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Actes 8
La Bible du Semeur
Actes 8
La Bible du Semeur
Témoins en Judée et en Samarie
Persécution et dispersion des croyants
8 Saul avait donné son approbation à l’exécution d’Etienne. A partir de ce jour-là, une violente persécution se déchaîna contre l’Eglise qui était à Jérusalem ; tous les croyants se dispersèrent à travers la Judée et la Samarie, à l’exception des apôtres. 2 Quelques hommes pieux enterrèrent Etienne et le pleurèrent beaucoup. 3 Quant à Saul, il cherchait à détruire l’Eglise, allant de maison en maison pour en arracher les croyants, hommes et femmes, et les jeter en prison.
La prédication de Philippe et le don de l’Esprit en Samarie
4 Les croyants qui s’étaient dispersés parcouraient le pays, en proclamant le message de l’Evangile. 5 Philippe se rendit dans la capitale[a] de la Samarie et prêcha le Messie à la population. 6 Elle se montra tout entière très attentive à ses paroles en l’entendant et en voyant les signes miraculeux qu’il accomplissait. 7 En effet, beaucoup de personnes qui avaient des démons en elles en furent délivrées ; ils sortaient d’elles en poussant de grands cris, et de nombreux paralysés et des infirmes furent guéris. 8 Aussi, toute la ville était-elle dans une grande joie.
9 Or, depuis quelque temps, un homme nommé Simon s’était établi dans la ville et y exerçait la magie. Il émerveillait le peuple de Samarie et prétendait être un grand personnage. 10 Toute la population, du plus petit jusqu’au plus grand, lui accordait donc une grande attention.
– Cet homme, disaient-ils, est la puissance même de Dieu, celle qu’on appelle la « Grande Puissance ».
11 S’ils s’attachaient ainsi à lui, c’était parce que, depuis assez longtemps, il les étonnait par ses actes de magie.
12 Mais quand ils crurent Philippe qui leur annonçait ce qui concerne le royaume de Dieu et Jésus-Christ, ils se firent baptiser, tant les hommes que les femmes. 13 Simon lui-même crut et fut baptisé. Dès lors, il ne quittait plus Philippe, émerveillé par les signes miraculeux et les prodiges extraordinaires qui s’accomplissaient sous ses yeux.
14 Quand les apôtres, restés à Jérusalem, apprirent que les Samaritains avaient accepté la Parole de Dieu, ils déléguèrent auprès d’eux Pierre et Jean. 15 Dès leur arrivée, ceux-ci prièrent pour les nouveaux disciples afin qu’ils reçoivent le Saint-Esprit. 16 En effet, il n’était encore descendu sur aucun d’eux : ils avaient seulement été baptisés au nom du Seigneur Jésus. 17 Pierre et Jean leur imposèrent donc les mains et ils reçurent l’Esprit Saint.
18 Simon vit que l’Esprit Saint était donné aux croyants quand les apôtres leur imposaient les mains. Alors il leur proposa de l’argent 19 et leur dit : Donnez-moi aussi ce pouvoir pour que ceux à qui j’imposerai les mains reçoivent l’Esprit Saint.
20 Mais Pierre lui répondit : Que ton argent périsse, et toi avec lui, puisque tu t’es imaginé qu’on pouvait se procurer le don de Dieu avec de l’argent ! 21 Tu n’as ni part ni droit dans cette affaire, car ton cœur n’est pas droit devant Dieu. 22 Détourne-toi donc du mal qui est en toi, et demande au Seigneur de te pardonner, s’il est possible, d’avoir eu de telles intentions dans ton cœur. 23 Car, à ce que je vois, tu es rempli d’amertume et de méchanceté et tu es captif du mal.
24 Alors Simon demanda à Pierre et Jean : Priez vous-mêmes le Seigneur pour moi : qu’il ne m’arrive rien de ce que vous avez dit.
25 Pierre et Jean continuèrent à rendre témoignage à Jésus-Christ en annonçant la Parole du Seigneur, puis ils retournèrent à Jérusalem, tout en annonçant l’Evangile dans un grand nombre de villages samaritains.
Philippe et le dignitaire éthiopien
26 Un ange du Seigneur s’adressa à Philippe et lui dit : Lève-toi, pars en direction du sud[b], prends la route qui descend de Jérusalem à Gaza, celle qui est déserte[c].
