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 word. 5Philip went down to a#8:5 Other mss read the city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.#Ac 6:5; 15:35 6The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened 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 amazed 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.”#8:10 Or “This is the power of God called Great#Ac 14:11; 28:6 11They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. 12But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed 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 13Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed 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 received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.#Lk 22:8; Ac 8:1 15After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16(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 Spirit#8:18 Other mss add Holy was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give me this power also 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 you could obtain the gift of God 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, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. 23For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”#Is 55:6–7; Dn 4:27; 2Tm 2:25; Heb 12:15
24“Pray 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
25So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in 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.#8:26 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, 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.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth. # 8:32–33 Is 53:7–8 #
Is 53:7–8; Php 2:8
34The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about — himself or someone else?” 35Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with 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?” #8:36 Some mss include v. 37: Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38So 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 went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip appeared in#8:40 Or Philip was found at, or Philip found himself in Azotus,#8:40 Or Ashdod and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in 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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Acts 8: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
The Acts 8
8
1And Saul was consenting unto his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2And devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him. 3But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
4They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. 5And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. 6And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did. 7For from many of those which had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame, were healed. 8And there was much joy in that city. 9But there was a certain man, Simon by name, which beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God which is called Great. 11And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. 12But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.
14Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money. 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God. 22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. 23For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. 24And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me. 25They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
26But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the same is desert. 27And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem for to worship; 28and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the place of the scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgement was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? 35And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. 36And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?#8.36 Some ancient authorities insert, wholly or in part, ver. 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society