Saul Ravages the Church
1 And ch. 7:58;22:20Saul See Rom. 1:32approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and ch. 11:19;See Matt. 10:23they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But ch. 9:1,13,21;22:4,19;26:10,11;1 Cor. 15:9;Gal. 1:13;Phil. 3:6;1 Tim. 1:13Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he [James 2:6]dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria
4 Now ver. 1those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 ch. 6:5Philip went down to the city8:5 Some manuscripts a city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 [John 4:39] And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him John 2:23and saw the signs that he did. 7 For See Mark 16:17,18unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So ver. 39;See John 16:22there was much joy in that city.
Simon the Magician Believes
9 But there was a man named Simon, ver. 11;ch. 13:6who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, See ch. 5:36saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, ch. 14:11;28:6"This man is the power of God that is called [ch. 19:27,28]Great." 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had ver. 9;[ver. 13; Gal. 3:1]amazed them with his magic. 12 But when ch. 16:33,34;18:8;Mark 16:16they believed Philip as he preached good news ch. 1:3about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, ch. 16:33,34;18:8;Mark 16:16they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And ver. 6, 7seeing signs and ch. 19:11great miracles8:13 Greek works of power performed, [ver. 9]he was amazed.
14 Now when ver. 1the apostles at Jerusalem heard that ch. 1:8Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them ch. 2:38that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for [ch. 19:2] he had not yet ch. 10:44;11:15fallen on any of them, but ch. 19:5;[ch. 2:38;10:47,48;Matt. 28:19;1 Cor. 1:13,15;Gal. 3:27]they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then ch. 9:17;19:6;[ch. 6:6;Heb. 6:2] they laid their hands on them and See ch. 2:4they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20 But Peter said to him, [2 Kgs. 5:16;Dan. 5:17] "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God Isa. 55:1with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for 2 Kgs. 10:15;Ps. 78:37your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, Dan. 4:27;2 Tim. 2:25if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in Deut. 29:18;32:32;Heb. 12:15the gall8:23 That is, a bitter fluid secreted by the liver; bile of bitterness and in Isa. 58:6;[Eph. 4:3;Col. 3:14]the bond of iniquity." 24 And Simon answered, [Ex. 8:8;9:28;10:17]"Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, [ver. 6-8; John 4:39]preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Now ch. 5:19;10:3;11:13;12:7,23;27:23;[Judg. 6:12;13:3]an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south8:26 Or go at about noon to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ps. 68:31;87:4;Zeph. 3:10Ethiopian, a [Jer. 38:7] eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, Ezra 7:21who was in charge of all her treasure. [1 Kgs. 8:41,42;John 12:20]He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, See Rom. 10:14"How can I, unless someone John 16:13guides me?" And [1 Kgs. 20:33;2 Kgs. 10:15]he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
Cited from Isa. 53:7,8"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his [Phil. 2:8]humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth."
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and Luke 24:27;[ch. 17:2;18:28] beginning with this Scripture See ch. 5:42he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! ch. 10:47What prevents me from being baptized?"8:36 Some manuscripts add all or most of verse 37: And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, 1 Kgs. 18:12;2 Kgs. 2:16;Ezek. 3:12,14;8:3;11:1,24;43:5the Spirit of the Lord See 2 Cor. 12:2carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.