September 15, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 2 Samuel and Acts? Here’s today’s reading:
Acts 8 (NIV)
1 And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.……Continue Reading
Scripture is very clear that a person cannot be saved by being baptized. IT is only upon the confession of faith in Christ and what He did on the cross and the resurrection that someone can come to be a Christian. As Philip shares with the Ethiopian. vs 37 “And Philip said “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” Ater his belief in the Christ, he was baptized. Baptism is the outward expression that we have already came to Christ. Did you notice how God guided Philip in all of this? First the Ethiopian was reading Isaiah 53. The Holy Spirit leads Philip to this man. He asks Philip to teach him. Philip leads him to Christ and then baptized him. Then Philip is taken away to some other place. God was in all of this. This is an example to us when we are sharing Jesus with others. We need to be filled with the Spirit and prayed up and the Lord will lead us and guide us to people He wants to hear the good news. God bless.
What a great picture given in this chapter that with great persecution comes great witness for Jesus. May it be the same with us in our day. And as people made themselves available to God and the gospel of Jesus, He joined them by providing miracles and guiding in their way. And sometimes the gospel has impact in strange places. To think while persecution is happening in Jerusalem, the gospel is spreading in Samaria. It is important to note that these accounts here are of Philip the deacon, not Philip the apostle. And make note that God’s power is not something we can buy but God makes available for free for those who believe and trust God to know when expressions of His power are fitting. And I just love the Spirt just taking Philip from one place to the next and guiding him just where to go. May He lead us in such ways as we make ourselves available to Him!
Great turning point in the church. Samaritans become believers. The beginning of the notion that gentiles and half Jews can become believers. Not sitting well with the pride of being a Jew. Not until Peter’s revelation from God and interaction with Cornelius is this totally accepted. Always reminds me of John ch. 15. We are just GRAFTED IN. Rather it said. Cemented in. But a sober reminder of Gods grace towards mankind outside of his chosen people. Available to all. He is worthy!!!
Acts 8
Acts 8
Acts 8; Isaiah 31
Like we still see today, where there is much change there is also conflict. Many people were coming to Christ and therefore for those who this disturbed their normal status quo or their own agenda needed it to stop. So we see many coming to Christ while at the same time many being persecuted for believing. God never said believe and things would be easy and of course this is a perfect example. People will not always agree with us and Satan wants to stop God’s people from spreading the gospel so we expect oposition but like Phillip we press on knowing He is with us.
The killing of Steven ignited a spark that caused the church to scatter and spread the gospel throughout the whole region. This is a good example of God working all things out for his glory. Phillip listens to the Holy Spirit’s call to speak to the eunuch from Ethiopia. Another example of how the gospel can be spread – by telling others from distant lands. We can be used by God to achieve his purpose if we allow him to influence our lives as we listen, learn, pay attention to and respond to his guidance and direction.
”Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”“
Acts 8:37 NKJV
”Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.“
Acts 8:14-15, 17
Why didn’t they already have the Holy Spirit if they were baptized in the name of Jesus? Was it not a believer’s baptism like the Ethiopian, who professed faith received? Why did they need someone to pray for them to Receive the HS? I think this is where Catholics get the concept of confirmation (I think) and why they think the church (the Catholic Church) decided who gets the HS and who doesn’t.
It is not normative in the rest of the book of Acts, so people would be wrong to make this a precedent. It was most likely due to the nature of the relationship between the Jews and Samaritans. On one hand, it confirms for the Jews that the Samaritans could receive the Spirit and on the other hand it affirms for the Samaritans the authority of the Jewish apostles.