Acts 8
International Children’s Bible
8 Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing.
Trouble for the Believers
2-3 Some religious men buried Stephen. They cried very loudly for him. On that day people began trying to hurt the church in Jerusalem and make it suffer. Saul was also trying to destroy the church. He went from house to house. He dragged out men and women and put them in jail. All the believers, except the apostles, went to different places in Judea and Samaria. 4 And everywhere the believers were scattered, they told people the Good News.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
5 Philip[a] went to the city[b] of Samaria and preached about the Christ. 6 The people there heard Philip and saw the miracles he was doing. They all listened carefully to the things he said. 7 Many of these people had evil spirits in them. But Philip made the evil spirits leave them. The spirits made a loud noise when they came out. There were also many weak and crippled people there. Philip healed them, too. 8 So the people in that city were very happy.
9 But there was a man named Simon in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had practiced magic. He amazed all the people of Samaria with his magic. He bragged and called himself a great man. 10 All the people—the least important and the most important—paid attention to what Simon said. They said, “This man has the power of God, called ‘the Great Power’!” 11 Simon had amazed them with his magic tricks so long that the people became his followers. 12 But Philip told them the Good News about the kingdom of God and the power of Jesus Christ. Men and women believed Philip and were baptized. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. He stayed very close to Philip. When he saw the miracles and the very powerful things that Philip did, Simon was amazed.
14 The apostles were still in Jerusalem. They heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God. So they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When Peter and John arrived, they prayed that the Samaritan believers might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 These people had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. But the Holy Spirit had not yet entered any of them. 17 Then, when the two apostles began laying their hands on[c] the people, they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money. 19 He said, “Give me also this power so that when I lay my hands on a person, he will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter said to him, “You and your money should both be destroyed! You thought you could buy God’s gift with money. 21 You cannot share with us in this work. Your heart is not right before God. 22 Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing you have done. Pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you for thinking this. 23 I see that you are full of bitter jealousy and ruled by sin.”
24 Simon answered, “Both of you pray for me to the Lord. Pray that the things you have said will not happen to me!”
25 Then the two apostles told the people the things they had seen Jesus do. And after the apostles had given the message of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and preached the Good News to the people.
Philip Teaches an Ethiopian
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip.[d] The angel said, “Get ready and go south. Go to the road that leads down to Gaza from Jerusalem—the desert road.” 27 So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He was responsible for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and 28 now he was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah, the prophet. 29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 So Philip ran toward the chariot. He heard the man reading from Isaiah, the prophet. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 He answered, “How can I understand? I need someone to explain it to me!” Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him. 32 The verse of Scripture that he was reading was this:
“He was like a sheep being led to be killed.
He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut.
He said nothing.
33 He was shamed and was treated unfairly.
He died without children to continue his family.
His life on earth has ended.” Isaiah 53:7-8
34 The officer said to Philip, “Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or about someone else?” 35 Philip began to speak. He started with this same Scripture and told the man the Good News about Jesus.
36 While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The officer said, “Look! Here is water! What is stopping me from being baptized?” 37 [Philip answered, “If you believe with all your heart, you can.” The officer said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”][e] 38 Then the officer commanded the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the officer never saw him again. The officer continued on his way home, full of joy. 40 But Philip appeared in a city called Azotus and preached the Good News in all the towns on the way from Azotus to Caesarea.
Footnotes
- 8:5 Philip Not the apostle named Philip.
- 8:5 the city Some Greek copies read “a city.”
- 8:17 laying their hands on Here, doing this showed that these men were given a special work of God.
- 8:26 Philip Not the apostle named Philip.
- 8:37 Philip . . . God. Some Greek copies do not contain the bracketed text.
Acts 8
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 8
The Church Becomes Open to the Gentiles.[a] 1 Saul approved of his death. That day marked the beginning of a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles scattered to the country districts of Judea and Samaria. 2 Stephen was buried by devout men who made loud lamentations over him. 3 Saul, meanwhile, began to inflict great harm on the Church. He entered house after house, dragging off men and women and sending them to prison. 4 Now those who had been scattered went from place to place proclaiming the word.
The Mission in Judea and Samaria
Springtime in Samaria.[b] 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. 6 The crowds welcomed the message proclaimed by Philip because they had heard and seen the signs he was doing. 7 For unclean spirits emerged with loud shrieks from many people who were possessed, and many others who were paralyzed or crippled were cured. 8 Thus, there was great joy in that city.
The Encounter with Magic.[c] 9 A man named Simon had been in that city for some time practicing magic and had astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 10 All of them, from the least to the greatest, believed in him, declaring, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘The Great One.’ ”[d] 11 And they listened to him because for a long time they had been captivated by his magic.
12 However, when the people came to believe Philip as he preached about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself became a believer. After his baptism, he was constantly in Philip’s company, and he was astonished when he saw the great signs and mighty deeds that were taking place.
