BIBLE IN TEN

Acts 8:36

Monday, 11 July 2022
 
Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36
 
The previous verse said that Philip opened his mouth and began to preach Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch. Luke next records, “Now as they went down the road.”
 
It is obvious that Philip continued with the preaching as they preceded from Jerusalem to Gaza, sitting next to the eunuch and telling him the things he knew about Jesus and His fulfillment of Scripture. And it obviously had the intended effect on him as is seen in the coming words, which begin with, “they came to some water.”
 
The words are not unimportant. It said that Philip preached Jesus to the eunuch. And yet, the obvious intent – and as will be seen explicitly in a moment – of the note about water is that a part of Philip’s preaching about Jesus was the fulfillment of the command concerning baptism. Luke directly ties evangelism about Jesus in with the requirement to be baptized.
 
Although this is a descriptive account, it is forming a normative pattern when taken with all of the other instances given in Acts. And more, it is a direct and unambiguous note of obedience to Jesus’ words that were given after the resurrection and in connection to the New Covenant. With this in mind, and in confirmation of this, it next says, “And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water.’”
 
The Greek more directly says, “Behold! Water!” It is as if the eunuch was marveling that such a propitious thing occurred on the desert road at exactly the time that he had chosen to believe the gospel presented to him.
 
Of this water, various travelers over the centuries have attempted to determine what source is being spoken of. But that is less important than the fact that water was there, right in the barren desert, in order to provide immediate compliance with the Lord’s command to be baptized. Taking full advantage of the moment, the eunuch immediately asks, “What hinders me from being baptized?”
 
One cannot ask about something like baptism unless he has first been told about it. As such, it is apparent that the preaching of the gospel included the subject as a core part of what was said. Because this was so, the eunuch immediately wants to comply with this outward ritual as a demonstration of the inward change that has occurred.
 
Life application: The Ethiopian eunuch is a Gentile. He has not been described as a proselyte to Judaism, and that cannot be inferred from the text, nor was it allowed under the law due to his being a eunuch. He is a man who came to worship God in a nation where he could not be accepted into its assembly.
 
And yet, he has now been accepted by the very fulfillment of every type, shadow, and picture that the law only anticipated. And that, by a mere act of faith (as will be seen in the coming verse). In his zeal to be identified with this new faith, and in direct obedience to the command of the Lord, he suggests baptism as soon as water is seen.
 
How is it that entire theologies have been developed and various cults have arisen that cannot comply with what this eunuch so readily was willing to seek. It is because they have improperly divided the word of God, and they have failed to understand the structure, intent, and message that the book of Acts is conveying.
 
This book is a key and pivotal marker in what God is doing, not by dividing His gospel between people groups, as if there is more than one gospel. Rather, He is showing a transition away from focusing on the Jewish people to a focus on Gentiles. And the reason for this is not that the Jews have been cut off permanently, but because – in their failure to accept Christ – they have gone into the punishment of the law that they chose to be judged under instead of the freedom that He offered them in the giving of His Son.
 
The messianic promises to Israel will be realized when this time of punishment ends. And that will end when they – as a nation – call out to God through Christ Jesus. Until then, the one and only gospel (with its commands from the Lord), has gone to the Gentiles. Let us be faithful to comply with His words and not get ourselves caught up in the aberrant doctrines which have crept in and torn apart what is sound and proper concerning life in Christ.
 
Lord God, may we be found obedient to those things You have commanded us in our acceptance of the good news about Jesus. You have told us to be baptized and You have told us to observe the Lord’s Supper. How is it that we can’t get these two basic things right? May we not fail to comply henceforth. To Your glory! Amen.

Acts 8:35

Sunday, 10 July 2022
 
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Acts 8:35
 
In the previous verse, the Ethiopian eunuch asked who Isaiah was referring to in the passage that he had read. Now, Luke notes Philip’s response. For a more precise translation, this and the next verb are aorist participles – “Then Philip, having opened his mouth, and having begun at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” With this understood, they can be looked at, beginning with, “Then Philip having opened his mouth.”
 
This is a common term, a Hebraism, that is used when a purposeful utterance is made. When referring to a living being, it actually goes back to the Lord opening the mouth of the donkey in Numbers 22 –
 
“Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’” Numbers 22:28
 
This phrase continues to be used throughout the Old Testament to indicate such a considered and purposeful utterance –
 
“Give ear, O my people, to my law;Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2 I will open my mouth in a parable;I will utter dark sayings of old.” Psalm 78:1, 2
 
It then continues on into the New Testament as well –
 
“And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them.” Matthew 5:1, 2
 
It is with such an intentional and fixed purpose that Philip  speaks. With that, Luke next notes, “and beginning at this Scripture.” Jesus said to the leaders of Israel –
 
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39, 40
 
The Ethiopian eunuch has been reading prophecy. As such, Philip began with prophecy. The eunuch was reading Isaiah. As such, Philip began with Isaiah. The words of Isaiah were about the Suffering Servant. As such, Philip began with this depiction. By beginning with this and building upon it, Luke next records that Philip “preached Jesus to him.”
 
The word is the same one, euaggelizó, already seen three times in this chapter (8:4, 12, & 25). It means “to announce good news.” The Ethiopian eunuch is hearing the good news of Jesus Christ. Philip has obeyed his calling, he has been attentive to the duties associated with it, and a person who was once far off is being drawn near through the preaching of the good news. The results of this will be seen as the narrative continues.
 
