Acts of the Apostles 8
8
1Saul was in full agreement with Stephen’s murder.
The church scatters
At that time, the church in Jerusalem began to be subjected to vicious harassment. Everyone except the apostles was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2Some pious men buried Stephen and deeply grieved over him. 3Saul began to wreak havoc against the church. Entering one house after another, he would drag off both men and women and throw them into prison.
Philip in Samaria
4Those who had been scattered moved on, preaching the good news along the way. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria#8.5 Or the city of Samaria and began to preach Christ to them. 6The crowds were united by what they heard Philip say and the signs they saw him perform, and they gave him their undivided attention. 7With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many people, and many who were paralyzed or crippled were healed. 8There was great rejoicing in that city.
9Before Philip’s arrival, a certain man named Simon had practiced sorcery in that city and baffled the people of Samaria. He claimed to be a great person. 10Everyone, from the least to the greatest, gave him their undivided attention and referred to him as “the power of God called Great.” 11He had their attention because he had baffled them with sorcery for a long time. 12After they came to believe Philip, who preached the good news about God’s kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13Even Simon himself came to believe and was baptized. Afterward, he became one of Philip’s supporters. As he saw firsthand the signs and great miracles that were happening, he was astonished.
14When word reached the apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria had accepted God’s word, they commissioned Peter and John to go to Samaria. 15Peter and John went down to Samaria where they prayed that the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. (16This was because the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17So Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon perceived that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money. 19He said, “Give me this authority too so that anyone on whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter responded, “May your money be condemned to hell along with you because you believed you could buy God’s gift with money! 21You can have no part or share in God’s word because your heart isn’t right with God. 22Therefore, change your heart and life! Turn from your wickedness! Plead with the Lord in the hope that your wicked intent can be forgiven, 23for I see that your bitterness has poisoned you and evil has you in chains.”
24Simon replied, “All of you, please, plead to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said will happen to me!” 25After the apostles had testified and proclaimed the Lord’s word, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the good news to many Samaritan villages along the way.
Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch
26An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, “At noon, take#8.26 Or travel south along the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.) 28He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. 29The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage and stay with it.”
30Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?”
31The man replied, “Without someone to guide me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. 32This was the passage of scripture he was reading:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter”
“and like a lamb before its shearer is silent”
“so he didn’t open his mouth.”
33“In his humiliation justice was taken away from him.”
“Who can tell the story of his descendants”
“because his life was taken from the earth?”#8.33 Isa 53:7-8
34The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about himself or someone else?” 35Starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 36As they went down the road, they came to some water.
The eunuch said, “Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?”#8.36 Critical editions of the Gk New Testament do not include 8:37 Philip said to him, “If you believe with all your heart, you can be.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son.” 38He ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, where Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Lord’s Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip found himself in Azotus. He traveled through that area, preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.
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Acts of the Apostles 8: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Acts 8
8
1 AND SAUL was [not only] consenting to [Stephen's] death [he was pleased and entirely approving]. On that day a great and severe persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles (special messengers).
2 [A party of] devout men with others helped to carry out and bury Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
3 But Saul shamefully treated and laid waste the church continuously [with cruelty and violence]; and entering house after house, he dragged out men and women and committed them to prison.
4 Now those who were scattered abroad went about [through the land from place to place] preaching the glad tidings, the Word [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God].
5 Philip [the deacon, not the apostle] went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ (the Messiah) to them [the people]; [Acts 6:5.]
6 And great crowds of people with one accord listened to and heeded what was said by Philip, as they heard him and watched the miracles and wonders which he kept performing [from time to time].
7 For foul spirits came out of many who were possessed by them, screaming and shouting with a loud voice, and many who were suffering from palsy or were crippled were restored to health.
8 And there was great rejoicing in that city.
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had formerly practiced magic arts in the city to the utter amazement of the Samaritan nation, claiming that he himself was an extraordinary and distinguished person.
10 They all paid earnest attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that exhibition of the power of God which is called great (intense).
11 And they were attentive and made much of him, because for a long time he had amazed and bewildered and dazzled them with his skill in magic arts.
12 But when they believed the good news (the Gospel) about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) as Philip preached it, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Even Simon himself believed [he adhered to, trusted in, and relied on the teaching of Philip], and after being baptized, devoted himself constantly to him. And seeing signs and miracles of great power which were being performed, he was utterly amazed.
14 Now when the apostles (special messengers) at Jerusalem heard that [the country of] Samaria had accepted and welcomed the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
15 And they came down and prayed for them that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit;
16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then [the apostles] laid their hands on them one by one, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 However, when Simon saw that the [Holy] Spirit was imparted through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he brought money and offered it to them,
19 Saying, Grant me also this power and authority, in order that anyone on whom I place my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.
20 But Peter said to him, Destruction overtake your money and you, because you imagined you could obtain the [free] gift of God with money!
21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is all wrong in God's sight [it is not straightforward or right or true before God]. [Ps. 78:37.]
22 So repent of this depravity and wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible, this contriving thought and purpose of your heart may be removed and disregarded and forgiven you.
23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in a bond forged by iniquity [to fetter souls]. [Isa. 58:6.]
24 And Simon answered, Pray for me [beseech the Lord, both of you], that nothing of what you have said may befall me!
25 Now when [the apostles] had borne their testimony and preached the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the glad tidings (Gospel) to many villages of the Samaritans [on the way].
26 But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and proceed southward or at midday on the road that runs from Jerusalem down to Gaza. This is the desert [route].
27 So he got up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28 And he was [now] returning, and sitting in his chariot he was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the [Holy] Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to this chariot.
30 Accordingly Philip, running up to him, heard [the man] reading the prophet Isaiah and asked, Do you really understand what you are reading?
31 And he said, How is it possible for me to do so unless someone explains it to me and guides me [in the right way]? And he earnestly requested Philip to come up and sit beside him.
32 Now this was the passage of Scripture which he was reading: Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation He was taken away by distressing and oppressive judgment and justice was denied Him [caused to cease]. Who can describe or relate in full the wickedness of His contemporaries (generation)? For His life is taken from the earth and a bloody death inflicted upon Him. [Isa. 53:7, 8.]
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, I beg of you, tell me about whom does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this portion of Scripture he announced to him the glad tidings (Gospel) of Jesus and about Him.
36 And as they continued along on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch exclaimed, See, [here is] water! What is to hinder my being baptized?
37 And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart [if you have a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as the Author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then] you may. And he replied, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he ordered that the chariot be stopped; and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and [Philip] baptized him.
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord [suddenly] caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing on he preached the good news (Gospel) to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
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