27 Il se leva immédiatement et se mit en route. Et voici qu’il rencontra un haut dignitaire[d] éthiopien, administrateur des biens de Candace[e], reine d’Ethiopie. Cet homme était venu à Jérusalem pour adorer Dieu. 28 Il était sur le chemin du retour, et, assis dans son char, il lisait à haute voix un passage du prophète Esaïe.
29 L’Esprit dit à Philippe : Avance jusqu’à ce char et marche à côté de lui.
30 Philippe courut et entendit l’Ethiopien lire dans le livre du prophète Esaïe. Alors il lui demanda : Comprends-tu ce que tu lis ?
31 – Comment le pourrais-je, répondit-il, si je n’ai personne pour me l’expliquer ?
Et il invita Philippe à monter s’asseoir à côté de lui.
32 Or, il était en train de lire ce passage de l’Ecriture :
Semblable à un mouton ╵mené à l’abattoir,
comme un agneau muet ╵devant ceux qui le tondent,
il n’a pas dit un mot.
33 Il a été humilié ╵et n’a pas obtenu justice.
Qui racontera sa descendance ?
Car sa vie sur la terre ╵a été supprimée[f].
34 L’Ethiopien demanda à Philippe : Explique-moi, s’il te plaît : de qui est-il question ? Est-ce de lui-même que le prophète parle, ou de quelqu’un d’autre ?
35 Alors Philippe prit la parole et, partant de ce texte, lui annonça ce qui concerne Jésus.
36 En continuant leur route, ils arrivèrent près d’un point d’eau. Alors, le dignitaire s’écria : Voici de l’eau ; qu’est-ce qui empêche que je sois baptisé ?
[37 – Si tu crois de tout ton cœur, tu peux être baptisé.
– Oui, répondit le dignitaire, je crois que Jésus-Christ est le Fils de Dieu[g].]
38 Aussitôt, il donna l’ordre d’arrêter le char ; Philippe et le dignitaire descendirent tous deux dans l’eau et Philippe le baptisa. 39 Quand ils sortirent de l’eau, l’Esprit du Seigneur enleva Philippe, et le dignitaire ne le vit plus. Celui-ci poursuivit sa route, le cœur rempli de joie.
40 Philippe se retrouva à Ashdod[h], d’où il se rendit à Césarée en annonçant l’Evangile dans toutes les localités qu’il traversait.
Footnotes
- 8.5 Plusieurs manuscrits ont : une ville.
- 8.26 Autre traduction : vers midi.
- 8.26 déserte, ou « qui traverse une région déserte ». Il existait deux villes portant le nom de Gaza. « Gaza l’ancienne » avait été ravagée et changée en désert en 96 avant Jésus-Christ. D’où le nom de Gaza-la-déserte qui lui est resté même après sa reconstruction. Deux routes menaient à Gaza, l’une longeait la mer, l’autre, beaucoup moins fréquentée, passait par des régions peu habitées. C’est sans doute cette route que Philippe devait prendre.
- 8.27 Un haut dignitaire, en grec : un eunuque. Les hommes au service d’une reine étaient souvent castrés. Ce terme s’est appliqué par la suite aux différents dignitaires du palais royal. Aux temps bibliques, le nom Ethiopie désignait la Nubie, dans l’actuel Soudan, à quelque 800 kilomètres au sud de l’Egypte. Il existait quelques colonies juives dans ce pays. Ainsi ce haut dignitaire a pu apprendre à connaître leur religion.
- 8.27 Candace: nom générique des reines d’Ethiopie (comme Pharaon était celui des rois d’Egypte).
- 8.33 Es 53.7-8 cité selon l’ancienne version grecque.
- 8.37 Le verset 37 est absent de plusieurs manuscrits.
- 8.40 Ashdod: nom de l’une des capitales de l’ancienne Philistie.