Life application: The best place to start talking about Jesus is whatever place you are in the word at any given time. If you are in a passage about the creation, you can begin with that passage in relation to Him as the Creator. If you are in a passage about someone sinning (like David and Bathsheba), you can begin with the fallen state of man and our relation to Jesus as the Redeemer.
 
If you are in the book of Exodus and the construction of the tabernacle, you can begin with that and talk about Jesus as the fulfillment of the types and shadows given in anticipation of His body, meaning His tabernacle (see John 1:14). If you are in Leviticus, you can start there and tell how Jesus is the One to cleanse us from defilement, He is our Sacrifice for sins, and He is our Healer and Sanctifier. And so on. If you are in the books of the prophets, you can begin with Jesus as the embodiment of prophecy and the One to whom all prophecy finds its Source, purpose, and ultimate fulfillment. And so on.
 
There is no part of the Bible that cannot be used to tell about Jesus because it is all ultimately pointing us to Him. Don’t be afraid to simply think it through and then open your mouth and share the good news! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! It is all about Jesus!
 
Lord God, help us to always be ready to speak about You, even right from Your word. There is always a connection that can be made about Him because it was all given to lead us to Him and to reveal Him. Give us wisdom in this, O God. And give us boldness in our speech as well. To Your glory! Amen. 

Acts 8:34

Saturday, 9 July 2022
 
So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Acts 8:34
 
With the eunuch’s quoting of Isaiah complete, Luke next records, “So the eunuch answered Philip.”
 
As has already been seen in Acts, the word “answered” is used in the sense of “spoke to” or “addressed.” It is not a response to something but the beginning of a communication. He answered, “and said, ‘I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this.’”
 
It is an obvious question to begin with. There is simile conveyed in the verses (as a sheep to the slaughter, etc.), and so to the eunuch it could be that the part seemingly speaking about death could be some type of literary device as well. Without knowing the context, it is just a set of words that could really mean anything. In order to know what is being conveyed, he naturally asks for this context. He then adds in the words, “of himself or of some other man?”
 
The word “man” is not in the original. It asks if it is about himself or someone else. The fact that it is a man is obvious from the text, however. But there are times in the Bible where speaking of a person can mean an entire group of people or even a location –
 
“But you, Israel, are My servant,Jacob whom I have chosen,The descendants of Abraham My friend.” Isaiah 41:8
 
Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob;Israel shall blossom and bud,And fill the face of the world with fruit. Isaiah 27:6
 
If the eunuch had read through Isaiah, he may have no idea at all whether the words before him are speaking of a man, a group of people, a location, or some other entity. As such, his question is not only appropriate, but it is a wise thing to ask.
 
Life application: As always, the phrase “context is king” should be remembered and applied. Reading Isaiah and taking the words recorded there in their appropriate context, it should be obvious that the words of Isaiah 53 are messianic in nature. The rabbis of Israel destroy the context in order to hide this fact because it so obviously points to what Jesus accomplished.
 
But this is not uncommon. People shove the church into passages spoken to Israel under the law all the time. The Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse, for example, were spoken to Israel and they apply to Israel. The context is purposely manipulated to justify presuppositions about various issues, such as the timing of the rapture. But such manipulations don’t change when the rapture will occur. And so, the only thing that has happened is that a pretext is formed. In the forming of a pretext, people’s doctrine will be harmed.
 
To understand this concerning the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in Matthew 5 –
 
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17
 
Are the people of the church waiting for the law to be fulfilled? The answer is obvious, “No.” Jesus was speaking to Israel. He still is speaking to Israel. Until they move from the law to Him, they must perfectly adhere to every precept of the law in order to be saved. Those in the church, both Jew and Gentile, have come to Christ. As such, our righteousness is not in the law, but in Him.
 
Context, context, context. Oh, how sweet will be the doctrine of those who maintain proper context!
 
Glorious God, help us to maintain proper context in our doctrine. Amen.

Acts 8:33

Friday, 8 July 2022
 
“In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.” Acts 8:33
 
Luke now continues the quote from Isaiah 53:8 which speaks of the coming Messiah. The eunuch continues to read out the passage to Philip with the words, “In His humiliation His justice was taken away.” The words vary from the Hebrew text, which reads –
 
He was taken from prison and from judgment,And who will declare His generation?For He was cut off from the land of the living;
 
Despite the differences, the words cited now by Luke follow the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the LXX) exactly. As such, unless Luke only later referred to the Greek to write out the words, it demonstrates that the eunuch was reading from the Greek translation.
 
The Hebrew and Greek don’t actually vary as much as may appear from the English translation. Albert Barnes notes, “The word rendered ‘prison’ denotes any kind of ‘detention,’ or even ‘oppression.’ It does not mean, as with us, to be confined ‘in’ a prison or jail, but may mean ‘custody,’ and be applied to the detention or custody of the Saviour when his hands were bound, and he was led to be tried.”
 
As such, the Greek translators may have seen “humiliation” as being equivalent to the idea of His imprisonment. It is in this state of humiliation and being bound and oppressed that He was also denied justice. In studying the events of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, it is clear that a large number of actions occurred that were contrary to the law. Volumes have been written about this demonstrating the completely unfair trial that Christ Jesus faced.
 
