Acts 8
8
1Saul approved of putting Stephen to death.
On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
2Devout men buried Stephen as they mourned loudly for him.
3Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison.
Some Samaritans Become Believers
4The believers who were scattered went from place to place, where they spread the word. 5Philip went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah. 6The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said. They listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. 7Evil spirits screamed as they came out of the many people they had possessed. Many paralyzed and lame people were cured. 8As a result, that city was extremely happy.
9A man named Simon lived in that city. He amazed the people of Samaria with his practice of magic. He claimed that he was great. 10Everyone from children to adults paid attention to him. They said, “This man is the power of God, and that power is called great.” 11They paid attention to Simon because he had amazed them for a long time with his practice of magic. 12However, when Philip spread the Good News about God’s kingdom and the one named Jesus Christ, men and women believed him and were baptized. 13Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized, he became devoted to Philip. Simon was amazed to see the miracles and impressive things that were happening.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted God’s word, they sent Peter and John to them. 15Peter and John went to Samaria and prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit. 16(Before this the Holy Spirit had not come to any of the Samaritans. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit.
18Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money 19and said, “Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter told Simon, “May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy God’s gift. 21You won’t have any share in this because God can see how twisted your thinking is. 22So change your wicked thoughts, and ask the Lord if he will forgive you for thinking like this. 23I can see that you are bitter with jealousy and wrapped up in your evil ways.”
24Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me that none of the things you said will happen to me.”
25After they had boldly spoken about the message of the Lord, they spread the Good News in many Samaritan villages on their way back to Jerusalem.
Philip Tells an Ethiopian about Jesus
26An angel from the Lord said to Philip, “Get up, and take the desert road that goes south from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So Philip went.
An Ethiopian man who had come to Jerusalem to worship was on his way home. The man was a eunuch, a high-ranking official in charge of all the treasures of Queen Candace of Ethiopia. 28As the official rode along in his carriage, he was reading the prophet Isaiah out loud.
29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that carriage, and stay close to it.”
30Philip ran to the carriage and could hear the official reading the prophet Isaiah out loud. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31The official answered, “How can I understand unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to sit with him in his carriage.
32This was the part of the Scriptures that the official was reading:
“He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
He was like a sheep that is silent
when its wool is cut off.
He didn’t open his mouth.
33When he humbled himself,
he was not judged fairly.
Who from his generation
will talk about his life on earth being cut short?”
34The official said to Philip, “I would like to know who the prophet is talking about. Is he talking about himself or someone else?” 35Then Philip spoke. Starting with that passage, Philip told the official the Good News about Jesus.
36As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The official said to Philip, “Look, there’s some water. What can keep me from being baptized?” #8:36 Some manuscripts and translations add verse 37: “Philip said to the official, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you can be baptized.’ The official answered, ‘I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ ” 38The official ordered the carriage to stop. He and Philip stepped into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39When they had stepped out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official joyfully continued on his way and didn’t see Philip again.
40Philip found himself in the city of Azotus. He traveled through all the cities and spread the Good News until he came to the city of Caesarea.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Acts 8
8
Saul Ravages the Church
1And #ch. 7:58; 22:20 Saul #See Rom. 1:32 approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and #ch. 11:19; See Matt. 10:23they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3But #ch. 9:1, 13, 21; 22:4, 19; 26:10, 11; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6; 1 Tim. 1:13 Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he #[James 2:6]dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria
4Now #ver. 1those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5#ch. 6:5Philip went down to the city#8:5 Some manuscripts a city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6#[John 4:39] And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him #John 2:23and saw the signs that he did. 7For #See Mark 16:17, 18unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So #ver. 39; See John 16:22there was much joy in that city.
Simon the Magician Believes
9But there was a man named Simon, #ver. 11; ch. 13:6 who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, #See ch. 5:36saying that he himself was somebody great. 10They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, #ch. 14:11; 28:6 “This man is the power of God that is called #[ch. 19:27, 28]Great.” 11And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had #ver. 9; [ver. 13; Gal. 3:1]amazed them with his magic. 12But when #ch. 16:33, 34; 18:8; Mark 16:16 they believed Philip as he preached good news #ch. 1:3about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, #ch. 16:33, 34; 18:8; Mark 16:16 they were baptized, both men and women. 13Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And #ver. 6, 7 seeing signs and #ch. 19:11 great miracles#8:13 Greek works of power performed, #[ver. 9]he was amazed.
14Now when #ver. 1 the apostles at Jerusalem heard that #ch. 1:8Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15who came down and prayed for them #ch. 2:38that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16for #[ch. 19:2] he had not yet #ch. 10:44; 11:15 fallen on any of them, but #ch. 19:5; [ch. 2:38; 10:47, 48; Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 1:13, 15; Gal. 3:27]they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then #ch. 9:17; 19:6; [ch. 6:6; Heb. 6:2] they laid their hands on them and #See ch. 2:4they 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 this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter said to him, #[2 Kgs. 5:16; Dan. 5:17] “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God #Isa. 55:1with money! 21You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for #2 Kgs. 10:15; Ps. 78:37your heart is not right before God. 22Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, #Dan. 4:27; 2 Tim. 2:25if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see that you are in #Deut. 29:18; 32:32; Heb. 12:15 the gall#8:23 That is, a bitter fluid secreted by the liver; bile of bitterness and in #Isa. 58:6; [Eph. 4:3; Col. 3:14]the bond of iniquity.” 24And Simon answered, #[Ex. 8:8; 9:28; 10:17]“Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
25Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, #[ver. 6-8; John 4:39]preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26Now #ch. 5:19; 10:3; 11:13; 12:7, 23; 27:23; [Judg. 6:12; 13:3]an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south#8:26 Or go at about noon to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27And he rose and went. And there was an #Ps. 68:31; 87:4; Zeph. 3:10 Ethiopian, a #[Jer. 38:7] eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, #Ezra 7:21 who was in charge of all her treasure. #[1 Kgs. 8:41, 42; John 12:20]He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31And he said, #See Rom. 10:14 “How can I, unless someone #John 16:13 guides me?” And #[1 Kgs. 20:33; 2 Kgs. 10:15]he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
# Cited from Isa. 53:7, 8 “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33In his #[Phil. 2:8]humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and #Luke 24:27; [ch. 17:2; 18:28] beginning with this Scripture #See ch. 5:42he told him the good news about Jesus. 36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! #ch. 10:47What prevents me from being baptized?”#8:36 Some manuscripts 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.” 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And when they came up out of the water, #1 Kgs. 18:12; 2 Kgs. 2:16; Ezek. 3:12, 14; 8:3; 11:1, 24; 43:5 the Spirit of the Lord #See 2 Cor. 12:2carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
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