Session 9
Acts 8:26-39
Memory Verse: Romans 6:4
Being immersed in water and brought back out again does not save anyone, but baptism is a vital first step of obedience in the life of every believer. Plus, baptism speaks to both believers and non-believers. To believers, it declares that the one being baptized is publicly identifying as a brother or sister to all other Christians around the world. To non-believers, baptism proclaims that this person has died to sin and has been raised to walk a new life in Christ.
As you prepare for this week’s session, reflect on your own baptism. Ask God to bring back the emotions you felt on that day and to empower you to live out the symbolism this ordinance represents. Also, consider ways you can encourage the adults in your group who have not been baptized to take this important step.
In many places around the world, Christians are suffering intense persecution for their faith. In those areas, the act of baptism can put a new believer in jeopardy. Today, many persecuted believers submit to baptism even though they might be persecuted as a result. They understand baptism’s significance. While we are not saved by baptism, it is important. The New Testament teaches that baptism is both an act of obedience to Christ and a public identification with Him. (PSG, p. 82)
In Acts 6, Luke introduced two individuals who played significant roles in the book of Acts: Stephen and Philip. Stephen was a bold and effective preacher, whose sermon is the longest speech recorded in the entire book of Acts. He is known as the first Christian martyr, and his story is found in Acts 6–7.
In Acts 8, we are reintroduced to Philip. His experiences in Samaria and with the Ethiopian eunuch provide a transitional point for the book and underscored how the narrative of Acts begins to shift from a focus on Jerusalem to a focus on the ends of the earth (see Acts 1:8).A third influential person is introduced in Acts 8. Saul of Tarsus, who would later become known as the apostle Paul, started out as a villain. He attended and affirmed the execution of Stephen before initiating his own personal campaign of terror against the church. As his story unfolded, though, the power of the gospel was on full display. His encounter with the risen Messiah reminds readers that the Holy Spirit has the power to save even the worst of sinners.
Stephen’s death in Acts 7 was just the beginning of the persecution, as the church’s opponents grew bolder. While early persecution was reserved for the apostles, each believer now lived under the threat of imprisonment, torture, and even death. Yet, in an awesome display of God’s providence, this persecution actually led to the fulfillment of Jesus’s command in Acts 1:8. Driven from Jerusalem’s persecution, Jesus’s followers began to serve as His witnesses beyond that city, moving into the regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:4).
Philip was an obedient agent of God’s plan to spread the gospel to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Luke recorded that Philip healed the sick and cast out demons as he preached the gospel in Samaria and the result was “great joy” (8:8). In verses 9-25, Luke shared the perplexing story of Simon the sorcerer. Simon had been performing sorcery all around Samaria and had amassed quite a following. Many of his people embraced the gospel that Philip was proclaiming, and even Simon came to believe. After Peter and John placed hands on the people of Samaria so they could receive the Holy Spirit, Simon tried to buy this power from them. Peter strongly rebuked Simon, and Simon asked Peter to pray for him.
Whether Simon was truly repentant is unclear. What is clear, however, is that the mission of Acts 1:8 was continuing to unfold. Jesus’s followers had become His witnesses in Judea and Samaria, and, with Philip’s obedience in today’s session, they were beginning the work of spreading His good news around the world.
As you read Acts 8:1-40, notice the effect of the stoning of Stephen on the early church and the advancement of the gospel mission. (PSG, p. 83)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.) 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”
(v. 26) Angel of the Lord: In Luke’s Gospel, an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds to announce a momentous event in salvation history. Here, an angel signals another seismic shift. The gospel was going out from the immediate area of Jerusalem into the wider world.
(v. 26) Get up and go south: God providentially compelled Philip to be Christ’s witness in Samaria. In this passage Luke used even stronger language to describe God’s next step for Philip. Despite the overwhelming success of his work in Samaria, God was completely uprooting his servant.
Samaria was located north of Jerusalem. The desert road was well to the south past Jerusalem. Moving so far from a prosperous ministry did not align with human logic, but it fit God’s plan. Like Abraham centuries earlier, Philip “got up and went” (v. 27) in obedience to God’s call.
Ethiopian
Most scholars believe that ancient Ethiopia was different from the modern-day nation of Ethiopia. While its precise location cannot be discerned with certainty, we can be sure that the man was from Africa. The Bible also sometimes calls this area Cush (Esth. 1:1; 8:9; Ezek. 29:10). To many living in the first century, it was essentially the ends of the earth. This is yet another indication that salvation is available to all.
(v. 27) Eunuch: The word translated eunuch suggests that the man was emasculated, either because he was born that way or was made a eunuch by someone else. It is also possible that he was a voluntary eunuch rather than a physical eunuch. In the ancient world, the term “eunuch” also referred to officials given responsibility for a nation’s treasury. In that context, “eunuch” was a title, not a description of impotence. Since the Ethiopian was a high official of his queen, he may have served as a kind of finance minister.