14 The Holy Spirit. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived there, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for as yet he had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Condemnation of Simony. When Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power too so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought that you could obtain God’s gift with money. 21 You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not upright in the eyes of God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours and beg the Lord that if possible you may be forgiven for devising your evil scheme. 23 I see that you are engulfed in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.”
24 Simon said in reply, “Pray for me to the Lord that nothing of what you have spoken about may befall me.” 25 Then, after giving their testimony and proclaiming the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the good news to many Samaritan villages.
26 Baptism of a High Official.[e] Then the angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and head south along the road that leads from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.” 27 Therefore, he got up and set out.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,[f] an official at the court of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was now returning home. As he sat in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join that chariot.” 30 When Philip ran up, he heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless I have someone to instruct me?” Then he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.
32 This was the Scripture passage he had been reading:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter;
like a lamb that is silent before its shearer
he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will be able to speak of his posterity?
For his life on earth has been taken away.”
34 Then the eunuch said to Philip, “Please tell me, about whom is the prophet speaking—about himself or someone else?” 35 And so Philip, starting with this text of Scripture, proceeded to explain to him the good news of Jesus.
36 As they were traveling along the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, here is some water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?” [ 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch said in reply, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”][g] 38 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but he went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared in Azotus[h] and continued his journey, proclaiming the good news in every town until he reached Caesarea.
Footnotes
- Acts 8:1 The Hellenist Christians are driven out of Jerusalem. Their dispersion proceeds in an underground manner throughout the narrative until the moment when we will encounter a list of people who emigrate to Cyprus and Antioch. There, for the first time, the Church is opened to Gentiles (Acts 11:9ff). During this period, Luke shows the Gospel spreading to Samaria, Gaza, and the coast as far as Caesarea, Damascus in Syria, and Tarsus. The Gospel is received by many different cultures and people: the Pharisean persecutor, the functionary, the peasant of the plain of Sharon, the notable rich of Joppa, the artisan, the army, and the non-Jewish Greeks of Antioch.
Luke presents Paul under the somber traits of persecutor; once he becomes an apostle, Paul will remain marked by the memory of the time when he wanted to obstruct the path of the infant Gospel (see Acts 22:20; 26:10; 1 Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13, 23; Phil 3:6). - Acts 8:5 Another deacon brings about an opening of the Church to the world. Since their separation, their installation of a worship of their own, and their intermingling with other peoples, the Samaritans who were once brethren in religion with the Jews have come to be regarded by the latter as heretics every bit as evil as the Gentiles. The Gospel is a powerful means of salvation for all human beings, surpassing the ancient religions and political frontiers. Presented here is the first step. The ministry of Philip the deacon is described in the spirit of the Gospels, and Luke stresses the climate of joy that follows in the wake of the good news.
- Acts 8:9 The proclamation of the Gospel is faced with an important problem as in our day. Can human beings own spiritual forces? Under an Eastern influence, personages endowed with the power of performing prodigies circulated throughout the Empire. There were itinerant exorcists or healers (Acts 9:11, 18). Simon has an outstanding reputation in this sphere. Now the magician has come to believe in the word of the Gospel. The community at Jerusalem is troubled to hear of prodigies and conversions in Samaria, a rejected land; an apostolic inspection can only confirm the facts and give them the authentication of the Spirit.
Simon the magician is attracted by the prestige that would be given him by the Spirit, and he wants to have the Spirit at his disposal, as do the apostles. He is even ready to pay well for it (whence the word “simony”). But he receives a stern refusal. Luke wants to set aside the forgeries that one could ascribe to Christ and the Spirit. We have here an example of a faith that becomes deeper, for the author stresses the importance of intercessory prayer for one another in matters of conversion. - Acts 8:10 The Great One: perhaps a divine title, which Simon has given himself.
- Acts 8:26 In this passage, Luke shows us the encounter of the Church with a new cultural environment. The official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia (Candace, like Pharaoh, is a title of a ruler) is interested in a passage of the Old Testament that speaks of a mysterious personage who is overwhelmed by suffering for the salvation of all; the passage is Isa 53, often used by the first community to express the mystery of Christ. The marvelous elements in this story of Philip recall God’s freedom of action in the time of the ancient Prophets: angel, Spirit, instantaneous transportation (see 1 Ki 18:12; 2 Ki 2:16; Ezek 3:12, 14; Dan 14:36). We will come across Philip the deacon again later on as the father of four daughters (Acts 21:9).
- Acts 8:27 Eunuch: may be simply a court title; for eunuch in the literal sense, see the prophecy of Isa 56:3-7.
- Acts 8:37 This verse is added by some ancient manuscripts.
- Acts 8:40 Azotus (called Ashdod in the Old Testament as one of the five Philistine cities) was about 25 miles north of Gaza. Caesarea, on the coast, was 33 miles north of the modern Tel Aviv, and served as the headquarters for the Roman governors.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
