Grace Bible Church
Pastor-Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Thursday March 11, 2021
Pastor Rick Kabrick
Commentary on the Book of ACTS. Chapter 8. Philip and the Eunuch. Pastor Rick Kabrick
Stephen now is saying don’t let that happen with the Messiah. You know the One you put to death. The One who was buried and then Resurrected, the One now sitting t the Right hand of GOD the Father, just as HE told us HE would be.
PHI 3:5-8, circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
They gnashed at Stephen with their teeth: It is remarkable to think of this response from men who were dignified, respected leaders in Israel. All they could do in their frenzy of anger was to gnash with their teeth. And it’s important to notice that they didn’t deny a thing.
MAT 10:32, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
The point is that the event had a profound effect on Saul and perhaps others of his crowd. Saul was the leader in many ways, and leaders sometimes double down on their stupidity, hard headedness, etc.
When Jesus, before this same body of men, declared that HE would sit at the right hand of GOD, they had the same reaction and sealed HIS death as a blasphemer. When the trial is finished, the man convicted is brought out to be stoned. Ten cubits (one cubit = forearm from Latin meaning elbow) from the place of stoning they say to him, ‘Confess your wrongdoings’ Saul of Tarsus stood there as the supervisor of this operation. As a member of the Sanhedrin, he had the final authority, or a great share of Stephen’s execution.
The phrase ravaging the church lu mine oh my, is an ancient Greek word it is only used here, that could refer to an army destroying a city or a wild animal tearing at its meat.
We can be just like these early Christians. We can share the good news of what Jesus has done in our lives. It has been said and I believe it that people don’t come to Jesus through a preacher, evangelist as much, as often as they do from people just like you.
600 years before this, the Assyrians conquered this area of northern Israel and deported all the wealthy and middle-class Jews from the area. Then they moved in a pagan population from afar.
James and John once thought that the Samaritans were only good for being burned by GOD’s judgment.
This Simon had a fair degree of local fame. He was honored as one who the people said of him “This man is the great power of GOD.” Seeing the miracles and signs which were done Simon was convinced by Philip’s preaching and amazing miracles, to the point where he declared belief, and he was baptized. Simon became a follower of Philip and his ministry.
Some say they were never truly born again (converted) under Philip’s preaching. However, when Peter and John came, they really trusted in Jesus and then they received the Holy Spirit.
Some say they were truly born again. Then, in a separate event they received the Holy Spirit in a pattern that believers should follow today. That is a public laying on of hands and baptized…
Others believe they were converted in response to Philip’s preaching; yet GOD, in a unique move, withheld the gift of the Holy Spirit until Peter and John could bestow it on them.
Some say they were really born again and did really receive the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion, but were given special gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit at the laying on of hands by Peter and John.
Peter and John needed to be in Samaria for the “official” start of the Samaritan church, just as they had been in Jerusalem for the start of the Jewish church.
This showed those in Jerusalem and Samaria that this Church was legit and accepted by the Apostles but more importantly by GOD.
What we receive from GOD will affect what we do with our money; but we can’t purchase the gifts of GOD with money.
Like us today, Philip could not actually see into Simon’s spiritual heart and know with complete certainty that he was sincere in his faith.
When Peter says, ‘You have no part or share in this ministry,’ it is interesting that he employs the same words Jesus used for him when he had objected to Jesus’ washing his feet in the Upper Room.
These writings say that he fell back into magic, and was said to follow Peter around in order to refute Peter’s Gospel.
He is said to have fallen to his death while levitating, or as one writing said, he stopped levitating too soon.
The desert or the wilderness is always a place where GOD speaks to man. So don’t fear the desert.
Here we have 2 people being led by the HS. Philip wasn’t the only one, the man of Ethiopia was also, though he didn’t yet know it.
The Ethiopian was a successful man. Yet his success obviously didn’t answer all the questions in his life. He knew he needed some real spiritual answers in his life, and he was seeking GOD. We don’t know the exact circumstances surrounding him, but he was about to receive what he was searching for.
People often shrink back from speaking boldly about Jesus, especially when the world lets us know we shouldn’t talk about such things. But the world does not hesitate to impose its message on us. THE KOD proclaims its messages boldly, why not our LORDs message. We should be just as bold to the world about Jesus as the world is bold to us about sin.
Because the whole Bible points to Jesus in one way or another, we really can begin at any passage and find where it leads to Jesus.