Acts Chapter 8

Persecution of the Church/Ministry of Philip/Simon the Sorcerer/Peter and John Arrives/the Eunuch

The murder of Stephen by the Jewish leaders was a great blow to the church. The church must have felt that it could not afford to lose a man of Stephen’s caliber. As a leader, he exemplified being filled with the Spirit. As an evangelist, he possessed boldness and an eloquence of speech that few at that time could match. Therefore, after his death, “devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made lamentation over him”. Stephen’s death was just the beginning of more persecution to come. The leaders who stoned Stephen turned their vicious wrath against the whole church in Jerusalem. The one in charge of this persecution was a young man named Saul. Saul went throughout the city, house to house rounding up all believers and throwing them in jail. This persecution of death drove thousands out of the city (Jerusalem). Although the Apostles remained in Jerusalem (as they were commanded by Jesus ( Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8), those fleeing the persecution spread throughout the region.

While the church was suffering persecution, it is reasonable to presume that the believers felt the cause of Christ was suffering a set back. But in fact the persecution assisted the work of the gospel. Before all the trouble started, the church was almost entirely confined to one place, Jerusalem. By the believers scattering beyond the borders of Jerusalem, the gospel of Jesus Christ went with them. Wherever they went they preached the “gospel”. They won many to Christ who never would have heard the gospel if the church had remained shut up in one city Jerusalem. As a result, the assemblies of believers appeared throughout Judea and Samaria, the first two places that Jesus commanded the Apostles to reach after evangelizing Jerusalem (1:8). Although the persecution made it seem that the forces of evil were winning, the real victor was the church. The persecution was God’s tool for scattering believers and spreading the gospel to new places.

Right after Stephen died, the church must have felt that he was irreplaceable. Was there any one else with the boldness in confronting the lost with the gospel of Christ. But God being all powerful and full of grace, immediately rose up a successor. He was Philip—not Philip the Apostle (John.1:43-44), but Philip one of the seven chosen to help out with the distribution of the food (6:5). When the seven was chosen it was Stephen named first then Philip was named second. Within a short time, Philip brought the gospel message to three new regions. He was the first to preach to the Samaritans (vs.5) with signs and wonders, he then witnessed to an Ethiopian eunuch who was traveling home from Jerusalem. The man believed and took the gospel message back to Africa. Afterward, Philip spread the gospel to cities along the Mediterranean coast. When the Samaritans heard Philip and saw the miracles, all believed with joy. In obedience to the great commission, all who believed were baptized.

Among those listening to Philip was a man named Simon the sorcerer. He claimed to be a great person, and all the people of Samaria believed in him describing him as the “great power of God”. In the days of the early church, sorcerers and magicians were numerous and influential. They worked wonders, performed healings and exorcisms and practiced astrology. Their wonders may simply have been magic tricks or the sorcerers may have been empowered by Satan. Whatever powers Simon had, they could not match the power of the Holy Spirit. He knew that what Philip could do was far beyond the reach of sorcery. When the news of Philip’s success reached Jerusalem, the Apostles decided to send Peter and John on a follow-up mission to Samaria. Upon arriving, Peter and John found that none of the believers had received the Holy Spirit. No doubt they were truly saved, because the Apostles did not seek to rebaptize them. Yet the Holy Spirit had not come to indwell them. To remedy their lack of Spirit, Peter and John laid hands on them, and they immediately received the Holy Spirit. The evil in Simon came to the surface. Seeing the supernatural change in those who received the spirit, his reaction showed that he still had the heart of a sorcerer rather than the heart of a believer. A sorcerer’s driving motive is lust for power. He wanted the power to control people. Now, after his supposed conversion, he envied the Apostles how they communicate the Spirit through the laying on of hands. He wanted the same power for himself. Without the least shame for his arrogance, Simon approached Peter and John as if they were fellow sorcerers. Simon proposed to cut a deal with them, that if they would give him the power to lay hands and give the Spirit, he would pay them handsomely.

Peter being appalled, was quick and blunt in his response. Peter understood exactly what Simon’s problem was. He was not saved. Therefore, unless he repented, he would perish just as his money would perish. Peter counseled Simon to seek the Lord’s forgiveness. Simon’s response shows that he was without guilt or remorse. Instead of admitting that he had done wrong, he said only that he wanted to escape the consequences. But to escape them, he refused to do what Peter commanded. Rather than praying on his own behalf, he asked the Apostles to pray for him. He did not want to humble himself before God and confess his sins. He was still a lost man.