Next, it says, “And who will declare His generation?” The seemingly simple intent of these words is highly debated, and there are many suggestions as to what the meaning actually is. Does “generation” refer to those who are Christ’s after the completion of His work? Meaning those who spring from Him? Does it refer to those who treated Him wickedly? Meaning they are a generation that must be called out and punished for the rejection of their Messiah. And so on.
 
The greater evidence would point to those of His generation who rejected Him. Jesus spoke of them again and again in the gospels. Two of the many examples are –
 
“But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.’” Matthew 12:39-42
 
“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:31-36
 
With this considered, the final portion of the eunuch’s reading is, “For His life is taken from the earth.” It is a close enough rendering to the Hebrew and the meaning is obvious in both. The Messiah would be “cut off from the land of the living” (Hebrew text) through a death that would be sudden. He was alive, and then His life was ended. In the Greek, it is clear enough. He was on the earth and His life was in Him. However, that life was taken from Him. The reference of the action is the Messiah, not the earth as if He was abducted by aliens or snatched away by angels.
 
With the reading of these words of Isaiah complete, the narrative will continue in the next verse.
 
Life application: There may be differences between various source texts, and this can cause confusion as to what the true rendering of Scripture is. This is more the case when it becomes evident that some texts have been purposefully corrupted in order to hide or twist obvious things that don’t fit a particular agenda. Likewise, commentaries may have been written which are clearly biased against what really occurred.
 
As this is so, it is a good thing that scholars over the years have taken a global view and looked at all of the texts and commentaries and carefully pieced together where errors have crept in or where they have been intentionally inserted into Scripture. By doing this, those corrupted areas of various texts can be highlighted and dismissed. God has ensured that enough translations exist of the word to allow us to do this, and there is very little doubt about what the actual reading of Scripture is.
 
A very simple example of this is to set a portion of Colossians 1:16 side by side with various translations and see what happened with one particular “translation” –
 
For in him all things were created. NIV
For by him all things were created. ESV
For everything was created by him. CSV
because by means of him all other things were created. NWT
 
The Greek is clear and easy to understand. It is speaking of Jesus, and it conveys the truth that everything was created by Him. However, the NWT of the Jehovah’s Witnesses adds in a word, other, that cannot even be inferred. In their older translations, it used to say, “because by means of him all [other] things were created.” However, the addition of this word was so obviously wrong that people would ask, “Hey, why did they insert that word there?” In order to avoid such questions that have no reasonable explanation, they simply took out the brackets. In this, it then removed any future questions by those who might otherwise be seeking the truth.
 
This sort of manipulation is common, and such an error is easily discovered and dismissed by referring to various translations and then checking with the original. So, when you read the Bible and see things that are hard to reconcile, please understand that there is an answer to your question. Someone out there has done the hard work to point out to you where the resolution is. With a little searching, you will find it.
 
Be confident that what we have is God’s word. Where variations arise, there is always another source text to refer to that will provide the needed clarification to settle any difficulties.
 
Lord God, thank You that You have protected Your word so that we can know what is correct and what has been corrupted, either accidentally or purposefully. Thank You for the assurance we have concerning it. We have full confidence that it is reliable. Hallelujah for Your precious word! Amen.
 

Acts 8:32

Thursday, 7 July 2022
 
The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,So He opened not His mouth. Acts 8:32
 
It was seen that the Ethiopian eunuch did not understand what he was reading, and he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Now, Luke’s next words begin with, “The place in the Scripture which he read was this.”
 
The verb is imperfect and should read, “The place in the Scripture which he was reading was this.” The word translated as “place” is only found here in the Bible, perioché. It signifies the contents of a passage. Today, we might say, “the chapter of Isaiah,” or something similar. This allows us to know the section, portion, or particular area that is specifically set apart in one way or another. With Philip next to him, the reading from Isaiah in the particular section is cited –
 
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughterAnd as a lamb before its shearer is silent,So He opened not His mouth.”
 
This section is Isaiah 53. The exact verses are 7 and 8. The words of this verse in Acts are from the Greek translation of Isaiah 53:7. Everything in the chapter was clearly understood to be a reference to the coming Messiah. Only after Christ came and fulfilled the words so perfectly did the leaders of Israel decide to obscure or change the intent from this messianic understanding.
 
As for the content, the words, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter,” signify willing compliance and even innocence as if it is the right thing to do. In essence, “This is where My Master is leading Me, and so I will not question His direction.”
 
The next words, “And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,” indicate the calm nature of the lamb. It will not resist the master’s manipulation of its body as its hair is cut away. Likewise, Christ did not resist as He was mocked, beaten, scourged, and crucified. He willingly submitted Himself to those appointed over Him and to the will of the Father who had sent Him.
 
And the words, “So He opened not His mouth,” highlight His submission even more. Not only did He not struggle against the physical attacks that He suffered, but He silently endured those things as well, even when false accusations had been leveled against Him. As it says, for example, in Matthew 27 –
 
“Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’ 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.” Matthew 27:13, 14
 
In all ways, He perfectly fulfilled the prophecy that anticipated His actions.
 
Life application: For the most part, Isaiah 53 is wholly unknown to the Jewish people. It is not read in the synagogue, and it is quickly dismissed as a metaphor for Israel if someone questions its meaning. However, almost all Jews know that the basis for their national identity goes back to the Old Testament Scriptures, even if they don’t have an idea of what they say. And most Jewish people know that these Scriptures go back to antiquity.
 
