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 message of good news. 5Philip went down to a # Other mss read the city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them. # Ac 6:5; 15:35 6The crowds paid attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard 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 astounded 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! ” # Or This is the power of God called Great # Ac 14:11; 28:6 11They were attentive to him because he had astounded them with his sorceries for a long time. 12But when they believed Philip, as he preached 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 13Then even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he went around constantly with # Or he kept close company with Philip and was astounded 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 welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them. # Lk 22:8; Ac 8:1 15After they went down there, they prayed for them, so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit. 16For He had not yet come down on # Or yet fallen on any of them; 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 Holy # Other mss omit Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19saying, “Give me this power too, 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 the gift of God could be obtained 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 the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” # Is 55:6-7; Dn 4:27; 2Tm 2:25; Heb 12:15
24“Please pray # Gk words you and pray are pl 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
25Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing 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.) # 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, # = Nubia 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.
33In His humiliation justice was denied Him.
Who will describe His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth. # Is 53:7-8; Php 2:8 # Is 53:7-8
34The eunuch replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about — himself or another person? ” 35So Philip proceeded # Lit Philip opened his mouth to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from 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? ” 37And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” # Other mss omit bracketed text 38Then 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 he went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip appeared in # Or Philip was found at, or Philip found himself in Azotus, # Or Ashdod and he was traveling and evangelizing 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
Currently Selected:
Acts 8: HCSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
The Acts 8
8
1And Saul was consenting to his being killed. And on that day there arose a great persecution against the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and all were scattered into the countries of Judaea and Samaria except the apostles. 2And pious men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into the houses one after another, and dragging off both men and women delivered them up to prison.
4Those then that had been scattered went through the countries announcing the glad tidings of the word. 5And Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached the Christ to them; 6and the crowds with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs which he wrought. 7For from many who had unclean spirits they went out, crying with a loud voice; and many that were paralysed and lame were healed. 8And there was great joy in that city. 9But a certain man, by name Simon, had been before in the city, using magic arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that himself was some great one. 10To whom they had all given heed, from small to great, saying, This is the power of God which is called great. 11And they gave heed to him, because that for a long time he had astonished them by his magic arts. 12But when they believed Philip announcing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. 13And Simon also himself believed; and, having been baptised, continued constantly with Philip; and, beholding the signs and great works of power which took place, was astonished.
14And the apostles who were in Jerusalem, having heard that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John; 15who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16for he was not yet fallen upon any of them, only they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18But Simon, having seen that by the laying on of the hands of the apostles the Holy Spirit was given, offered them money, 19saying, Give to me also this power, in order that on whomsoever I may lay hands he may receive the Holy Spirit. 20And Peter said to him, Thy money go with thee to destruction, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be obtained by money. 21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God. 22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and supplicate the Lord, if indeed the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee; 23for I see thee to be in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness. 24And Simon answering said, Supplicate ye for me to the Lord, so that nothing may come upon me of the things of which ye have spoken. 25They therefore, having testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and announced the glad tidings to many villages of the Samaritans.
26But the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Rise up and go southward on the way which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: the same is desert. 27And he rose up and went. And lo, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a man in power under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem, 28was returning and sitting in his chariot: and he was reading the prophet Esaias. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot. 30And Philip, running up, heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou then know what thou art reading of? 31And he said, How should I then be able unless some one guide me? And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him. 32And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him that shears him, thus he opens not his mouth. 33In his humiliation his judgment has been taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answering Philip said, I pray thee, concerning whom does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other? 35And Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from that scripture, announced the glad tidings of Jesus to him. 36And as they went along the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch says, Behold water; what hinders my being baptised? 37#Ver. 37 in the Authorized Version is recognized as not genuine. 38And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they went down both to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. 39But when they came up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40And Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he announced the glad tidings to all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.