Focus Passage: Acts 8:9, 39

‘But there was a certain man, Simon by name….the eunuch saw him no more.’

This eighth chapter of the book of Acts is particularly marvelous in many ways. Among a number of many other things testified in this chapter, we have set before us, in most vivid contrast, two individual professing Christians, each making their professions of faith in the gospel subsequent to exposure to the preaching of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven set before the twelve, in chapter six, to be confirmed to the ministry of ‘this business of serving tables,’ that is, seeing to the physical needs of the people while the twelve continued to meet their spiritual needs through the ministration of the word of God. And yet, almost immediately afterwards, this ‘deacon’ is found proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in Samaria and beyond, only being interrupted by the seventh chapter and the preaching unto death of the proto-martyr, Stephen, still another of the seven ‘deacons.’ It is not only the apostles who are to be salt and light, and truly, neither is it only apostles and deacons. It has been ordained of God that the church be that salt and light to shine upon the world He who is the Light of the world. The Head of the church, His body, is at God’s right hand ever living to intercede for His body on earth; His bride, until He comes at last for her, to take her to the Marriage supper of the Lamb.

But while it is extremely interesting how that one early demonstration of the church going into the world with the gospel is through the employment of these deacons, it is every bit as interesting to witness these two proselytes spoken of in this eighth chapter; Simon Magus and then the Ethiopian eunuch. What do they have in common with one another? What makes them to differ from one another? We have seen already that each of these two men were respondents to the preaching of Philip the evangelist, so called in Acts 21:8. We are specifically informed in the fifth verse of this eighth chapter, And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. We read, just a few verses later, after being told that multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, that there was a certain man, Simon by name; this Simon also himself believed; and being baptized, he continued with Philip. There is nothing, in itself, extraordinary about the manner, or method, of this conversion. Simon heard Philip preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, he believed and was baptized. The problems are in the sequel. And yes, the reader is informed of this man’s background; one who beforetime in the city used sorcery, but what is that to us? Christ came to save, not the righteous, but sinners. And all men are sinners! The difficulty is not about what Simon was before he professed faith in Christ; it is more about what he was not after he professed faith. This is the only question that has any relevance in the church. It is not, ‘what was he,’ or, ‘what was she?’ but the question is, ‘what are they becoming?’ There have never been any saved for what they were, but all have been saved to become true worshippers of God through Jesus Christ—John 4:23. There have always been, and shall always be Rahabs, harlots; Levis, tax collectors; Sauls, persecutors of the church. But what did each of them become by the grace of God? We are, all that are in Christ, ‘becomers;’ that is to say, we are being transformed; we are being reformed, and we are being conformed to our Great Pattern. Returning to the problem of Simon Magus, it was made clear to an inspired apostle that he had neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right before God. I remind each of us that, unlike Peter, we do not have that same inspired guidance; the ability was given the old fisherman to judge Ananias and Sapphira, and here to judge Simon Magus. Let us remember our place.

The conclusion of this chapter of Acts is much happier, even joyful. This is the account of the conversion of another under the ministry of Philip. To begin with, Philip was led immediately by both the words of an angel of the Lord and the words of the Holy Spirit which led him to this Ethiopian eunuch, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who just happened to be returning from Jerusalem, sitting in his chariot, and reading—of all things—the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit told Philip to go near, and join himself to the Ethiopian’s chariot. When Philip had done this, he learned that the eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, which speaks of Him who was;

Led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth: in humiliation his judgment was taken away: his generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth.

Upon the eunuch’s inquiry, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? Philip, we are told, opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. It should surprise us, not in the slightest, that the eunuch was brought through this passage from Isaiah 53, to not only see his plight, but to see Jesus to be the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world; to see Jesus to be the Great High Priest for His people, offering Himself, the Lamb, in order to satisfy the justice of God which was against them, and for the eunuch to see that his only hope of fleeing the wrath to come, was to flee unto Jesus, the only Mediator between God and man. The eunuch quite evidently received these truths; received also that he was such a one for whom Christ had died, and thus, as they went on the way; the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? Frankly, it must be allowed that we are not made aware of any serious distinction between his response to the gospel and the response of Simon Magus. But here, and most noticeably here, the similarity ceases. ‘The proof is in the pudding,’ as they say. Or more to the point, as Jesus has clearly stated, By their fruits ye shall know them. The fruits that are exposed, are exposed in the following manners. While Simon conspicuously entertained the understanding that he could obtain the gift of God with money, the Ethiopian eunuch exemplifies one who has recognized that he is ‘a debtor to mercy alone,’ and that ‘without money, without money, come to Jesus Christ’ was his sole option, the option of grace alone through faith. And thus he went on his way rejoicing over the truly free grace of God in Jesus Christ.

David Farmer, elder

Fellowship Bible Church