    Further, there are certain names in Scripture that are well known and recognized, such as Moses, David, and Isaiah. Because this is true, using the words of Isaiah without identifying who wrote them is actually a good way of evangelizing Jews. If you ask a Jew, “Can I read you something and you tell me who it is talking about?”, most people will say, “Sure.” We all love to prove how smart we are.
 
And so, if you read Isaiah 52:12-53:13 out loud to a Jew, almost always they will say, “That is speaking about Jesus.” It would be the exception to not hear this reply. Almost all Jews know the record of what Jesus did.
 
After asking them who is being described, and after hearing their reply as “Jesus,” only then would you identify who has written it, meaning Isaiah. This will cause an immediate disconnect in their previous understanding of what is going on. They know Isaiah is from their own Scriptures. They know that Isaiah predates the coming of Jesus, and they know that the words they have heard describe Jesus. With this now facing them, a wall has been broken down. From there, a more complete description of Jesus can be given and a more perfect explanation of how He fulfills all of Scripture can be presented.
 
Be sure to use this means of evangelism if the opportunity comes up. Jews need Jesus just as do all other people. Take advantage of what God has presented in Scripture to bring them to an understanding and appreciation of who He is and what His gospel message means.
 
Lord God, help us to competently and carefully present Your word to those who need to hear it. May we be ready at all times to share it with others. You have carefully provided all we need to bring people to a proper understanding of what Jesus means to them and to their relationship with You. So, help us to use it! To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Acts 8:31

Wednesday, 6 July 2022
 
And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:31
 
In the previous verse, Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he understood what he was reading as he read the prophet Isaiah. Luke continues now with, “And he said.”
 
It is the response of the eunuch to Philip, and it reveals a truth that Paul conveys concerning the speaking of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. If someone speaks in a tongue, what good is it if the mind is not edified? The answer is, “None.” Likewise, if one reads a passage of Scripture, and if it has no reference to anything else in the mind of the reader, then the mind cannot understand what is being conveyed. As such, and because the eunuch has no reference to what he is reading, he responds, saying, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”
 
Vincent’s Word Studies notes that the Greek more closely reads, “For how should I be able?” He then says, “the for connecting the question with an implied negative: ‘No; for how could I understand except.’”
 
This now shows the reason why Philip has been called to meet with the eunuch. He is reading Scripture, and in his reading, he has no reference to understand the context of the passage. With that now possible because someone with a suitable reference is at hand, it next says, “And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.”
 
Rather, it properly reads, “And he invited Philip, having come up, to sit with him” (BLB). One can see Philip, while the eunuch is talking, pulling himself up into the carriage as if he is going to help out with an explanation. Once Philip is up, the eunuch grants him the honor of sitting with him, probably on his own bench. It shows a willingness on the part of the eunuch to be considerate to a traveler. At the same time, it shows a willingness in him to want to know the meaning of what he is reading.
 
Life application: 1 Corinthians 14 is mentioned in the commentary above. It is a passage that should be carefully studied by everyone, but the overall message is that of edification. The eunuch is reading a passage of Scripture, but his mind is not being edified because he has no understanding of the subject of the material he is reading.
 
As such, if he was to try to teach on the passage himself, he could make the content mean anything he wanted. But there is a context that must be maintained. Stephen will provide the appropriate context so that the eunuch will clearly understand what is being conveyed. And this is just what Jesus did for the two He met on the road to Emmaus –
 
“Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.’” Luke 24:25-27
 
The overall context of the Bible is Jesus. God is attempting to wake us up to this fact as the pages of Scripture unfold. The passage that the eunuch is reading will be seen to exactingly reveal this truth. To this day, the Jews reject this. And so, when they read the passage that the eunuch is reading (which almost never occurs), their rabbis insert Israel – not Jesus – into it, claiming it is about them.
 
Let us carefully consider Scripture with Jesus as the main Subject. In doing this, we will not be led astray. And pray for the eyes of Israel to be opened to this truth. Until they are, they will continue to miss the most important point of everything God has done, is doing, and will do within the stream of redemptive history.
 
Lord God, help our minds to be understanding of what the intent of Scripture is. May we be fruitful in our comprehension of what You are conveying to us, and may we not presuppose things, inserting them into what is being conveyed. Instead, Lord, help us to draw out from the word the truth of what You are conveying to us. Amen.

Acts 8:30

Tuesday, 5 July 2022
 
So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Acts 8:30
 
Philip was just instructed to go near to the eunuch’s chariot and overtake it. With that instruction, it now says, “So Philip ran to him.” There could have been any number of misgivings about approaching a chariot, especially if it was accompanied by a contingent of soldiers or guards, which is not unlikely for such travel.
 
But knowing that the Lord had a plan, his immediate obedience is noted. Once joined up with the chariot, it next says, “and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah.” It was the common way of reading, and it still is in many places today, meaning to read aloud. This is a memory tool, but it would also have been something the others with him could listen to as well.
 
The words that will be cited in the coming verses are directly from the Greek translation of the book of Isaiah. It is probable that this is the version he was reading aloud as well because it was the common language throughout the Roman Empire. With Philip recognizing what is being read, he addressed the eunuch, “and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’”
 
There is a play on words that is expressed in the question. Philip uses the words ginōskeis (to know) and anaginōskeis (to know again). Vincent’s Word Studies notes: “The play upon the words cannot be translated. The interrogative particles which begin the question indicate a doubt on Philip's part.”
 
