“PHILIP’S MINISTRY TO AN ETHIOPIAN” Acts 8: 26-40

Thank God for the ministry of Philip as God used him to break down some ethnic and cultural barriers as he preached Jesus Christ (Acts 8:5, 35).  Philip was indeed focused in his ministry as he shared the gospel beyond Jerusalem.  He was willing to be guided by God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) as he shared the gospel beyond the boundary of Jerusalem.  Philip left a thriving ministry in Samaria and followed the awesome call of God to minister one-on-one with an Ethiopian official.  He was willing to be guided by God in leaving a ministry with a crowd in Samaria, and be drawn to minister to a single individual along a desolate road to Gaza.

Great servants of God must be guided by God even when they are not aware of where God is taking them!  As Philip is being guided by God, Philip will have a great encounter with an Ethiopian treasurer who was returning home from Jerusalem where he had worshipped (Acts 8:26-30).  This Ethiopian eunuch was probably a proselyte to Judaism; yet, he had no understanding of the content of what he was reading as he sat in his chariot.  Seizing on this opportunity, the Holy Spirit directed Philip to join the Ethiopian eunuch as read from the Messianic text of Isaiah 53:7-8.

Upon reaching the chariot, and listening to Ethiopian eunuch as he read the Messianic passage, Philip asked him this profound question: “Understandest thou what thou readest? (v. 30).  Although this influential figure read the passage, God greatly used the man of God to sit down with the Ethiopian Eunuch to interpret what he had read (Acts 8:31-35).  Philip clearly explained the passage to the high official and stressed that the passage had reference to Christ, for verse 35 says: “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”  The Holy Spirit took the word of God as He used the servant of God and brought about a great conversion (Acts 8:36-40)

Having accepted or believed the word, the Ethiopian eunuch desired to make his belief public by requesting to be baptized (vv. 36-40).  After the Ethiopian eunuch avowed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in verse 37, Philip commanded that the chariot would stop, and both of them went down into the water.  After this wonderful baptism, Philip is miraculously removed by the Holy Spirit to Azotus and reached Caesarea, still preaching the gospel.  However, the Ethiopian eunuch went on his way rejoicing!