Philip And The Ethiopian

When Stephen was stoned to death a great persecution broke out against

the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered

throughout Judea and Samaria. Those who were scattered went in different

directions telling the good news about Jesus.



Philip went down to the city of Samaria, where he told the people about

Jesus, the Christ. And the crowds, when they saw the miracles he

performed, pa d attention to what he said. Many who could not walk or

were lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. Both the men

and women who believed Philip, as he told the good news about the

Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus, were baptized.



When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had believed

God's message, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they came,

prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not

yet come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of

the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they

received the Holy Spirit.



When the apostles had told the people about Jesus and preached the word

of the Lord, they went back to Jerusalem; and as they went, they told

the good news in many villages of the Samaritans. But an angel of the

Lord said to Philip, "Rise, and go south along the desert road from

Jerusalem to Gaza." As he went on his way he met an Ethiopian who had

charge of the treasures of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He had

gone to Jerusalem to worship and was on his way home. As the Ethiopian

sat in his chariot reading from the prophet Isaiah, the Spirit said to

Philip, "Go up and speak to the man in the chariot." As Philip ran up

and heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, he asked, "Do you

understand what you are reading?" "How can I," said the Ethiopian,

"unless there is some one to tell me what it means?" So he begged Philip

to come up and sit beside him.



Now the passage of scripture that he was reading was this:



"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

And as a lamb is dumb before the shearer,

So he opened not his mouth."



The Ethiopian said to Philip, "I beg of you, tell me of whom is the

prophet speaking? Of himself or of some one else?" Then Philip, taking

this verse as his text, told him the good news about Jesus. As they went

along, they came to some water, and the Ethiopian said, "Here is water.

What prevents my being baptized?" So he ordered the chariot to stop, and

both went down into the water, and Philip baptized the man. After they

had come up from the water, the Spirit of the Lord sent Philip on his

way, and the Ethiopian did not see him again, but went away happy. But

Philip told the good news in every town until he reached Caesarea.