PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH
Acts 8:26 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. 27 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, 28 Was returning, and sitting in his Moses the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 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: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
The eunuch (“chamberlain – a state-officer”) was returning home to Ethiopia after having been to Jerusalem to worship. I’m certain that he was disappointed in that he probably found the priests up on a ladder, sewing up the curtain which separated the holy of holies which had been torn at the time of Jesus’ flesh being torn on the cross. (Heb. 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;) And he found that the city had been emptied of all Christian believers who had been brought into faith by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Only the apostles remained, and they were miraculously hidden from the scourge of persecution by Saul of Tarsus. (Acts 8:1,3).
So, trying to salvage something religious out of this major journey, he was reading a copy of the Book of Isaiah. It may be that he obtained it at the “book room,” (there’s always a book room at all major religious meetings!). This seemed to be one of the favorite portions of scripture among the Rabbis, as this was the section that was “delivered” to our Lord Jesus upon his first public reading. Luke 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Upon the eunuch’s reading Isaiah 53:7,8 out loud, he poses a very important question, which brings up a great issue. This truth seeker asks his religious representative, Of whom speaketh the prophet this? And that is the issue that our religious representatives need to truthfully answer in this day. Philip, lead by the Holy Spirit gave the correct and truthful answer. He preached unto him Jesus!
And that is what we must come to proclaim in this, our day of gospel opportunity! We must set forth Christ alone as the meaning of the entire scripture. We must, as Paul, proclaim, I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (1 Corin. 2:2).
The following was part of the final message that our Lord delivered to the church, after his resurrection and just prior to his ascension. All the scriptures that they then had, were summed up under the phrase, “Moses (first 5 books), and the prophets, and the psalms.”
Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Then we have his statement recorded in John 5:39. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
We also have a very clear statement from both the Apostle Paul and Peter of the prophets speaking of Christ. Listen to them both:
Acts 26:22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Acts 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
All true believers will come, by the same Holy Spirit to the conviction as those recorded in John 2:22. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. They believed that the words of the scriptures and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ were both the word of God! True believers do not just believe that the Bible ‘contains’ the word of God, but believe that it ‘is’ the word of God! 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Directed again by the Spirit of God, Philip runs to join himself to the appointed chariot and asks a question brought forth by that Spirit to enhance a rustic Jew to an elite, rich, and high ranking foreign state official. He simply asks, Understandest thou what thou readest? In doing so he addresses the matter which was of supreme importance to the eunuch. And in answering, the eunuch could show his humility in willing to be taught by whatever vessel the Lord provided.
This is the same type of question and humble response between the angel and Zechariah in the matter of the two olive trees. Zechariah 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. The humble admittance of needing to be taught brings promise of farther revelation! Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Then the eunuch gives forth a most humble response. He replies, How can I, except some man should guide me? And then he asks the only man the Lord has sent him to come sit with him and hear his question. And as previously stated, he sets forth the most important question as to whom the Prophet Isaiah was referring. But how could he have gone to Jerusalem, the very heart of the Jewish seat of learning, and not known this?
It is because that before Jesus of Nazareth came, the Rabbis taught that this passage spoke, of course, to the coming Messiah. But now, since they had killed Messiah, they have to cover it up by saying that the prophet is simply speaking of his own personal trials and afflictions. Therefore this eunuch, seeking truth, had instead found confusion at the end of his long journey into the great seat of Jewish revelation. And so Philip is furnished, not only his one man congregation, but also his text for preaching to him! It was as if the Spirit said, “Preach to this man from Isaiah 53:7,8, as to whom it refers!”
And as we have already stated, since the Sovereign Father has determined to make the whole of Scripture to be about the revelation of His only begotten Son, nothing but preaching the truth as it is in Jesus, will bear the perfect witness to the Spirit’s revelation of the same! 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Dear Reader, the Lord’s elect people, referred to by him as sheep, are said to have two irreversible and effectual things; hearing ears and following feet! John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: But to those who were not of his elect, he states, But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. (John 10:26). Therefore the sound of truth enters the ears of the eunuch, and rings true in his heart, so he knows that he has heard God’s truth this time!
The Apostle Paul speaks of his preaching of truth being received into the hearts of his listeners due to it’s being accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
And now we come to a most precious example of a spiritually new born heart. For in verse 36 we read: And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? What an expression of submission and humility that the Holy Spirit has worked into this rich man’s soul! For he turns to his teacher and respectfully asks if the teacher saw anything within the pupil that would keep him from observing the ordinance of baptism, in order to show publicly that he had become a Christian.
His immediate submission under the yoke of Christ reminds us of these verses: Psalm 119:59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. 60 I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
But now we come to a trial of Philip’s faith. For he, as God’s evangelist (Acts 21:8), has a different responsibility than this new convert. He must answer this question and not hinder the spiritual zeal of this new believer! But his mind had been challenged concerning baptism in his recent preaching in Samaria. He had there baptized a reprobate! He had baptized Simon, the sorcerer, whose deception had then been exposed by the Apostle Peter. Think about it! One of your baptized professors has been publicly told by an apostle that he has no part in spiritual regeneration. Listen to his words; Acts 8:21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
But Philip comes across with a beautiful expression that puts the eunuch in an opportunity not only to be baptized, but to also give forth his statement of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Here is recorded just what Philip said: Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.
Then the answer came back immediately from the new convert’s mouth: And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Out of the abundance of his newly regenerate heart, his mouth brought forth a glorious confession! Jesus Christ is the Son of God! Philip had preached Jesus from his Isaiah verses and he had believed that the subject of those verses was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit had revealed this unto him! …and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (1 Cor. 12:3).
1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
And now the Holy Spirit does something that is of great blessing to both the eunuch and to Philip. He separates them! For Ethiopia didn’t need a St. Philip Baptist Church, and Philip didn’t need to be exalted above measure with carnal praise and lavish gifts from such a rich and powerful state officer! To Christ alone belongs all the glory!
Pastor Gene Breed.
