Acts 8
8
1-2Saul approved the stoning of Stephen. Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned very much for him.
Saul Makes Trouble for the Church
At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered terribly. All of the Lord's followers, except the apostles, were scattered everywhere in Judea and Samaria. 3#Ac 22.4,5; 26.9-11. Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail.
The Good News Is Preached in Samaria
4The Lord's followers who had been scattered went from place to place, telling the good news. 5Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people about Christ. 6They crowded around Philip because they were eager to hear what he was saying and to see him work miracles. 7Many people with evil spirits were healed, and the spirits went out of them with a shout. A lot of paralyzed and lame people were also healed. 8Everyone in that city was very glad because of what was happening.
9For some time a man named Simon had lived there and had amazed the people of Samaria. He practiced witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great. 10Everyone, rich and poor, crowded around him. They said, “This man is the power of God called ‘The Great Power.’ ”
11For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him. 12But when they believed what Philip was saying about God's kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they were all baptized. 13Even Simon believed and was baptized. He stayed close to Philip, because he marveled at all the miracles and wonders.
14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John. 15When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that these people would be given the Holy Spirit. 16Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to any of them, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit.
18Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he brought money 19and said to Peter and John, “Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on will also be given the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter said to him, “You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God's gift! 21You don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right. 22Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you. 23I can see that you are jealous and bound by your evil ways.”
24Simon said, “Please pray to the Lord, so that what you said won't happen to me.”
25After Peter and John had preached about the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem. On their way they told the good news in many villages of Samaria.
Philip and an Ethiopian Official
26The Lord's angel said to Philip, “Go south#8.26 Go south: Or “About noon go.” along the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.”#8.26 the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza: Or “the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza in the desert.” 27So Philip left.
An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship 28and was now on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29The Spirit told Philip to catch up with the chariot. 30Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31The official answered, “How can I understand unless someone helps me?” He then invited Philip to come up and sit beside him.
32 # Is 53.7,8 (LXX). The man was reading the passage that said,
“He was led like a sheep
on its way to be killed.
He was silent as a lamb
whose wool
is being cut off,
and he did not say
a word.
33He was treated like a nobody
and did not receive
a fair trial.
How can he have children,
if his life
is snatched away?”
34The official said to Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else?” 35So Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus.
36-37As they were going along the road, they came to a place where there was some water. The official said, “Look! Here is some water. Why can't I be baptized?”#8.36,37 Why can't I be baptized: Some manuscripts add, “Philip replied, ‘You can, if you believe with all your heart.’ The official answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ ” 38He ordered the chariot to stop. Then they both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39After they had come out of the water, the Lord's Spirit took Philip away. The official never saw him again, but he was very happy as he went on his way.
40Philip later appeared in Azotus. He went from town to town, all the way to Caesarea, telling people about Jesus.
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Acts 8: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Acts 8
8
1Saul approved of his killing. On that very day terrible persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except for the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2(Some faithful followers of God buried Stephen, with great mourning.) 3But Saul set about destroying the church, going from house to house, dragging both men and women off to prison.
4Those who had been scattered spread the word wherever they went. 5Philip went to the town of Samaria, and told them about the Messiah. 6When the crowds heard what Philip was saying and saw the miracles he did they all paid attention to what he was telling them. 7Many were freed from possession by evil spirits that screamed as they came out, and many who were lame or disabled were healed. 8The people who lived in the city were overjoyed.
9Now there was a man named Simon who lived in the city. He practiced sorcery. He claimed that he was someone very important, and had astounded the people of Samaria 10so they all paid attention to him. From the lowest to the highest in society they said, “This man is ‘God the Great Power.’” 11They were impressed by him because he had amazed them with his magic for so long.
12But when they believed in what Philip told them about the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon too believed and was baptized. He accompanied Philip, amazed at the miraculous signs and wonders he saw.
14When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to visit them. 15When they arrived they prayed for the converts in Samaria to receive the Holy Spirit. 16The Holy Spirit hadn't come to any of these converts yet—they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17The apostles placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands on people, he offered them money. 19“Give me this power, too,” he asked them, “so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20“May your money be destroyed together with you for thinking God's gift is something that can be bought!” Peter replied. 21“You're not part of any of this. None of this work belongs to you, because in God's eyes your attitude is totally wrong. 22Repent of your evil ways! Pray to the Lord and ask forgiveness for thinking like this. 23I can see that you are full of bitter envy, and chained down by your sin.”
24“Please pray for me, that nothing you've said may happen to me!” Simon replied.
25After they had given their testimony and shared the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, sharing the good news in many Samaritan villages along the way.
26An angel of the Lord told Philip, “Get ready and go south to the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So Philip set out, and met an Ethiopian man, a eunuch who had a high position in the service of the Kandake,#8:27. Kandake is not the personal name of the Queen, but her title, like “Pharaoh.” Queen of Ethiopia. He was her chief treasurer. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship there, and 28was returning from his trip, sitting in his chariot. He was reading out loud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29The Spirit told Philip, “Go over close to the chariot.” 30So Philip ran over, and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah.
“Do you understand what you're reading?” Philip asked him.
31“How can I, unless someone explains it?” the man replied. He invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32The Scripture passage he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to be slaughtered. Like a lamb is silent in front of his shearer, he didn't say a word. 33He was humiliated and denied justice. No one can speak of his descendants, for his life came to an end.”#8:33. Literally, “his life was taken from the earth.” The quotation is from Isaiah 53:7-8.
34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about? Is it himself, or someone else?” 35Philip started explaining, beginning from this Scripture, telling him about Jesus. 36As they continued on, they came to a stretch of water. The eunuch said, “Look, there's water here—why shouldn't I be baptized?” 37#8:37. This verse is not found in the earliest manuscripts. 38He ordered that the chariot be stopped. Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came out of the water the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again, but he continued on his way full of joy. Philip found himself at Azotus. 40He spread the good news in all the towns along the way until he arrived at Caesarea.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com