Acts 8
New International Version
Acts 8
New International Version
8 And Saul(A) 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(B) throughout Judea and Samaria.(C) 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul(D) began to destroy the church.(E) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered(F) preached the word wherever they went.(G) 5 Philip(H) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many,(I) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.(J) 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery(K) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(L) 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”(M) 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God(N) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,(O) both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles(P) he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria(Q) had accepted the word of God,(R) they sent Peter and John(S) to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,(T) 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them;(U) they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(V) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,(W) and they received the Holy Spirit.(X)
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!(Y) 21 You have no part or share(Z) in this ministry, because your heart is not right(AA) before God. 22 Repent(AB) of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me(AC) so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord(AD) and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.(AE)
Philip and the Ethiopian
26 Now an angel(AF) of the Lord said to Philip,(AG) “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a](AH) eunuch,(AI) an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,(AJ) 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told(AK) Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”[b](AL)
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began(AM) with that very passage of Scripture(AN) and told him the good news(AO) about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”(AP) [37] [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,(AQ) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns(AR) until he reached Caesarea.(AS)
Faptele Apostolilor 8
Cornilescu 1924 - Revised 2010, 2014
Faptele Apostolilor 8
Cornilescu 1924 - Revised 2010, 2014
Prigonirea creştinilor
8 Saul(A) se învoise la uciderea lui Ştefan. În ziua aceea, s-a pornit o mare prigonire împotriva Bisericii din Ierusalim. Şi toţi(B), afară de apostoli, s-au împrăştiat prin părţile Iudeii şi ale Samariei. 2 Nişte oameni temători de Dumnezeu au îngropat pe Ştefan şi l-au(C) jelit cu mare tânguire. 3 Saul, de partea lui, făcea prăpăd(D) în Biserică, intra prin case, lua cu sila pe bărbaţi şi pe femei şi-i arunca în temniţă. 4 Cei ce se împrăştiaseră(E) mergeau din loc în loc şi propovăduiau Cuvântul. 5 Filip(F) s-a coborât în cetatea Samariei şi le-a propovăduit pe Hristos. 6 Noroadele luau aminte cu un gând la cele spuse de Filip, când au auzit şi au văzut semnele pe care le făcea. 7 Căci din mulţi îndrăciţi ieşeau duhuri(G) necurate şi scoteau mari ţipete; mulţi slăbănogi şi şchiopi erau tămăduiţi. 8 Şi a fost o mare bucurie în cetatea aceasta. 9 În cetate era un om numit Simon, care zicea că este un om însemnat; el vrăjea(H) şi punea în uimire(I) pe poporul Samariei. 10 Toţi, de la mic până la mare, îl ascultau cu luare-aminte şi ziceau: „Acesta este puterea lui Dumnezeu, cea care se numeşte mare”. 11 Îl ascultau cu luare-aminte, pentru că multă vreme îi uimise cu vrăjitoriile lui. 12 Dar când au crezut pe Filip, care propovăduia Evanghelia(J) Împărăţiei lui Dumnezeu şi a Numelui lui Isus Hristos, au fost botezaţi, atât bărbaţi, cât şi femei. 13 Chiar Simon a crezut şi, după ce a fost botezat, nu se mai despărţea de Filip şi privea cu uimire minunile şi semnele mari care se făceau.
Petru şi Ioan în Samaria
14 Apostolii, care erau în Ierusalim, când au auzit că Samaria a primit Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu, au trimis la ei pe Petru şi pe Ioan. 15 Aceştia au venit la samariteni şi s-au rugat pentru ei, ca să(K) primească Duhul Sfânt. 16 Căci nu Se pogorâse încă(L) peste niciunul din ei, ci fuseseră numai(M) botezaţi în Numele(N) Domnului Isus. 17 Atunci, Petru şi Ioan au pus(O) mâinile peste ei, şi aceia au primit Duhul Sfânt. 18 Când a văzut Simon că Duhul Sfânt era dat prin punerea mâinilor apostolilor, le-a dat bani 19 şi a zis: „Daţi-mi şi mie puterea aceasta, pentru ca, peste oricine-mi voi pune mâinile, să primească Duhul Sfânt”. 20 Dar Petru i-a zis: „Banii tăi să piară împreună cu tine, pentru că ai(P) crezut că darul(Q) lui Dumnezeu s-ar putea căpăta cu bani! 21 Tu n-ai nici parte, nici sorţ în toată treaba aceasta, căci inima ta nu este curată înaintea lui Dumnezeu. 22 Pocăieşte-te dar de această răutate a ta şi roagă-te Domnului să(R) ţi se ierte gândul acesta al inimii tale, dacă este cu putinţă, 23 căci văd că eşti plin de fiere amară(S) şi în lanţurile fărădelegii.” 24 Simon a răspuns: „Rugaţi-vă(T) voi Domnului pentru mine, ca să nu mi se întâmple nimic din ce aţi zis”. 25 După ce au mărturisit despre Cuvântul Domnului şi după ce l-au propovăduit, Petru şi Ioan s-au întors la Ierusalim, vestind Evanghelia în multe sate ale samaritenilor.