A good paraphrase might be, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” As he has just been instructed by the Spirit to join himself to the chariot, it probably seemed like an obvious question to ask.
 
He is an evangelist, he comes up to the chariot and hears Scripture from Isaiah the prophet being read, he is familiar with Jesus’ fulfillment of the prophecy, and he is obviously curious if this person had heard of what Jesus accomplished. With that, his words of questioning are fully understandable.
 
Life application: If you are pretty well versed in Scripture, and you hear someone listening to an audio Bible in their car at the gas station or in some other place, or if you see someone sitting and reading a Bible, it would be normal to strike up a conversation. If your pastor had recently preached on the passage the person is listening to or reading, your question may be similar to Philip’s, “Hey, do you know what that passage is about?”
 
This is as common as shingles on a roof and most people are happy to then engage in the conversation. And more, the person may just be curious about the Bible. He or she may not even have a relationship with Jesus. So don’t be afraid to start talking about what you know. Philip followed through with the instruction of the Spirit, and you should follow through with the example as it is laid out in Scripture. Don’t hesitate to engage in a discussion about the word!
 
What a treasure Your word is, O God! May we never lose the excitement we have about it. And, for sure, that will not happen if we stay in it and read it each day. So, Lord, prompt us to carefully attend to this wonderful treasure daily and to share our knowledge of it often! Amen.

Acts 8:29

Monday, 4 July 2022
 
Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” Acts 8:29
 
The previous words referred to the Ethiopian eunuch sitting in his chariot and reading Isaiah the prophet. Now, it says, “Then the Spirit said to Philip.”
 
Although it doesn’t say, “the Holy Spirit,” that should be inferred. What is surely the same Spirit will also be referred to in verse 8:39 and is there called “the Spirit of the Lord.” It is the same term used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18. In whatever manner the Spirit spoke to him, it was clearly understandable, saying, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
 
The word translated as “overtake” means to join to. It doesn’t just mean “walk alongside,” but actually adhere to it. The Greek word itself, kollaó, comes from the word kólla, glue. Hence, it is to attach to, either literally or figuratively. In this case, he is to come alongside his carriage and grab onto it, or maybe even ask to ride along in it.
 
Understanding the scenario quite well, Cambridge says, “No doubt this royal treasurer had a numerous retinue, and a single traveller on a desert road would be doing what was natural in attaching himself to a train of people who were journeying in the same direction. Philip would therefore be able to approach and hear what was read without being deemed an intruder.”
 
Life application: To this day, and on any given day, there are innumerable claims of people being told by God to do this or do that. People claim divine revelation on hundreds of videos posted to social media every day. But these things must always be considered suspect.
 
First, unless the person is proclaiming the truth about God, the claim must be dismissed immediately. God is not going to validate the religious belief of a person who is not proclaiming Jesus. The innumerable visions and prophecies that fall outside of a Jesus-directed message are lies.
 
Next, a person (Muslim, Buddhist, etc.) who claims to have had a vision of Jesus telling him that he must come to Jesus contradicts the Bible on several levels, but most importantly God has given the church the responsibility to share this message via the word He has given. The conversion of Paul is an exception, and it is recorded in Scripture for us to know what happened and why. To assume that God would go around His word to make exceptions negates the purpose of the word He has given us.
 
Why people cannot find the word of God sufficient for their lives, doctrine, and instruction is hard to figure? God has carefully and meticulously detailed things in His word to show us how His word was compiled, why things happened the way they did, and to show us the fulfillment of the necessary types, patterns, and pictures that are introduced into it.
 
For us to look for something more actually diminishes what the Lord has done in the giving of His word. Let us not do such things. If you come across someone claiming a word from the Lord, a vision, or a prophecy on a website or video, keep going. You are wasting time that could be spent much better on something else. The Bible presents to us all we need to know concerning how things came about to give us the word. May it be considered sufficient to us!
 
Lord God, thank You for the precious word You have given to lead us in our lives and to keep us from error. It will have importance to us when we pick it up and learn it. And so, help us to do just that. Help us to make learning this precious treasure a true priority in our lives. Amen.

Acts 8:28

Sunday, 3 July 2022
 
was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Acts 8:28
 
The previous verse introduced the Ethiopian eunuch who had come to Jerusalem to worship. Now it says he “was returning.” Like the Queen of Sheba who came to visit Solomon  , she eventually returned to her own country. So, it is now with this unnamed eunuch. He was on his way back on the desert road leading to Gaza. Luke next records, “And sitting in his chariot.”
 
The word harma, or chariot, is introduced here. It will be seen three times in this account in Acts, and then one more time in Revelation 9:9. It signifies a vehicle of some sort. It is unknown exactly what type of carriage he was in. It is a conveyance that could have been on wheels, or it could have been borne by men on poles, as in a palanquin.In this case, it is most probably not a palanquin. This will be seen in a few verses. Rather, it is probably a carriage suitable for carrying several people. Regardless of the type, it was slow enough for Philip to join beside it. Next, while sitting there in his chariot, it says of the eunuch that “he was reading Isaiah the prophet.”
 
The common way to read was out loud, and this is what would have made the coming events possible. What is most probable is that he was reading the Greek translation of Isaiah, the LXX, or Septuagint. Greek was the lingua franca at the time and would surely have been known to someone in the courts of Candace.
 