After his triumphant evangelistic campaign in Samaria, an angel of the lord directed Philip to journey south to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Gaza was a desert along the coast between Jerusalem and Egypt. Philip went without delay to the appointed place, and saw a chariot coming from Jerusalem. The man in the chariot was reading a scroll out aloud. Philip soon came to realize that the man was of considerable importance. He was a high official in the government of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopian, who committed all of her treasure into his care. He was on the road through Gaza because he was returning home after worshiping at the temple in Jerusalem. His allegiance to the God of the Jews makes it likely that he was a convert to the Jewish religion (a proselyte). As he was returning home he was reading aloud from the scroll of Esaias (Book of Isaiah). With precise timing the Spirit ordered Philip to go to the chariot. Philip was first directed by an angel (vs.26), and then by the Holy Spirit (vs.29).

The text he was reading, was the wonderful prophecy telling that Christ would die in our place to pay the penalty for our sins (Isaiah 53). Philip asked the Eunuch if he understood what he was reading. The Eunuch, replying that he needed a teacher, invited Philip to join him. Philip preached to the Eunuch that the person whom he was reading about was Jesus Christ himself and not Isaiah. The Eunuch, believing the gospel Philip preached wanted to be baptized. After being baptized by Philip the Eunuch went away rejoicing in the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away and he was found in the city of Azotus. Azotus was about twenty miles north of Gaza. He than began an evangelistic tour of the coastal cities that took him all the way to Caesarea. Philip probably lived in Caesarea because he was still there twenty years later (Acts 21:8).

Questions/answers:
1. What is a Eunuch?
A eunuch is a male deprived of the testes or external genitals. They were excluded from membership in the congregation of Israel (Deut.23:1). Eunuchs were regarded as especially trustworthy in the ancient near east and thus were frequently employed in royal service.

2. Who was Candace of Ethiopia?
It is generally believed that “Candace” was a title rather than a proper name, though its meaning is uncertain. The title was used by several queens of Ethiopia.

3. Who is Esaias?
Esaias is a transliteration of Greek spelling of Isaiah.

4. Who were the Samaritans?
The Samaritans were a nation with roots going back when the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms, a northern and southern. The northern known as the kingdom of Israel, comprised ten of the original twelve tribes. The southern known as the kingdom of Judah, comprised the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. In about 720 B.C. the Assyrian army conquered Israel and carried many of the people into captivity. The Assyrians took people from other nations (Gentiles) and repopulated Israel with these nations. Over time the newcomers intermarried with the Jews that remained, the result being a mixed race known as the Samaritans. They rejected much of the Old Testament, appointed their own priests, and worshiped at their own temple in Samaria rather than in Jerusalem.

5. Where is Azotus?
Azotus is Ashdod one of the ancient Philistine Capital

6. What does it means to be “caught away”?
It suggest more than a mere guidance to another place, rather it speaks of a miraculous and sudden movement. In this case it was a powerful confirmation to the Ethiopian that Philip was God’s representative. There were others who were caught away: Elijah (2 Kings 2:11; Enoch (Gen. 5:24) and Philip (Acts 8:39).

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Acts Chapter 7

The Defense and Martyrdom of Stephen

So Stephen stands before the Jewish council. In verse one the high priest gives Stephen time to speak. This high priest is probably Caiaphas the same high priest who had earlier questioned and condemned Jesus (Matt. 26:57; John 18:24). Stephen can answer the charges against him (see 6:13-14), yet this is not what he does in the long speech which follows. He is more willing to use the time to speak of God’s truth. He wants to give all the glory to God. Stephen launched into a long speech about Israel’s relationship with God. From the Old Testament history he showed that the Jews had constantly rejected God’s message and His prophets, and that this council had rejected the Messiah, God’s son .Stephen outlines the history of Israel. God’s call of Abraham did not come in the promise land, but when he was far away in the land of Mesopotamia (Gen.12:1-3; 15:7; Neh.9:7). Although Abraham dwelt in the land of Palestine, he did not actually possess the land, but he only held it as a promise from God to him and his descendants. Abraham’s descendants did not quickly possessed the land, but instead would spend 400 years in captivity outside of the promise land (Gen.15:12-15). God entered into a covenant relationship with Abraham and his descendants by the sign of circumcision (Gen.17:9-14).

