witnessing principles in Philip’s approach.
30 When Philip ran up to it,
he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah,
and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31 “How can I,” he said,
“unless someone guides me?”
So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth.
34 The eunuch said to Philip,
“I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about ?—
?himself or someone else?”
35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news
about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.
use the Bible to point others to Jesus.
Philip could use Isaiah 53 to witness to the man because he was familiar with the passage.
Suggest that he had studied the Scriptures personally,
and that knowledge helped him make the most of this opportunity.
Beginning with that Scripture
The eunuch’s questions about the Suffering Servant
gave Philip common ground to move forward.
In evangelism, finding such connection points is an important step in sharing the gospel.
With the Spirit opening the door,
Philip told the man about the gospel
using the Scriptures that he had been reading.
Philip demonstrated two other keys to effective witnessing.
First, he met the man where he was, building on the eunuch’s knowledge of God and the Bible.
Second, Philip had a solid knowledge of the Scriptures himself.
By reading and studying the Bible regularly,
we will build a wealth of biblical knowledge and wisdom to share.
It is impossible to overstate the need to point to the Bible
when talking to others about Jesus.
Relying on Scripture ensures that we are sharing truth,
while also demonstrating that our beliefs do not come from our own imaginations.
Philip’s example reminds us
that when we rely on God’s Spirit to lead us and use God’s Word as the foundation of our witness,
we will be more effective in sharing the gospel.
While some will resist or reject our message, others will respond positively.