Acts 8
8
1Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was good.
Troubles for the Believers
On that day the church of Jerusalem began to be persecuted, and all the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
2And some religious people buried Stephen and cried loudly for him. 3Saul was also trying to destroy the church, going from house to house, dragging out men and women and putting them in jail. 4And wherever they were scattered, they told people the Good News.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
5Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached about the Christ. 6When the people there heard Philip and saw the miracles he was doing, they all listened carefully to what he said. 7Many of these people had evil spirits in them, but Philip made the evil spirits leave. The spirits made a loud noise when they came out. Philip also healed many weak and crippled people there. 8So the people in that city were very happy.
9But there was a man named Simon in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had practiced magic and amazed all the people of Samaria. He bragged and called himself a great man. 10All the people—the least important and the most important—paid attention to Simon, saying, “This man has the power of God, called ‘the Great Power’!” 11Simon had amazed them with his magic so long that the people became his followers. 12But when Philip told them the Good News about the kingdom of God and the power of Jesus Christ, men and women believed Philip and were baptized. 13Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed very close to Philip. When he saw the miracles and the powerful things Philip did, Simon was amazed.
14When the apostles who were still in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When Peter and John arrived, they prayed that the Samaritan believers might receive the Holy Spirit. 16These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them. 17Then, when the two apostles began laying their hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit.
18Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money, 19saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter said to him, “You and your money should both be destroyed, because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money. 21You cannot share with us in this work since your heart is not right before God. 22Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing you have done, and pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you for thinking this. 23I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and ruled by sin.”
24Simon answered, “Both of you pray for me to the Lord so the things you have said will not happen to me.”
25After Peter and John told the people what they had seen Jesus do and after they had spoken the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and preached the Good News to the people.
Philip Teaches an Ethiopian
26An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get ready and go south to the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem—the desert road.” 27So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians; he was responsible for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 28Now, as he was on his way home, he was sitting in his chariot reading from the Book of Isaiah, the prophet. 29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30So when Philip ran toward the chariot, he heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31He answered, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him. 32The portion of Scripture he was reading was this:
“He was like a sheep being led to be killed.
He was quiet, as a lamb is quiet while its wool is being cut;
he never opened his mouth.
33He was shamed and was treated unfairly.
He died without children to continue his family.
His life on earth has ended.”#Isaiah 53:7–8
34The officer said to Philip, “Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about —himself or someone else?” 35Philip began to speak, and starting with this same Scripture, he told the man the Good News about Jesus.
36While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The officer said, “Look, here is water. What is stopping me from being baptized?” [37Philip answered, “If you believe with all your heart, you can.” The officer said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38Then the officer commanded the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the officer never saw him again. And the officer continued on his way home, full of joy. 40But Philip appeared in a city called Azotus and preached the Good News in all the towns on the way from Azotus to Caesarea.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Acts 8
8
Saul the Persecutor
1Saul agreed with putting him to death.
On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria. # Ac 9:31; 11:19 2Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. 3Saul, # Ac 7:58; 22:20 however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison. # Ac 22:4,19; 26:10; 1Co 15:9; Gl 1:13; Php 3:6; 1Tm 1:13
Philip in Samaria
4So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the message of good news. 5Philip went down to a # Other mss read the city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. # Ac 6:5; 15:35 6The crowds paid attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the signs he was performing. 7For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. # Mt 4:24; Mk 16:17 8So there was great joy in that city.
The Response of Simon
9A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and astounded the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great. # Ac 5:36; 13:6 10They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God! ” # Or This is the power of God called Great # Ac 14:11; 28:6 11They were attentive to him because he had astounded them with his sorceries for a long time. 12But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. # Ac 1:3; 2:38 13Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with # Or he kept close company with Philip and was astounded as he observed the signs and great miracles # Ac 8:6; 19:11 that were being performed.
Simon’s Sin
14When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them. # Lk 22:8; Ac 8:1 15After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit. 16For He had not yet come down on # Or yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. # Mt 28:19; Ac 2:38; 10:48; 19:2 17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Holy # Other mss omit Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought the gift of God could be obtained with money! # 2Kg 5:16; Is 55:1; Dn 5:17; Mt 10:8; Ac 2:38 21You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. # 2Kg 10:15; Ps 78:37 22Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” # Is 55:6-7; Dn 4:27; 2Tm 2:25; Heb 12:15
24“Please pray # Gk words you and pray are pl to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” # Gn 20:7; Ex 8:8; Nm 21:7; Jms 5:16
25Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing many villages of the Samaritans.
The Conversion of the Ethiopian Official
26An 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.) # Or is a desert place # Ac 5:19; 8:29 27So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch # Ps 68:31; 87:4; Is 56:3; Zph 3:10 and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, # = Nubia who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem # 1Kg 8:41; Jn 12:20 28and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.” # Ac 10:19; 11:12; 13:2; 20:23; 21:11
30When 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. 32Now 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.
33In His humiliation justice was denied Him.
Who will describe His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth. # Is 53:7-8; Php 2:8 # Is 53:7-8
34The eunuch replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about — himself or another person? ” 35So Philip proceeded # Lit Philip opened his mouth to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture. # Lk 24:27; Ac 17:2; 18:28
36As 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? ” 37And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” # Other mss omit bracketed text 38Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord # 1Kg 18:12; 2Kg 2:16; Ezk 3:12,14; 8:3; 11:1,24; 43:5 carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip appeared in # Or Philip was found at, or Philip found himself in Azotus, # Or Ashdod and he was traveling and evangelizing all the towns until he came to Caesarea. # Ac 10:1,24; 12:19; 21:8,16; 23:23,33; 25:1,4,6,13
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