reflect on their own baptism.
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water.
The eunuch said,
“Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?”
38 So he ordered the chariot to stop,
and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water,
and he baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away,
and the eunuch did not see him any longer
but went on his way rejoicing.
Believers demonstrate their faith in Jesus through the act of baptism.
share what made this man’s commitment
to Christ a “key conversion” in Acts.
he was the first convert from outside Judea and Samaria.
he was the first link in a chain that would take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Point to the Ethiopian’s desire to be baptized.
Baptism
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
It is an act of obedience
symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior,
the believer’s death to sin,
the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
(See Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 6:3-5.)
talk about common misconceptions about baptism.
38-39) Went down into the water . . . came up out of the water:
Philip and the Ethiopian official had to go down into the water.
(vv. 38-39) Went down into the water . . . came up out of the water: Philip and the Ethiopian official had to go down into the water. Then, in verse 39, Luke explained they came up out of the water. The image here is the practice of immersion. Just as Jesus had been immersed by John in the Jordan River, the Ethiopian was immersed by Philip.
This is a vital truth to understand because baptism symbolizes believer’s association with Jesus’s death and resurrection (see Rom. 6:4). Immersion is the only form of baptism that fulfills this symbolism.
(v. 39) Spirit of the Lord: The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jesus at His baptism to mark the beginning of His public ministry (Luke 4:22). This time, the Spirit took Philip away to do more ministry elsewhere.
Acts 8:40 reveals that God supernaturally transported him to Azotus. In the Old Testament, this town was called Ashdod and was a primary city of the Philistines. Philip shared the gospel there and along the Mediterranean coast until he settled in Caesarea. This is where Philip was when he hosted Paul (Acts 21:8-9) after one of his missionary journeys.
Then, in verse 39 they came up out of the water.
The image here is the practice of immersion.
Just as Jesus had been immersed by John in the Jordan River,
the Ethiopian was immersed by Philip.This is a vital truth to understand
because baptism symbolizes believer’s association with
Jesus’s death and resurrection
(see Rom. 6:4).
Immersion is the only form of baptism that fulfills this symbolism.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 90 of the Personal Study Guide:
Use the Plan of Salvation on the inside front cover of the Leader Guide and PSG to share the gospel.
Let adults know that you are available to talk with anyone who wants to learn more about establishing a relationship with God.
Challenge the group to continue praying through Romans 6:4 during the week, as noted in the “Praying Scripture” activity (Leader Guide, p. 106).
Encourage them keep asking God to reveal more about who He is and how they should respond.
Close the session by asking God to help adults know how to respond to Him regarding salvation, baptism, or evangelism.
Email or text the group sometime during the week with a written testimony of your salvation and baptism. Encourage adults to write out their own stories to share. Conclude the email with the session memory verse, Romans 6:4. Challenge adults to commit this verse to memory as they go through the week.
Provide adults with several copies of the Baptist Hymnal (2008) and to join in singing No. 224,
“There is a Fountain.”
Point out that a fountain filled with blood is a clear reference to the blood that Jesus shed on the cross and His ability to remove the guilt of sin.
Note that the wording also might remind us of baptism.
Emphasize that baptism cannot save anyone, but it is important because it is a step of obedience to Jesus’s command and a public statement of identification with Him to the world.