And more, it is probable that in having read the Septuagint in the past, it is what brought him to want to worship in Jerusalem in the first place. Not because he was a proselyte, but because he wanted to worship the God proclaimed in their Scriptures. With this now noted, the narrative will continue to unfold in the coming verses.
 
Life application: The man in the chariot was a trusted member of the court of Candace. He was an approved traveler to go to worship in Jerusalem. He is noted now in the Bible as playing a key and pivotal role in fulfilling a particular pattern that is noted in the early Genesis narrative, and yet there is no record of his name.
 
As such, it tells us that it is not his name that is important, but who he stems from – something carefully recorded by Luke, and which must have been told to him by Philip. He is from Ethiopia. As such, he descends from the line of Ham and then through his son Cush. Ham is the son that did something perverted to his father, and because of what he did, Noah placed a curse on Ham’s son Canaan.
 
Despite the curse resting on Canaan, the line of Ham is the least favored line of the three sons of Noah because of what he did to his father. And yet, we are seeing an account of an Ethiopian becoming the center of the biblical narrative. But more, Moses was said to have married an Ethiopian (Numbers 12:1), and an Ethiopian eunuch was given a great note of grace from the Lord in Jeremiah 38.
 
God can work through any supposed limitation we possess. He did it with the Canaanite Rahab the harlot (two strikes against her), he did it through a sketchy intermarriage between Solomon and a woman of Ammon, bringing those who issue from her into the kingly line, and so on.
 
The point is, that whatever limitation you think might be resting upon you, God can still use you for His purposes and His glory. Don’t feel that because the whole world doesn’t know your name that you are somehow unimportant. God does. And with that, and if you are in Christ, you are a most important part of what He is doing in the world. Be confident of this.
 
Lord God, thank You that our names are known to You, and that we each have a part to offer in Your eternal home where the righteous will dwell. Thank You that because of Jesus this is possible. Yes, thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts 8:27

Saturday, 2 July 2022
 
So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, Acts 8:27
 
The previous verse detailed Philip’s commission by the messenger of the Lord to go on the desert road to Gaza. Luke now continues with a note concerning his immediate obedience, saying, “So he arose and went.”
 
Philip is being given a charge completely separate and distinct from Peter and the other apostles. He was part of the dispersion noted early in Acts 8 and he was found faithful in opening his mouth and proclaiming the gospel to the mixed-race of Samaritans. Certainly because of his zeal for telling others the good news of Christ he is commissioned to pass on this same good news again. That is seen with the next words, “And behold, a man of Ethiopia.”
 
There is an immense amount of speculation concerning who this person is in relation to Judaism, but Luke – the most meticulous of chroniclers – says nothing of his being of Israelite descent or of him being a proselyte, both of which he carefully records concerning others elsewhere. Rather, he simply calls him a man of Ethiopia. Vincent’s Word Studies provides additional insights into the word “Ethiopia” –
 
“The name for the lands lying south of Egypt, including the modern Nubia, Cordofan, and Northern Abyssinia. Rawlinson speaks of subjects of the Ethiopian queens living in an island near Mero, in the northern part of this district. He further remarks: ‘The monuments prove beyond all question that the Ethiopians borrowed from Egypt their religion and their habits of civilization. They even adopted the Egyptian as the language of religion and of the court, which it continued to be till the power of the Pharaohs had fallen, and their dominion was again confined to the frontier of Ethiopia. It was through Egypt, too, that Christianity passed into Ethiopia, even in the age of the apostles, as is shown by the eunuch of Queen Candace.’”
 
As for the term anér, or man, it is a general word used to signify a male human. Nothing more should be read into it. To say anything more is to insert into the narrative something unintended by the record itself.
 
He is next called a eunouchos, a eunuch. The word comes from eune (a bed) and echo (to have or possess). As such, it is a person who possesses the bed of another. Scholars, in an attempt to claim he is something other than what is stated, will stretch the meaning of what Luke is clearly conveying. He is a castrated person who attended to the bed of another. He is next noted as being “of great authority.”
 
The Greek word is dunastés, a word connected to our modern word “dynasty.” It signifies a potentate or a mighty leader. Paul uses it in 1 Timothy 6:15 when describing Jesus as “the blessed and only Potentate.” In the case of this man, he is a member of the court “under Candace.”
 
Rather than a name, this is a title used only here in the Bible, Kandaké. Like the term Pharaoh, it is a term used as the dynastic title for the queens of Ethiopia. As such, the person now being described is a high-level official and a eunuch assigned under her. Next, the term Kandaké is explained with the words, “the queen of the Ethiopians.”
 
This would be comparable to saying, “Pharaoh, the king of Egypt,” as is seen quite frequently in the Old Testament and even once in Acts 7:10. This man, who is a eunuch under Candace is the one “who had charge of all her treasury.”
 
This indicates that he was not only powerful in authority, but he was a trustworthy man as well. His position put him over all her treasures. The word used, gaza, is found only here. It is a Persian word adopted by the Greeks and Latins to indicate the treasures and wealth she possessed. Finally, it says of this person that he “had come to Jerusalem to worship.”
 
The immediate conclusion is that some claim this “proves” that he was a proselyte. Rather, this only proves that he came to Jerusalem to worship, but that can actually mean almost anything as people go to “worship” all over the world and for a variety of reasons. Jews went up on the hills of Israel to worship and get closer to whatever god they were worshipping at the time. If he was a proselyte, Luke would have carefully stated it, as he did in Acts 2:10, 6:5, and 13:43.
 
