Christ Is Preached to an Ethiopian^(A)

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord spoke to ^(B)Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is ^[a]desert. ²⁷ So he arose and went. And behold, ^(C)a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and ^(D)had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

³⁰ So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹ And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

³⁴ So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, ^(I)and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. ³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. ^(J)What hinders me from being baptized?”

^37 [b]Then Philip said, ^(K)“If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, ^(L)“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

³⁸ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹ Now when they came up out of the water, ^(M)the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip was found at ^[c]Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to ^(N)Caesarea.

³⁷ Now when they heard this, ^(A)they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, ^(B)“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[a]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

⁴¹ Then those who ^[a]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

¹² But when they believed Philip as he preached the things ^(A)concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

⁴⁷ “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit ^(A)just as we have?” ^48 (B)And he commanded them to be baptized ^(C)in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

¹⁶ And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, ^(A)and wash away your sins, ^(B)calling on the name of the Lord.’

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ^(A)“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ^19 (B)Go ^[a]therefore and ^(C)make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ^20 (D)teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am ^(E)with you always, even to the end of the age.” ^[b]Amen.

⁷ But if we ^(A)walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and ^(B)the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.