Verses 9-16 tell the story of the patriarch Joseph. This story begins in Genesis chapter 37 and goes on in Genesis 38-50. Even though Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, the Lord was with him (God’s divine plan: Gen.37:28; 39:2) and delivered Joseph who became second in command in all of Egypt (Gen. 41:54-56). Despite his brothers’ evil doings, it was Joseph who would save the rest of his family. Stephen begins to tell the story of the first part of the life of Moses. Moses was born under a sentence of death (vs.19), yet he was born to save his people like Jesus. GOD PREPARED Moses for the work which he was to do, but the Jews did not see that God had sent Moses to set them free (vs.22). Moses had to flee Egypt after killing an Egyptian who was assaulting a Hebrew. God renewed his call to Moses to do his work after spending forty years away from Egypt. Once, Israel did not want him, now he led them to freedom. In verse 37, Stephen uses a quote from the book of Deuteronomy 18:15. We have already found these words in acts 3:22. There, it was Peter who used them.

The Jews in the council thought that they had honored the memory of Moses. So, in verses 39-41 Stephen shows them how quickly the Jews forget the wonders that God had done at the Exodus. In the same way, the Jews who listened to Stephen forgot the wonders Jesus had done. Stephen had been accused of speaking against the temple (6:13). Although he recognized the importance of the temple, he knew it was not more importance than God. God is not limited; He doesn’t live only in a house of worship, but wherever hearts of faith are open to receive Him. For many years after coming into the promise land, Israel had no temple but continued to worship God at the tabernacle. King David a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) wanted to build a temple, but because of the blood on his hand, the building of the temple was delayed until David’s son Solomon built it.

After recounting their history, Stephen’s sermon began to hit home. He accused the Jewish leaders of being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in their hearts and ears, resisting the Holy Spirit, betraying and murdering the prophets, and the righteous One (Jesus the Messiah). The Jewish council hearing the truth of Stephen became “cut to the heart”. Instead of submission to the Holy Spirit, they respond with rage. Stephen will become the first Christian martyr. He saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Stephen’s vision supported Jesus’ claim and angered the Jewish leaders who had condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy. They did not want to hear no more of the Holy Spirit truth; they blocked their ears and gave aloud shout. They charged upon Stephen and dragged him out of the city. It seemed that when the Jews stoned someone, they did not just throw stones at him, they first removed the clothes from him. The witness had the duty to cast the first stone. It is here we come in to contact with Saul, who would later become the great Apostle Paul. As they stoned Stephen his words are like that of our Lord in Luke 23:46. The Lord trusted His Spirit to God, His Father. Stephen trusted his spirit to the Lord Jesus. Stephen was already badly injured. Yet he knelt up, and shouted in a loud voice. His words are again like the words of Christ in Luke 23:34. His last desire was to forgive his enemies. Stephen fell asleep. The death of Stephen is a transition point in Luke’s story. The spotlight leaves Jerusalem as the preaching is forced to the outlying regions. The story of Jesus is beginning to spread around the world. Luke will first take us to Samaria; its people were very unpopular with the Jerusalem Jews.

Questions/answers
Why was King David forbidden to build God a temple?
King David was a warrior king who had committed adultery and murder (2 Sam.7:1-17; 2 Sam.11:1-27; 1 Chr. 22:5-16).

Stephen recorded that the Jews persecuted the prophets. Who were they?
Indeed many prophets were persecuted: Jeremiah (Jer. 38:1-6; Isaiah (2 Kings 21:16 tradition says that he was killed by King Manasseh); Amos (Amos 7:10-13); Zechariah, not the author of the Bible but the son of Jehoiada the priest, 2 Chr. 24:20-22); Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2).

What the does the phrase “he fell asleep” mean?
The term “fell asleep” when it is applied to a Christian means that the person has died a physical death, not a spiritually death. The body goes into the ground to await the resurrection while the spirit goes back from whence it came, back to God who gave it. (See Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:7). In the New Testament it is a common word for believers (John 11:11-14; 1 Cor. 11:30, 51; 1Thess. 4:14; 5:10).

