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And Saul was giving-approval to his killing.

The Church Is Persecuted And Driven Out of Jerusalem

And a great persecution came about on that day against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed[a] throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And reverent men carried-in Stephen [for burial], and made a loud lamentation over him. And Saul was destroying[b] the church. Entering from house to house, dragging-away both men and women, he was handing them over to prison. So indeed, the ones having been dispersed went about announcing the word as good news.

Philip Proclaims Christ And Does Miracles In Samaria. Many Are Baptized, Including Simon

Now Philip, having gone down to the city[c] of Samaria, was proclaiming the Christ to them. And the crowds were with-one-accord paying-attention-to[d] the things being said by Philip, during their hearing and seeing the signs which he was doing. For many of the ones having unclean spirits— they were coming out while shouting with a loud voice. And many paralyzed ones and lame ones were cured. And there was great joy in that city. Now a certain man, Simon by name, was-previously in the city practicing-magic and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all, from the small up to the great, were paying attention, saying, “This one is the Power[e] of God being called ‘Great’”. 11 And they were paying attention to him because he had astonished them for a considerable time with the magic-arts. 12 And when they believed Philip announcing-the-good-news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized— both men and women. 13 Now Simon himself also believed. And having been baptized, he was attaching-himself to Philip. He was astonished, seeing both signs and great miracles taking place.

Peter and John Come So The Samaritans Might Receive The Holy Spirit

14 And the apostles in Jerusalem, having heard that “Samaria has accepted the word of God”, sent-forth Peter and John to them— 15 who, having come down, prayed for them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they were laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now Simon, having seen that the Spirit was given through the laying-on of the hands of the apostles, offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me also, so-that on whomever I lay on my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit”. 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver be with you for destruction, because you thought to acquire the gift of God with money. 21 There is no part nor share for you in this matter. For your heart is not straight before God. 22 Therefore repent from this evilness of yours, and pray to the Lord, if perhaps[f] the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. 23 For I see you being in the gall[g] of [h] bitterness and the bond[i] of [j] unrighteousness”. 24 And having responded, Simon said, “You[k] two pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing of the things which you have spoken may come upon me”. 25 So indeed the ones— having solemnly-testified, and having spoken the word of the Lord— were returning to Jerusalem and announcing-the-good-news-to many villages of the Samaritans.

An Angel Sends Philip Down The Road To an Ethiopian Eunuch Reading Isaiah

26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go toward the south[l] on the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza”. This[m] is a wilderness [road]. 27 And having arisen, he proceeded. And behold— there was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch[n], a court-official of Candace[o] (queen of the Ethiopians), who was over all her treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and was returning, and sitting on his chariot[p]. And he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Approach and join this chariot”. 30 And having run up, Philip heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you indeed understand the things which you are reading?” 31 And the one said, “How indeed might I be able, unless someone will guide me?” And he invited Philip to sit with him, having come up.

Philip Explains That Isaiah 53 Refers To Jesus

32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter. And as a lamb before the one having sheared it is silent, so He does not open His mouth. 33 In His humiliation, His justice[q] was taken-away. Who will describe[r] His generation[s]? Because His life is taken-away from the earth” [Isa 53:7-8]. 34 And having responded, the eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, about whom is the prophet saying this— about himself or about some other?” 35 And Philip— having opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture— announced Jesus as good news to him.

The Man Believes And Is Baptized, And Continues Home Rejoicing

36 And as they were proceeding along the road, they came upon some water. And the eunuch says, “Behold— water. What is preventing me from being baptized?” 37 [t] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop. And they both went down into[u] the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out-of [v] the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. And the eunuch did not see him any longer, for he was going his way rejoicing.

Philip Continues Announcing The Good News In Other Cities

40 And Philip was found at Azotus. And while going through, he was announcing-the-good-news-to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 8:1 Or, scattered.
  2. Acts 8:3 Or, inflicting outrages upon, inflicting personal injuries upon.
  3. Acts 8:5 That is, the main city (Sebaste, known as Samaria in the OT, and called such here to link this to 1:8); or, the main religious city (Neapolis, known as Shechem in the OT).
  4. Acts 8:6 Or, giving-heed-to.
  5. Acts 8:10 That is, the supernatural spirit-being from God.
  6. Acts 8:22 That is, in the hope that. Peter expresses some uncertainty about whether this will happen, for which he gives his reason in v 23, on which compare Deut 29:18-19.
  7. Acts 8:23 Or, poison, venom.
  8. Acts 8:23 That is, characterized by; a bitter gall, a bitter poison.
  9. Acts 8:23 That is, binding, fetter, chain.
  10. Acts 8:23 That is, proceeding from or belonging to.
  11. Acts 8:24 This word is plural, referring to Peter and John.
  12. Acts 8:26 toward the south. Or, at mid-day.
  13. Acts 8:26 Or, this explanation may continue as part of the angel’s words.
  14. Acts 8:27 That is, a castrated male.
  15. Acts 8:27 This is a title, like Pharaoh, not a name.
  16. Acts 8:28 That is, traveling chariot or carriage. Not a war or racing chariot.
  17. Acts 8:33 Or, judgment. That is, the justice due Him.
  18. Acts 8:33 Or, tell-of-in-detail.
  19. Acts 8:33 That is, His contemporaries who did this. Or, descendants; His posterity. Or, family; His origin.
  20. Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts add here, And Philip said to him, ‘If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted’. And having responded, he said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’.
  21. Acts 8:38 Or, to.
  22. Acts 8:39 Or, from.

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) Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 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

Those who had been scattered(F) preached the word wherever they went.(G) Philip(H) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many,(I) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.(J) So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

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)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 8:27 That is, from the southern Nile region
  2. Acts 8:33 Isaiah 53:7,8 (see Septuagint)
  3. Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”