Acts 8
8
1And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
Philip and the Ethiopian
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian#8:27 That is, from the southern Nile region eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”#8:33 Isaiah 53:7,8 (see Septuagint)
34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37]#8:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Acts 8
8
Saul Ravages the Church
1And #ch. 7:58; 22:20 Saul #See Rom. 1:32 approved 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. 2Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3But #ch. 9:1, 13, 21; 22:4, 19; 26:10, 11; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6; 1 Tim. 1:13 Saul 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
4Now #ver. 1those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5#ch. 6:5Philip went down to the city#8:5 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. 7For #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. 8So #ver. 39; See John 16:22there was much joy in that city.
Simon the Magician Believes
9But there was a man named Simon, #ver. 11; ch. 13:6 who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, #See ch. 5:36saying that he himself was somebody great. 10They 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.” 11And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had #ver. 9; [ver. 13; Gal. 3:1]amazed them with his magic. 12But when #ch. 16:33, 34; 18:8; Mark 16:16 they 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 16:16 they were baptized, both men and women. 13Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And #ver. 6, 7 seeing signs and #ch. 19:11 great miracles#8:13 Greek works of power performed, #[ver. 9]he was amazed.
14Now when #ver. 1 the apostles at Jerusalem heard that #ch. 1:8Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15who came down and prayed for them #ch. 2:38that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16for #[ch. 19:2] he had not yet #ch. 10:44; 11:15 fallen 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. 17Then #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. 18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But 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! 21You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for #2 Kgs. 10:15; Ps. 78:37your heart is not right before God. 22Repent, 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. 23For I see that you are in #Deut. 29:18; 32:32; Heb. 12:15 the gall#8:23 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.” 24And 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.”
25Now 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
26Now #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 south#8:26 Or go at about noon to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27And he rose and went. And there was an #Ps. 68:31; 87:4; Zeph. 3:10 Ethiopian, a #[Jer. 38:7] eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, #Ezra 7:21 who was in charge of all her treasure. #[1 Kgs. 8:41, 42; John 12:20]He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31And he said, #See Rom. 10:14 “How can I, unless someone #John 16:13 guides me?” And #[1 Kgs. 20:33; 2 Kgs. 10:15]he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now 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.
33In his #[Phil. 2:8]humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then 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. 36And 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.” 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And 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; 43:5 the Spirit of the Lord #See 2 Cor. 12:2carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
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