(v. 27) Worship in Jerusalem: Like Nicolaus in Acts 6, the Ethiopian was probably also a convert to Judaism, a “God-fearer.” However, if he was a physical eunuch, he would have been barred from the temple (Deut. 23:1) and it would have been impossible for him to become a full member of the Jewish faith. He could have visited the temple, but he could not have entered. So, it seems that he embraced Israel’s God without fully converting to Judaism.
Of course, the inclusion of non-Israelites in God’s kingdom was always part of His plan. From the call of Abram, God’s heart for the nations is clear. Through Philip, He gave this man a chance to experience a new relationship with Him—not in a temple, but on a desert road.
(v. 29) Spirit: God’s Spirit revealed God’s purposes. He told Philip to join the Ethiopian in his chariot. Believers can be confident that the Holy Spirit’s directions always align with the will of God. Since all believers have been commanded to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20) and to be Jesus’s witnesses (Acts 1:8), we can be sure that God wants us to share the gospel whenever we have the opportunity. The Holy Spirit’s role in guiding us and empowering us makes that possible, whether it takes us across the street or across the globe.
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.
(v. 30) Reading: When Philip approached the chariot, the Ethiopian was reading from the prophecies of Isaiah. Philip heard him because he was reading aloud. This was customary for people in that time.
The fact that the Ethiopian man was reading Scripture conveys at least two truths about him. First, he was wealthy enough to afford his own copy of Isaiah, which would have been very expensive in the first century. Second, he was educated. Many in the ancient world were illiterate, so his ability to read ancient Hebrew suggests that he was in the upper echelon in terms of education.
Isaiah is often regarded as the Old Testament prophet who most clearly pointed readers to the Messiah—and validates Jesus’s identity as the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had gone before Philip and prompted this man to be reading these words at the exact time that Philip arrived.
(v. 30) Understand: Philip asked the man if he understood what he was reading. Teachers have always been a part of God’s plan for His people (Jer. 3:15). While Pentecost ushered in a new era, the New Testament emphasizes that teachers still have an important role in the church (Rom. 12:7; Eph. 4:11). People must understand the gospel before they can believe and call on the Lord (Rom. 10:14-15). God equips teachers to explain His message in ways that connect with those who are listening.
(v. 31) Guides me: With great humility, especially given his apparent wealth and position, the Ethiopian expressed his need for help. In verse 32, Luke noted that the eunuch had been reading Isaiah 53. A Servant Song, Isaiah 53 provides one of the clearest prophecies about Jesus’s atoning work on the cross. In it, the prophet emphasized that the Messiah would come as a substitute, becoming the sacrifice for the sins of those who would believe in Him. The prophecy that the Messiah was silent before His accusers was fulfilled when Jesus refused to defend Himself against false charges (Matt. 27:14; Mark 15:5; Luke 23:9).
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.
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.
(v. 36) Baptized: When they came to some water, the Ethiopian asked Philip about being baptized. Based on the gospel that Philip presented, the eunuch understood that he needed to be baptized as a follower of Jesus. The baptism did not save him, but it did serve as a proclamation that he had accepted Jesus as the Messiah and Savior.
Some ancient manuscripts do not include verse 37, so some translations (like the CSB) do not include the verse. Whether or not this verse was a part of Luke’s original manuscript does not impact the truth that the normal New Testament pattern is that baptism follows a confession of personal faith. Baptism thus represents an inner reality that has already taken place.
(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.
(v. 39) Rejoicing: Despite the sudden disappearance of Philip, the Ethiopian eunuch continued his journey rejoicing. Joy is the natural result of being united with Christ and should be the mark of every Christian (Gal. 5:22-23).
While this man was a God-fearer who had embraced Judaism, he was the first recorded Christian convert who lived outside of Palestine. The first record of a Gentile accepting Christ was Cornelius, a Roman centurion led to faith by Peter in Acts 10.
Romans 6:4
Spend time praying Scripture using Romans 6:4. Read the verse, then respond to these questions:
How does God reveal Himself in this verse?
How should I respond to what He reveals?
Example: Praise God for His deep mercy and undeserved grace. Thank Him for the new life He offers that allows us to live free from sin’s weight.
During the session, invite adults to pray this Scripture, as well.
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.)
Use Bible study tools to gain a deeper understanding of baptism.
Reread Acts 8:26-40 and then read the following passages on baptism: Mark 1:5; Acts 2:41-42; 16:30-33; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12. Take notes about the nature and purpose of baptism, paying particular attention to what precedes baptism and what baptism symbolizes. Now write a definition of baptism, making sure it is in accord with the Scriptures you have just read.