but only with chrism consecrated by the bishop; however, they are not to anoint the forehead with the same oil, which is reserved to bishops alone when they impart the Paraclete Spirit to the baptized.
Acts 8:20
· 2 passages
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
"Your money perish with you," and other things. When holy men pronounce a sentence of cursing, they do not erupt from the desire of vengeance, but from the justice of examination. For they see the subtle judgment of God inwardly, and recognize the evils rising outwardly that ought to be carried by a curse; and they do not sin in the curse, since they do not disagree with the inner judgment. For when the innocence of the one cursing remains, and yet the curse swallows up the one who is cursed to destruction, from the outcome of both sides it is gathered that the sentence received from one internal judge is hurled at the guilty one. Thus Simon, who received the curse from Peter, perished by eternal damnation. And below, Bar-Jesus, rebuked by Paul, was immediately deprived of common light.
May your money perish with you. More accurately, it is written into perdition, according to the Greek authority, rather than in perdition. For in that perdition, in which a wicked man was condemned, his money was not to be with him, but he was commanded to retain the money he offered to the apostles for the sacrilegious bargain since they did not want to accept it, and this into his own perdition, so that, undoubtedly, due to this money which he had amassed for an unjust purchase, he would suffer eternal punishment.
Acts 8:23
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
For I see you are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. Therefore, the Holy Spirit descended in a dove to teach those who would receive Him to be simple. For he who retains the gall of bitterness in his heart, however baptized he may seem to be, is not freed from the bonds of his iniquity, but as if purged for a single moment at the hour of baptism, he is soon oppressed seven times more fiercely by a demon. Therefore, in vain does he attempt to buy the grace of the Spirit, who has taken care to divest himself with a raven’s mind.
Acts 8:26
· 2 passages
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.
Arise and go toward the south. It is well to seek, find, and wash at noon, the one who, burning with the devotion of his heart, merited to be consecrated by God as a kind of first-fruits of the nations. In him that special saying of the Psalmist is fulfilled: Ethiopia will stretch out her hands to God.
To the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, this is desert. Not the road, but Gaza is called desert. For that old Gaza, which was once the boundary of the Canaanites near Egypt, was utterly destroyed, and another in its place was built elsewhere. This allegorically represents the people of the Gentiles, formerly deserted by the worship of God, nor cultivated by the preaching of any prophets. The way descending from Jerusalem to Gaza opens the spring of salvation; it is the Lord Jesus Christ, who says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John XIV). He descended from the heavenly Jerusalem to our infirmities, and whitened the blackness of our guilt in the water of baptism.
Acts 8:27
· 3 passages
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,
The queen of the Ethiopians, Candace. And in the Book of Kings, we read that the Queen of the South came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. For, indeed, it was the custom of that nation always to be ruled by women, and to call them Candace.
And behold, a man from Ethiopia, a powerful eunuch. He is called a man for the virtue and integrity of his mind; and not undeservedly, as he had so much zeal for the Scriptures that he did not cease to read them even on the way; and he bore so much love in religion that, leaving the royal court, he came from the farthest parts of the world to the temple of the Lord. Hence, while justly seeking an interpreter of the reading, he found Christ whom he was seeking; and, as Jerome says, found more in the desert fountain of the Church than in the gilded temple of the synagogue. For there, as Jeremiah in amazement proclaims, the Ethiopian changed his skin, that is, washed from the filth of sins, he ascended whitened from the washing of Jesus.
Who was over all her treasures. The queen of the Ethiopians, sending her treasurer to Jerusalem, designates the Church of the nations, which will offer the Lord gifts of virtues and faith. The etymology of the name also fits. For Candace can be interpreted as changed from Hebrew. It is indeed she to whom it is said in the psalm inscribed: For those who will be changed: Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father's house (Psalm 45), and the rest.
Acts 8:29
Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
And the Spirit said to Philip. The Spirit spoke in Philip's heart. For the Spirit of God, as it were, appears to speak words to us, with a hidden force prompting us to do what ought to be done.
Acts 8:32
· 2 passages
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:
As a sheep led to the slaughter. Just as a sheep, when led to sacrifice, does not resist, so he suffered of his own free will. Or in a higher sense, just as the lamb was accustomed to be sacrificed at Passover, so Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5).
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent. He not only redeemed us with his blood but also covered us with his wool, so that we, shivering in our unbelief, might be warmed by his garment, and we might hear the Apostle speaking to us: As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Thus, he did not open his mouth, since in his passion he wished to answer Pilate and the chief priests briefly, and Herod not at all.
Acts 8:33
· 2 passages
In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
For his life will be taken from the earth. So that he would live not on earth, but in heaven.
In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Because the judge of all did not find truth in judgment, but, without any fault, was condemned by the clamor of the Jews and the voice of Pilate.