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Acts Chapter 6

Internal Dissension/Appointment of the Seven Deacons

This very short chapter narrates the preliminaries of Stephen’s martyrdom, noting that it occurred following a period of great growth and prosperity for the new church, that Stephen’s rise to prominence was a result of his appointment as one of the seven chosen to administer the distribution of food to the needy, an appointment brought about by complaints of neglecting the Grecian widows (6:2-7). Stephen’s popularity, ability in debate, and his fearless proclamation of the truth resulted in a Pharisaical plot against him, leading to his arrest (6:8-15). Many things of very significance come to view in this little chapter: there was the first instance of the laying on of the hands of the Apostles; there appeared the first violent opposition of the Pharisee; there occurred the first expansion of the church’s organization beyond that of the governing Apostles; and there was the exceedingly significant record of “a great company of priests” accepting the faith in Jesus Christ.

The church at Jerusalem had two groups of people in it by now. There were Jews who had always lived in Judea. They spoke the “Aramaic” language most of the time. This was more like the Hebrew language. Almost all of the Old Testament writers wrote in Hebrew. There were other Jews who spoke mostly Greek. The Greek speaking Jews were referred to as “Hellenistic Jews”. They were Jews by race, but not by culture. Many Jews who were scattered by the Diaspora (Acts 9:29), adopted the Greek culture, therefore they did not speak Aramaic, the language of the Hebrew Jews. This is where the problems arose. The Hebrews for the most part regarded the Hellenists as non Jewish, and the Hellenists considered the Hebrews as holier-than thou. This favoritism was probably not intentional but was more likely because of the language barrier. The early church took the responsibility to help support the widows because they had no other means of support (Acts 4:32-37). Despite the help that both groups received, they continued to complain.

The Apostles felt that their time should be spent in prayer, preaching, and teaching the word of God, so they chose others to administer the food program. This administration was not taken lightly. Notice the requirement for the men who would handle the food program. They were to be honest, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of wisdom. With these qualifications the men would be spiritually and practically minded. In the early church, the chosen men were commissioned (set apart by prayer and laying on of hands) by the Apostles. Laying hands on someone, an ancient Jewish practice, was a way to set a person apart for special service (Num. 27:23; Deut. 34:9).

The seven chosen all had Greek names, thus implying that the people and Apostles showed great love and sensitivity to the offended Greeks by choosing them to served tables. Jesus had told the Apostles that they were to witness first in Jerusalem (1:8). In a short time their message had infiltrated the entire city and all levels of society. Even some Priests were being converted, an obvious violation of the wishes of the Jewish council, this would endanger their position and power. Stephen who was chosen first (6:5) is now again introduced to us as being a man full of faith, having the Holy Spirit, and full of power. Stephen performed many wonders and miracles among the people. The Bible does not tell us what wonders or miracles Stephen performed, but all of these acts were evidences of the grace of God working through him. After disputing with Stephen and suffering defeat, these men induced false charges against Stephen causing him to be arrested and brought before the Jewish council. The Sadducees, the dominant party in the Jewish council, accepted and studied only the writing of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). In their view, to speak blasphemy against Moses was a crime. As it was with Jesus our Lord (Matt.26:59-61), they recruited false witnesses against Stephen. The face of Stephen revealed a clam, unruffled composure revealing the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Questions/answers: What is meant by “serve tables”?
The word “serve” has the meaning of “minister to”, and is rendered from the Greek word (diakonia), a derivative from (diakonos), and the latter term being rendered by three English words in our version: Minister, servant, and deacon. It is here that the office of the deacon is though to have been established.

Who was Nicolaus?
Nicolaus was a gentile who converted to Judaism then to Christianity. It is interesting that he is the only one designated a proselyte and the only one whose native city is given. He was from Antioch.

Who were the “Libertines”?
Libertines would be better translated “freedmen”. Members of this group had once been slaves, but had received their freedom. A great many Christians in those early years were slaves, the same being indicated by their names as given in Romans 16; but the Libertines had been freed. The places named here refer to non-Palestinian areas of the Roman Empire populated by Jews of the Diaspora. Alexandria, aside from Rome and Jerusalem, was the largest Jewish city of Antiquity; and Cyrene and Cilicia might have been mentioned by Luke because of the connection of Rufus (a son of Simon of Cyrene), Alexander (a son of Simon of Cyrene and brother of Rufus), and Simon from Cyrene, this Simon that carried the cross of Jesus (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26).

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