Acts 8
8
1-3Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing. Some godly men buried Stephen and cried loudly for him.
Trouble for the Believers
On that day the Jews began to persecute the church in Jerusalem, making them suffer very much. Saul was also trying to destroy the group. He went into their houses, dragged out men and women, and put them in jail. All the believers left Jerusalem. Only the apostles stayed. The believers went to different places in Judea and Samaria. 4They were scattered everywhere, and in every place they went, they told people the Good News.
Philip Tells the Good News in Samaria
5Philip#8:5 Philip Not the apostle named Philip. went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah. 6The people there heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he was doing. They all listened carefully to what he said. 7Many of these people had evil spirits inside them, but Philip made the evil spirits leave them. The spirits made a lot of noise as they came out. There were also many weak and crippled people there. Philip made these people well too. 8What a happy day this was for that city!
9Now there was a man named Simon who lived in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had been doing magic and amazing all the people of Samaria. He bragged and called himself a great man. 10All the people—the least important and the most important—believed what he said. They said, “This man has the power of God that is called ‘the Great Power.’” 11Simon amazed the people with his magic for so long that the people became his followers. 12But Philip told the people the Good News about God’s kingdom and the power of Jesus Christ. Men and women believed Philip and were baptized. 13Simon himself also believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to Philip. When he saw the miraculous signs and powerful things Philip did, he was amazed.
14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God. So they sent Peter and John to the people in Samaria. 15When Peter and John arrived, they prayed for the Samaritan believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them. This is why Peter and John prayed. 17When the two apostles laid their hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit.
18Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money. 19He said, “Give me this power so that when I lay my hands on someone, they will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter said to Simon, “You and your money should both be destroyed because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money. 21You cannot share with us in this work. Your heart is not right before God. 22Change your heart! Turn away from these evil thoughts and pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you. 23I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and cannot stop yourself from doing wrong.”
24Simon answered, “Both of you pray to the Lord for me, so that what you have said will not happen to me.”
25Then the two apostles told the people what they had seen Jesus do. They told them the message of the Lord. Then they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and told people the Good News.
Philip Teaches a Man From Ethiopia
26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. The angel said, “Get ready and go south on the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem—the road that goes through the desert.”
27So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia. He was a eunuch and an important official in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He was responsible for taking care of all her money. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 28Now he was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot reading from the book of Isaiah the prophet.
29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30So he went toward the chariot, and he heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31The man answered, “How can I understand? I need someone to explain it to me.” Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him. 32The part of the Scriptures that he was reading was this:
“He was like a sheep being led to the butcher.
He was like a lamb that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off.
He said nothing.
33He was shamed, and all his rights were taken away.
His life on earth has ended.
So there will be no story about his descendants.” Isaiah 53:7-8
34The official#8:34 official Literally, “eunuch.” Also in verses 36, 38, 39. said to Philip, “Please, tell me, who is the prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or about someone else?” 35Philip began to speak. He started with this same Scripture and told the man the Good News about Jesus.
36While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The official said, “Look, here is water! What is stopping me from being baptized?” 37#8:37 Some late copies of Acts add verse 37: “Philip answered, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you can.’ The official said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” 38Then the official ordered the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the official never saw him again. The official continued on his way home. He was very happy. 40But Philip appeared in a city called Azotus. He was going to the city of Caesarea. He told people the Good News in all the towns on the way from Azotus to Caesarea.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Acts 8
8
1And Saul was assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution upon the assembly in Jerusalem, all also were scattered abroad in the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles;
2and devout men carried away Stephen, and made great lamentation over him;
3and Saul was making havoc of the assembly, into every house entering, and haling men and women, was giving them up to prison;
4they then indeed, having been scattered, went abroad proclaiming good news — the word.
5And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching to them the Christ,
6the multitudes also were giving heed to the things spoken by Philip, with one accord, in their hearing and seeing the signs that he was doing,
7for unclean spirits came forth from many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who have been paralytic and lame were healed,
8and there was great joy in that city.
9And a certain man, by name Simon, was before in the city using magic, and amazing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be a certain great one,
10to whom they were all giving heed, from small unto great, saying, ‘This one is the great power of God;’
11and they were giving heed to him, because of his having for a long time amazed them with deeds of magic.
12And when they believed Philip, proclaiming good news, the things concerning the reign of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women;
13and Simon also himself did believe, and, having been baptized, he was continuing with Philip, beholding also signs and mighty acts being done, he was amazed.
14And the apostles in Jerusalem having heard that Samaria hath received the word of God, did send unto them Peter and John,
15who having come down did pray concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit, —
16for as yet he was fallen upon none of them, and only they have been baptized — to the name of the Lord Jesus;
17then were they laying hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18And Simon, having beheld that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles, the Holy Spirit is given, brought before them money,
19saying, ‘Give also to me this authority, that on whomsoever I may lay the hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.’
20And Peter said unto him, ‘Thy silver with thee — may it be to destruction! because the gift of God thou didst think to possess through money;
21thou hast neither part nor lot in this thing, for thy heart is not right before God;
22reform, therefore, from this thy wickedness, and beseech God, if then the purpose of thy heart may be forgiven thee,
23for in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness, I perceive thee being.’
24And Simon answering, said, ‘Beseech ye for me unto the Lord, that nothing may come upon me of the things ye have spoken.’
25They indeed, therefore, having testified fully, and spoken the word of the Lord, did turn back to Jerusalem; in many villages also of the Samaritans they did proclaim good news.
26And a messenger of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, ‘Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza,’ — this is desert.
27And having arisen, he went on, and lo, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of rank, of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship to Jerusalem;
28he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29And the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near, and be joined to this chariot;’
30and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, ‘Dost thou then know what thou dost read?’
31and he said, ‘Why, how am I able, if some one may not guide me?’ he called Philip also, having come up, to sit with him.
32And the contents of the Writing that he was reading was this: ‘As a sheep unto slaughter he was led, and as a lamb before his shearer dumb, so he doth not open his mouth;
33in his humiliation his judgment was taken away, and his generation — who shall declare? because taken from the earth is his life.’
34And the eunuch answering Philip said, ‘I pray thee, about whom doth the prophet say this? about himself, or about some other one?’
35and Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him — Jesus.
36And as they were going on the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch said, ‘Lo, water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?’
37[And Philip said, ‘If thou dost believe out of all the heart, it is lawful;’ and he answering said, ‘I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God;’]
38and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down to 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 was going on his way rejoicing;
40and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, till his coming to Caesarea.
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