Chapter 8

I said yesterday that Stephen’s death was to ultimately have positive effects on the nascent Church.

That actually started fairly soon afterwards – but the benefit was kind of like one of those 3D pictures that were all the rage back in the 90s; you know, the ones that look like a psychedelic pattern until your eyes are at juuuuuust the right angles? Like these.

In the same way, at first blush there appears to be no pattern to the images. But if you look for long enough, something comes through – and eventually you can see something amazing, something that simply wasn’t visible before!

(It’s pretty good as metaphors go, isn’t it?)

The straight-out image we can see looks pretty bleak at this point. Stephen’s murder touches off a wave of persecution, spearheaded by Saul. What good could come of this?

Lots, as it turns out.

When Stephen was picked as a deacon, one of the other men chosen at the same time was Philip. Now, since there was already a Philip who was a disciple, THIS Philip has been given a title to help avoid confusion.

They call him “Philip the Evangelist”.

Now THERE’S the kind of title you want on your gravestone.

Imagine the kind of person for whom the word that sums up their life is “evangelist”! We’re talking someone like Bill Bright or Billy Graham!

The persecution in Jerusalem is making it far too hot for people like Philip, and he leaves town. But wherever he goes, he can’t stop preaching the Gospel. And so we come across to wonderful anecdotes of his ministry.

The first is found in verses 5 – 25. Philip goes to one of the Samaritan towns, and preaches. As he does, the lame walk and the evil spirits tremble. And a certain magician is so impressed that when Philip’s backup arrives – Peter and John have been dispatched on reports of a major awakening in Samaria – he attempts to bribe them into giving him the secret of their best trick, namely the conferring of the Holy Spirit.

Question: has your ministry ever been so effective that the local mystics and charlatans have pressed you for your secrets?

Philip then moves off to meet an Ethiopian Eunuch[1] on the road to Gaza. He didn’t know he had an appointment, but it had been booked for him by God himself.

The Eunuch is in a chariot, on his way back home after attending the Temple in Jerusalem; so he’s obviously a jewish convert (as are some Ethiopians even today). He’s also rich. How do I know that (I hear you ask!)? Because he could afford a manuscript of the Prophet Isaiah, and books are expensive beyond belief in his world!

Philip asks the man if he understand what he reads. The man doesn’t. So taking that as an opportunity, Philip climbs into the chariot and starts explaining it to him, starting with Isaiah.

We don’t know exactly what Philip said, but we know it must have been effective, since the next thing we know, the Eunuch is asking for baptism.

In my own experience, it’s unlikely that modern Christians would be asked for immediate baptism; possibly because anyone who otherwise would want such a thing instinctively knows that we’d be useless to ask for it.. We are too concerned that the person understands all the details of the Gospel first. Now, that’s a good thing – but here it’s not what Philip does.

Here Philip takes his one chance (which was actually probably several minutes long!), and when the man understands the passage, Philip then accepts the request and baptizes him.

He hasn’t gone through classes or meetings, but that’s what Philip does.

We’re way too slow to baptize people. See, as soon as someone truly understands the Gospel, they will want in! And many of them will want immediate baptism.

Why?

Because that’s the next step. And so many of us don’t know that, and even if someone new asked, we might not be able to help.

By contrast, Philip was ready on the spot. In ONE CHAPTER, he’s led an entire village to the point where its members can make an informed decision about what to do with Christ. And then he’s (unbeknownst to him) started a church in another country!

Not bad for a day’s work.

Could any of us say the same? ANY time we’ve share the Gospel with someone, have we had that kind of effect?

It’s a challenge, but also an encouragement. Philip wasn’t God, he was just a human like you and I – and if he can do that, so too can we, Spirit-filled Christians!

[1] All important servants of many queens were first turned into eunuchs to avoid inconvenient heirs to the throne should the queen feel like exercising her royal prerogatives with him. Seems to me to be rather a high price to pay for being able to hang out with royalty.