Filip şi famenul etiopian
26 Un înger al Domnului a vorbit lui Filip şi i-a zis: „Scoală-te şi du-te spre miazăzi, pe drumul care pogoară spre Ierusalim la Gaza şi care este pustiu”. 27 Filip s-a sculat şi a plecat. Şi iată că un(U) etiopian, un famen cu mare putere la împărăteasa Candace a etiopienilor şi îngrijitorul tuturor vistieriilor ei, venit(V) la Ierusalim ca să se închine, 28 se întorcea de acolo şi şedea în carul lui şi citea pe prorocul Isaia. 29 Duhul a zis lui Filip: „Du-te şi ajunge carul acesta!” 30 Filip a alergat şi a auzit pe etiopian citind pe prorocul Isaia. El i-a zis: „Înţelegi tu ce citeşti?” 31 Famenul a răspuns: „Cum aş putea să înţeleg, dacă nu mă va călăuzi cineva?” Şi a rugat pe Filip să se suie în car şi să şadă împreună cu el. 32 Locul din Scriptură pe care-l citea era acesta: „El(W) a fost dus ca o oaie la tăiere şi ca un miel fără glas înaintea celui ce-l tunde, aşa nu Şi-a deschis gura; 33 în smerenia Lui, judecata I-a fost luată. Şi cine va zugrăvi pe cei din timpul Lui? Căci viaţa I-a fost luată de pe pământ.” 34 Famenul a zis lui Filip: „Rogu-te, despre cine vorbeşte prorocul astfel? Despre sine sau despre vreun altul?” 35 Atunci, Filip a luat cuvântul, a început(X) de la Scriptura aceasta şi i-a propovăduit pe Isus. 36 Pe când îşi urmau ei drumul, au dat peste o apă. Şi famenul a zis: „Uite apă, ce(Y) mă împiedică să fiu botezat?” 37 Filip a zis: „Dacă(Z) crezi din toată inima, se poate”. Famenul a răspuns: „Cred(AA) că Isus Hristos este Fiul lui Dumnezeu”. 38 A poruncit să stea carul, s-au pogorât amândoi în apă, şi Filip a botezat pe famen. 39 Când au ieşit din apă, Duhul(AB) Domnului a răpit pe Filip, şi famenul nu l-a mai văzut. În timp ce famenul îşi vedea de drum, plin de bucurie, 40 Filip se afla la Azot, de unde s-a dus până la Cezareea. Şi propovăduia Evanghelia în toate cetăţile prin care trecea.
Acts 8
EasyEnglish Bible
Acts 8
EasyEnglish Bible
8 Saul was standing there while the Jewish leaders killed Stephen. He agreed with what they did.
Saul puts many believers in prison
On the same day that Stephen died, the group of believers who lived in Jerusalem began to have great trouble. People did bad things to them. All the believers left Jerusalem and went to other places in Judea and Samaria. Only Jesus' 12 apostles stayed in Jerusalem.
2 Some good men who loved God buried Stephen's dead body. They were very sad and they cried with loud voices. 3 But Saul brought great trouble to the believers. He wanted to destroy their whole group. So he went to all their houses. He took hold of the believers and he put them into prison. He did that to both men and women.
People in Samaria hear God's good news
4 The believers who had left Jerusalem went to many different towns. In each place, they told the people the message about Jesus. 5 One of them who was called Philip went to a city in Samaria. There he told the people the message about Jesus Christ, God's Messiah.
6 Crowds of people came together to hear Philip speak. They saw him do many miracles which showed that God was with him. So they listened carefully to his message.[a] 7 Many people there had bad spirits, which were living in them. Philip sent the bad spirits out of those people. As the spirits came out, they shouted loudly. Some other people had weak arms or legs, and some people could not walk well. Philip caused many of them to become well again. 8 As a result, the people in that city were very happy.
9 A man called Simon lived in that city. For a long time, he had used magic to do great things. All the people who lived in Samaria were very surprised at what he did. Simon told everyone that he was a very important person. 10 All the people in the city watched Simon carefully. This included the people who were important and all the other people too. Everyone said, ‘This man has great power that comes from God.’ 11 Simon had used his magic for a long time and he had surprised them all very much. Because of that, they listened to him carefully. 12 But then Philip told them the good news about the kingdom of God. He told them the message about God's Messiah, Jesus. Many men and women believed Philip's message, so he baptized them. 13 Simon also believed and Philip baptized him too. After this, Simon stayed near to Philip. He was very surprised at the powerful miracles which Philip did.
