Saint Philip the Apostle is one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Philip is known as a adherent from the metropolis of Bethsaida. Philip was a great expert of the Scripture and holding a good apprehension of the sense of the Old Covenant Apocalyptic he waited for the Messiah reaching.
An angel of the Lord sent Philip to travel south on the route from Jerusalim to Gaza. He sees that the route to Gasa is a desert route. “ Arise and travel south to the route that descends from Jerusalim to Gaza. And he arouse and went ” . ( Acts 8:26 ) Nevertheless Philip was ready to reply the Lord ‘s call. He went to the topographic point where the “ angel of Lord ” directed him. Traveling on the route to Gasa he meets an Ethiopian castrate who had visited Jerusalem to worship. “ It was at this topographic point that he saw the eunuch. Then the Holy Spirit directed Philip to fall in himself with the chariot ” . ( 8:29 ) He was returning place in his chariot. He was reading the prophesier of Isaiah in his chariot. Philip heard the Spirit ‘s words: “ Travel up and joins this chariot. “ ( 8:29 ) Philip did what the Spirit told him. Philip ran to the chariot and heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading the Isaiah. He asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he understood what he was reading. The Ethiopian answered: “ How could I, unless person ushers me? ” Here is the transition of the Bible he was reading: “ He was led as a sheep to slaughter ; and as a lamb before its Shearer is soundless, so he does non open his oral cavity. In humiliation his opinion was taken off ; who shall associate his coevals? For his life is removed from Earth. ” ( Isaiah 53:7-8 )
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He invited Philip to sit in his chariot. God decided to salvage this adult male although he was an Ethiopian and eunuch. If this adult male had been saved in Jerusalem, it might hold been an exclusion. But God was looking for this adult male and he found him on the desert route. Harmonizing to church tradition this adult male should be come a revivalist among his ain people.
This meeting allowed Philip to be a informant. The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah about the agony retainer. He asked if the prophesier was talking about himself or person else. The transition he read was a prognostication about Jesus. Philip understood that it was his opportunity to prophesy Jesus to the Ethiopian. We learn from this act that Luke indicates what a individual should make to be a Christian. Philip and the Ethiopian came to the H2O. The Ethiopian asked: “ What prevents me from being baptized? ” Philip answered him: ” If you believe with all your bosom, you may. ” The reply was: “ I believe the Jesus Christ is the Son of God ” . ( 8:37 ) When they stopped the chariot, Philip baptized him in the H2O. The Eyhiopian had a great desire to be baptizes. Having religion in Christ, he became a Christian. Philip had merely returned fro Samaria where the Spirit was outpoured. Of class, Philip expected the Spirit to attest his presence with the Ethiopian. It happened. When Philip and the Ethiopian came out of the H2O, the Spirit snatched Philip and brought him to Azotus about 20 stat mis north of Gasa. The Ethiopian did non see Philip any more. It was a marvelous disappearing, but the words strongly implied this fact. Philip was “ snatched off ” . ( Acts 8-39 )
From Azotus there was a long journey to Caesarea. Philip continued to prophesy the Gospel in all the metropoliss until he reached Caesarea. We see him in Caesarea 20 old ages subsequently. He is known as Philip, the revivalist. He has 4 girls and he continues to vaticinate. ( Acts 9:40 ) Luke does non state anything about the Spirit but we can see the the Ethiopian was “ rejoicing. ” ( 8:39 )
It is known that joy is a portion of the Spirit ‘s work. When adherents note religious consequences they they normally have a joy attach toing them. It is known that Paul writes about joy.
The ministry of Philip led to the enlargement of the church. Jesus said that the adherents would be informants non merely in Samaria but in any portion of the universe. Philip was the former deacon and now he ministered in Samaria. And the Ethiopian witnessed in Ethiopia. He was a Gentile secure functionary from a foreign state. He took Jesus to his state with him. We know that he was an African and had a place in the authorities. His transition was the first measure of missional in Africa.
So, in this narrative we can see that the Spirit of God is powerful. We must reply the God ‘s call, we must be faithful to witness, we must be ready to experience the presence of God. We must spread out the church.
God directs Philip through the Angel. “ Luke wants to demo clearly that God, non mere human determinations, guided the spread of Christianity ” ( Karris 1049 )
Decision
We can larn a batch of of import lessons from the Acts 8:26-40. It is necessary to look at this inquiry in the visible radiation of the statement of the Book of Acts. The transition of the Ethiopian castrate is considered to be a really important event which was recorded in the thick of the Samaritan resurgence.
The Samaritans were so called “ stepbrothers ” , and were received by the church as saints. This Ethiopian is a “ first fruit ” of the Gentiles. His race and physical malformation did non let him to near God, but God approached him in the desert, a alone topographic point, where there were cipher except Philip and Spirit. It was necessary for the angel of God to direct Philip to that adult male, the Ethiopian castrate.
I think that God guides us. God guides us to make those thing which we were non traveling to make at all. The illustration of this is the state of affairs on the desert route. But God does non state us what to make in this or that state of affairs. It is up to us to do a right pick. We must move by our religion. Our religion is based on scriptural rules. We should non be afraid of making something good. We know that God is ever with us. He is in our bosom. We can experience him, we can hear him, we love him. Our religion in God will ne’er go forth us.
One more thing which is really of import for us is discipleship. For illustration, it is said in the Great Commission: “ 28-18 Then Jesus came up and said to them ‘All authorization in Eden and on Earth has been given to me. 19. Therefore go and make adherents of all states, baptising them, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit 20. learning them to obey everything I have commanded you. And retrieve I am with you ever to the terminal of the yearss ” . So, that Ethiopian had the word of God and the Spirit of God which was rather adequate to be baptized.
