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
Acts 8
8
1And Saul approved of their killing him.
Saul Persecutes the Church
That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
4Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. 5Philip went down to the city#8.5 Other ancient authorities read a city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah#8.5 Or the Christ to them. 6The crowds with one accord listened eagerly to what was said by Philip, hearing and seeing the signs that he did, 7for unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, came out of many who were possessed; and many others who were paralyzed or lame were cured. 8So there was great joy in that city.
9Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. 10All of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.
14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16(for as yet the Spirit had not come#8.16 Gk fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17Then Peter and John#8.17 Gk they laid their hands on them, and they 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 also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's gift with money! 21You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. 22Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.” 24Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you#8.24 The Greek word for you and the verb pray are plural have said may happen to me.”
25Now after Peter and John#8.25 Gk after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many villages of the Samaritans.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south#8.26 Or go at noon to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) 27So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” 30So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and like a lamb silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” 37#8.37 Other ancient authorities 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.” 38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip#8.38 Gk he baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.