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
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Acts 8: HCSB
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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.