Further, it is claimed that he was there to worship on Passover (Barnes), Pentecost (Cambridge, etc.), as was stated in Acts 2. These same scholars have already said in their commentaries that a long and/or unknown time has passed since Acts 2. It could have been years at this point. There is nothing recorded by Luke concerning the reason that he came other than to worship.
 
Also, being a eunuch, according to Deuteronomy 23:1, he was not acceptable to be counted among the assembly of Israel. Like the Ethiopian Ebed-Melech recorded in Jeremiah, he was not a part of the assembly, even if he was living in the land. This Ethiopian Eunuch may have been worshipping the Lord, like Ebed-Melech, with his heart, even if he was not acceptable under the law. Like Ebed-Melech, he will receive a special note of favor from the Lord for his attentiveness to Him (see Jeremiah 39:15-18).
 
Life application: A few points about this verse, if hyperdispensationalism were true, which it is not, the church would have begun with Philip, not with Paul. This is because he is the first noted as evangelizing a Gentile. However, the church did not begin with Philip either. It began in Acts 2 and both Philip now, and Paul in the verses to come, are (or will be) carrying out the tasks set before them to continue the growth of what the Lord is doing.
 
There is a specific reason for the selection of this Ethiopian and the evangelization of him now. It will be noted in the verses ahead, and it is specifically to complete a pattern that was laid down in the early Genesis account.
 
Secondly, the words “man” and “eunuch” are both used concerning this individual. According to this account in the Bible a man, even if he is physically changed through emasculation, remains a man. Cutting off body parts or being crazy in one’s head and thinking you are not what you were born as does not change what you are.
 
In today’s world, people claim they are something other than what they were designed by God to be. They even go to extreme lengths to physically alter themselves in order to be “something else.” But they are what they are. The only difference is that they no longer properly conform physically to what they are.
 
Heavenly Father, help us to have right thinking concerning our doctrine so that our doctrine will be right. In straying from proper doctrine, our doctrine will be wrong.  As such, only we will suffer, but Your word and its intent for us remains the same. Help us in this, O God. Help us to pursue Your word according to how it is presented. Amen.

Acts 8:26

Friday, 1 July 2022
 
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. Acts 8:26
 
With the account concerning Peter and John completed, the narrative now returns to Philip, beginning with, “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip.” As always, the word “angel” signifies a messenger. Nothing more is said to further define its meaning at this time, but in both 8:29 and 8:39, the Spirit is mentioned as communicating with or physically transporting him.
 
As this is the case, it may be that the “messenger” of the Lord is a dream, a vision, or by direct communication from the Spirit. But because that is not explicitly mentioned, this is only speculation. Regardless of this, Philip is given a direct communication from the Lord through a messenger, “saying, ‘Arise.’”
 
It is a way of indicating that he must now take action according to the word of the Lord. The last time he was mentioned was in Acts 8:13. What is being instructed now is probably while he is still in Samaria. With the apostles there or having left (depending on when this call to him is made), he now has a new charge set before him. One can assume that because of his faithfulness in evangelizing, he is being personally selected to continue on with the Lord’s unfolding of the redemptive narrative.
 
As such, the messenger continues with, “and go toward the south.” As he is in Samaria, it would be to the south of that. The specific directions are being given for a specific purpose which will be revealed in the coming verses. What occurs will bring about a conversion that fits a pattern that goes all the way back to the early Genesis narrative. The Lord is purposefully directing Philip to represent this pattern for the New Testament.
 
In order to do so, Philip is to go toward the south “along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Here, a word is introduced that is found only one more time, in Acts 22:6, mesémbria, and which is translated as “south.” It is a compound word coming from mesos, meaning “middle,” and hémera, meaning “day.” Hence, it means “mid-day.” 
 
All translations say “south” because it is where the sun is at mid-day. However, it could just as easily be that Philip is being told, “Rise up and go toward mid-day to the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” The reason for this is that people would not want to travel in such a hot place at a time like this. Instead, it would be much less taxing to go early in the morning when it was cool.
 
Gaza, or Azzah, means “Strong,” or “Strong Place.” It was granted to Israel as a part of their inheritance when the borders were originally defined in Numbers 34. It was then assigned to Judah in Joshua 15:47. For a historical view of the location, Charles Ellicott provides the following:
 
“The history of the city so named (appearing at times in the English version—Deuteronomy 2:23; 1Kings 4:24; Jeremiah 25:20—as Azzah) goes even as far back as that of Damascus, in the early records of Israel. It was the southernmost or border-city of the early Canaanites (Genesis 10:19), and was occupied first by the Avim, and then by the Caphtorim (Deuteronomy 2:23). Joshua was unable to conquer it (Joshua 10:41; Joshua 11:22). The tribe of Judah held it for a short time (Judges 1:18), but it soon fell into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 3:3; Judges 13:1), and though attacked by Samson, was held by them during the times of Samuel, Saul, and David (1Samuel 6:17; 1Samuel 14:52; 2Samuel 21:15). Solomon (1Kings 4:24), and later on Hezekiah (2Kings 18:8), attacked it. It resisted Alexander the Great during a siege of five months, and was an important military position, the very key of the country, during the struggles between the Ptolemies and the Seleucidæ, and in the wars of the Maccabees (1 Maccabees 11:61).”
 
