The ministry of Philip, one of the seven appointed to serve tables extended beyond food and hospitality. When Saul began to destroy the church, going from house to house, and dragging off both men and women and putting them in prison (Acts 8:3), the church scattered. The scattered church members preached the word wherever they went (Acts 8:4). Thus, their flight became an opportunity for more people to hear about Jesus. Philip also went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there (Acts 8:5). In a previous post, we established that Philip was a deacon and an evangelist. Through him, the people of Samaria heard the message of the gospel and many people came to faith. The numbers were so outstanding that the church in Jerusalem had to send Peter and John to support the new and growing church. Philip was not hindered by the fact that the church in Jerusalem appointed him as a deacon in charge of food distribution. He knew that wherever God took him was an opportunity to share the word. As the church in Samaria thrived under the ministry of Philip, God had another task for evangelist Philip to undertake. An important task that sent the gospel message to Africa.
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. (Acts 8:30)
Philip was a man who was in tune with God. One day, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (Acts 8:26). Philip didn’t question why It was urgent for him to go to that particular road. Philip’s response was this: “So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, 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” (Acts 8:27). God wanted a special person to understand scripture and Philip was the man assigned to the task. The Ethiopian eunuch believed in the God of the Jews, and he had travelled all the way from Ethiopia to worship in Jerusalem. On his way home, this man was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet (Acts 8:28). The passage was on the Suffering Servant but the eunuch had no idea who this person was. As instructed by the Spirit, Philip went and stayed near to the chariot. When Philip heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet, he asked the eunuch, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:29-30).
The Ethiopian’s response was this: “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him (Acts 8:31). The passage the man was reading concerned the Suffering Servant. The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” (Acts 8:34). Sensing the opportune time and the man’s quest to know more, Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:35). What was the man’s response? He accepted the word and even went ahead and got baptized. According to Acts 8:36, 38, “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?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. The eunuch identified with the death and resurrection of Jesus when he was baptized. He publicly made known his dedication to follow Jesus.
After the baptism, something miraculous happened. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:39). Philip’s talk with the eunuch was done and God repositioned him in Azotus and he traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea (Acts 8:40). On his part, the eunuch went back home and introduced the gospel to his community, his nation and the continent of Africa.
There are many types of “Ethiopian eunuchs” we meet each day. Be willing and ready at all times to hear the Spirit talk to you. When the Spirit leads you to share the word with someone, don’t allow fear to draw you back. He will grant you the grace to evangelize.
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