14 The apostles who were in Jerusalem heard about all this. They heard that many people in Samaria had believed God's word. So they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When these two apostles arrived in Samaria, they prayed for the people who now believed in Jesus. They asked God to give the new believers the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come to any of these people. When Philip had baptized them, he had just used the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 So Peter and John put their hands on the head of each believer, and they each received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon saw that God gave the Holy Spirit to people when the apostles put their hands on them. So he said to Peter and John, ‘Here is some money for you. 19 Please give me this same power. I want to put my hands on other people, so that they will receive the Holy Spirit.’
20 Peter answered Simon, ‘I pray that God will destroy you and your money! You think that you can buy this gift with your money! It is very wrong for you to think that. It is God who gives that gift. 21 You cannot do the work which we are doing. God knows that you are not thinking the right things. 22 You must turn away from those very bad thoughts. Turn to the Lord and pray that he will forgive you. Then perhaps he will forgive you for these bad thoughts. 23 You are very upset because you are jealous. I can see that sin rules your life.’
24 Then Simon said to Peter and John, ‘Please, pray to the Lord God for me. Then none of these bad things that you have spoken about will happen to me.’
25 Peter and John told the people about the Lord Jesus and they spoke God's message to them. Then they returned to Jerusalem. On their way, they went through many villages in Samaria and they told the people the good news about Jesus.
Philip meets a man from Ethiopia
26 Then an angel of the Lord God came to Philip. He said, ‘Philip, go south to the road between Jerusalem and Gaza which goes through the wilderness.’[b]
27 So Philip started on his journey. While he was going along this road, he met an important officer from Ethiopia. This man had authority over the queen of Ethiopia's money. The queen was called Candace. The officer was travelling home from Jerusalem. He had been there to worship God.[c]
28 Now the man was travelling home again in his chariot. He was reading something from the book that God's prophet Isaiah wrote. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and walk beside it.’
30 So Philip ran to the cart as it went along. The officer was reading aloud from the prophet Isaiah's book and Philip heard him. So Philip asked the man, ‘Do you understand the things that you are reading about?’
31 The man answered, ‘I cannot understand it. I need someone to explain it to me.’ Then he said to Philip, ‘Come up here and sit with me in the cart.’
32 The officer was reading these words from the book of Isaiah:
‘He was like a sheep that people were leading away to kill.
He was like a lamb when they are cutting off its wool,
but it makes no noise.
In the same way, he did not say anything.
33 People did not respect him at all.
They refused to judge him in a fair way.
Nobody can say anything about his descendants,
because his life on earth came to an end.’[d]
34 The officer said to Philip, ‘Please tell me who the prophet Isaiah wrote about. Was he writing about himself or about another person?’ 35 Then Philip explained to the man the words that Isaiah had written. Then he went on to tell him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were travelling along the road, they came to a place with some water. The man said to Philip, ‘Look! There is some water here. Please will you baptize me? Is there anything to stop you?’
[37 Philip said to him, ‘I can baptize you if you really believe in Jesus.’ The man said to Philip, ‘I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’][e]
38 The officer said to the man who was driving the chariot, ‘Stop the chariot!’ Then he went down with Philip into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 They both came up out of the water again. Immediately the Lord's Holy Spirit took Philip away from that place. The officer did not see Philip again. He continued his journey and he was very happy.
40 Philip saw that he was now in Azotus.[f] From there, he visited many towns and he told people the good news about Jesus. He did this as he went all the way to Caesarea.[g]
Footnotes
- 8:6 The Holy Spirit lived in Philip. He helped Philip to speak in a powerful way. Because of this Philip could do these special things for the people.
- 8:26 It was about 70 kilometres from Jerusalem to the town of Gaza.
- 8:27 Ethiopia is a country in Africa. Candace was a special name for their queen. We think that the man from Ethiopia was a Gentile. But now he worshipped the God of the Jews. The Ethiopian man was riding in a chariot that horses pulled. It was not the kind of chariot that soldiers used when they went to fight.
- 8:33 We can read this in Isaiah 53:7-8. Isaiah wrote this about Jesus hundreds of years earlier.
- 8:37 Most Bibles do not have verse 37.
- 8:40 Azotus was a town 30 kilometres north of Gaza.
- 8:40 Caesarea was an important city in Israel. The Roman ruler sometimes lived there. Caesarea was at the coast and it was an important port. It was 70 kilometres from Jerusalem. We think that Philip lived in Caesarea for many years. Philip was still living in Caesarea when Luke wrote about him again in Acts 21:8.
Acts 8
King James Version
Acts 8
King James Version
8 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
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