The reason for the specificity concerning what to do (and/or when to do it) is explained by Vincent’s Word Studies –
 
“There were several roads from Jerusalem to Gaza. One is mentioned by the way of Bethlehem to Hebron, and thence through a region actually called a desert.”
 
In order to ensure that the divinely planned meeting that is intended to happen comes about, Philip is given exacting instruction. As such, it could be that he is being told to take the south road, or if “mid-day” is intended, the correct road to take would still be known based on the final words of the verse, which say, “This is desert.”
 
If “south” is meant, then these words now may be Luke’s explaining the directions of the messenger. If “mid-day” is meant, then this is the messenger’s explanation of which of the two roads to take. Either way, it is known by Philip to go on a particular road down to Gaza, and it very well may be at a particular time of day. The latter seems quite possible based on the events that will come about in the verses ahead.
 
Life application: The events taking place in Acts are often given with very specific instructions to those who are to carry them out. A plan is being worked out, and patterns and parallels to other parts of the Bible are being completed now in Acts. Only in referring to the Old Testament can these be understood.
 
God is revealing to us the redemption of man. But man isn’t just one line of people, even if all people descend from one man. Rather, there are records of who various people groups are, and we are seeing the divinely unfolding plan of God for those groups of people. Some were to be exterminated for His sovereign reasons. And yet, even in the extermination of those people groups, there are those who are spared. One example is seen in the instructions to Israel –
 
“But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, 17 but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 20:16-18
 
Among those in this group who Israel failed to exterminate are several people who became key figures in the redemptive narrative, such as Rahab the harlot, Uriah the Hittite whose wife was Bathsheba, and Araunah the Jebusite. Jesus descends from both Rahab and Bathsheba, and He holds the title to real estate because of the record of a purchase made from Araunah that is found in 2 Samuel. None of these things occurred by accident, even if Israel failed to do as they were instructed.
 
If you feel you are either unimportant or that your role in God’s plans and designs is insignificant, you are incorrect. These people probably felt just the same way. And yet, they became central figures in what God was doing. And you will be a central part of what God is doing as well. Metaphors are used concerning believers such as “living stones” or “pillars” in the temple that the Lord is building.
 
A temple cannot stand without proper support. As such, it cannot stand without you. God has figured you in as a most important part of what He is creating. Be pleased to know this.
 
Lord God, thank You that we are counted as important parts of what You are doing. You hold all of the power of the universe, and more, in Your hands, and yet You have determined that we are useful in the temple You are building where we will dwell with You forever. Thank You that You have such care, even of us. Amen.
 

Acts 8:25

Thursday, 30 June 2022
 
So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. Acts 8:25
 
With the narrative concerning Simon complete, Luke now continues with the actions of Peter and John, beginning with, “So when they had testified.”
 
The word used, diamarturomai, is stronger than simply testifying. It is the giving of full and clear testimony. HELPS Word Studies says it “is always in the Greek middle voice which emphasizes witnessing done with a high level of self-involvement, i.e., with strong personal interest motivating it.” Hence, it may be more suitably translated “having earnestly testified.” They gave their earnest testimony “and preached.”
 
The word here is not the same as the last clause. It means “to say.” Hence, this first clause should read, “They then, indeed, having earnestly testified and having spoken the word of the Lord.” The words give a full description of the care of Peter and John for their mission. They proclaimed the word of the Lord, and they also were fully and intimately involved in testifying to what they personally knew concerning its fulfillment in Christ. Once that was complete in the area where they were, it says, “they returned to Jerusalem.”
 
This mission in Samaria is coming to a close. It is now understood by the apostles that not only was the gospel to be preached to those in Samaria (Acts 1:8) but that the people who believed were given the Holy Spirit. As this is now known, the report of this can be taken back to the apostles in Jerusalem for their understanding. The people of Israel are no longer the only focal point of God’s attention. Something far greater is coming about. The verse next ends with the fact that on their way back, the apostles were also “preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.”
 
Here, the word “preaching” is correct. It is the same word, euaggelizó, used so far in verses 8:4 and 8:12. It means to evangelize or preach the good news. This is what Philip did originally in “the city of Samaria,” and now these two are doing it in the smaller country towns and villages as they wind their way back to Jerusalem.
 
Life application: Suppose you go on a short-term mission trip. You are excited about going, you raise the funds to join, you get your tickets and such and you go with the mission group. When you get there, you are told it will be a public bus that takes 10 hours to get to the location out in the country. You do your mission work, get back on the bus, head to the airport, and fly home.
 
It was a fun time. You got energized about helping others in a remote place. But did you talk to a single person on the way to the mission spot? Did you talk to anyone on the way back home? What was the point of your mission work? If building a house or a church, or helping to plant various crops, is all that you did then your time was not well spent.
 
The people at the mission site have all been evangelized. The building you helped put up could have been done without your help. You just helped it get done sooner. But the people that you passed by on the streets and towns you stopped at never got to hear about Jesus. The same is true with your vacations at home, your shopping at the store each week, and your visit to the restaurant last night.
 
Are you hoping someone else will tell all these people about Jesus? Try taking tracts and handing them out. Or try something really fun and do what Philip did in verse 8:4 and what Peter and John are doing in this verse. Try telling people about what you know. If not you, then who?
 
Lord God, someone told us about Jesus, and we responded. Isn’t it our time to do the same for others? Help us to be willing to share the saving message of Jesus to the people we encounter along life’s path. May it be so, and may we start today. Help us in this, O God. Amen.