Acts 8

 Good morning! Yesterday with Stephen's story was quite a day! And today it continues!

Luke tells us (v 2) that the persecution of the followers of "The Way" begins and people start to scatter. Scatter-- as in spreading something all over. When I go on my hikes to Catskills or FLT (or wherever)  I always take a small container of Mom's and Dad's ashes with me and when I get to the summit or a beautiful look out, I scatter their ashes. They always loved to travel and this is my way of helping them continue their journey. This is what I imagine the believers doing- scattering so that God's message is carried and spread throughout he world. Do you "scatter" God's message?

Saul is the biggest proponent of the persecutions (v 3) and he is instrumental throughout the next several chapters. Saul (often called by his Roman name "Paul") is the most well known early church persecutors. We will talk more about him in chapter 9! We read about Peter and John in prison, and some beatings, but death was not imminent for them. Death to followers of The Way becomes more rampant. Stephen’s death might seem sort of meaningless at first glance. His ministry was cut short. His ministry also seemed to end in failure – no one was immediately brought to faith (we don't read of that anyway), and all that came forth was more persecution against the church. But as always has been the case, the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church. A point to draw out-  (v 2) some religious people (other translations say "some devout men of the synagogue") buried Stephen. Maybe this was Luke's way of saying that not all Jews hated the new Christians! 

Philip (v 5) was one of the seven deacons we were introduced to in 8:4-8. Because of the persecution that was beginning in Jerusalem, Philip flees to Samaria,  a region of Canaan where people with a mixed Jewish and Gentile heritage resided, which was the result of Assyrian reallocation of peoples (remember the parable of the good Samaritan? Jesus planted seeds of hope to the Samaritans when he told this story and Philip was going to reap the harvest!). Samaritans were not well liked by the Jews because of the intermarriage with the Gentiles and their turn to pagan religions. How do we treat people of mixed races or mixed ethnicity? Philip went anyway! And he taught and healed and ministered to the community. Many people were happy and filled with hope.

Enter Simon the Sorcerer (v 9). The sorcery Simon performed was likely a variety of magic, illusions, astrology, and the occult. When Simon saw the authentic miraculous signs done by Philip, he also believed; possibly an indication that Simon knew his own signs were not authentic? We can trust that Simon's belief was pure- as he doesn't indicate that it wasn't. 

I find it interesting that even with all the work Philip did, the Samaritans did not "receive the Holy Spirit" (v 16) even though they (including Simon) were baptized and healed and believed!? Anyone else find that odd? It wasn't until Peter and John- the apostles from Jerusalem- came (vv 14- 15) and laid hands on them that they received the Holy Spirit. What does this mean to you?

Regardless, Simon noticed that when Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritans and prayed for them, something happened (vv 18- 19). He was impressed by that something-- and offered money to have the same power as Peter and John! Simon thought that the Holy Spirit was merely a power that could be bought or sold. He wanted to control the working of the Spirit, and regarded the Holy Spirit as a power he could use as he wanted. [Interesting(?) side-note: Simony is the word used for the buying or selling church offices or privileges, because it is done in the same spirit as this Simon. This is sometimes practiced today; but more commonly people simply think that blessing follows money instead of money following blessing. Simony was one of the abuses of the church that lead Martin Luther to write his 95 Theses. We may not use "money" but do we use other things to "buy" power and status in the church?

Peter strongly rebukes Simon and says (essentially) 'to hell with you and your money!" (v 20). Strong words for such a young Christian (Simon). Would we use words like that today if someone was wrong in their interpretation of Christianity? Was Simon a "real" Christian? He does (somewhat) ask for forgiveness (v 24).

Peter and John leave; Philip gets a message from God to leave Samaria and go to the desert (v 26). How would you feel leaving a place of success to go to the desert? On his walk on the Gaza Road, Philip finds an Ethiopian royal official in his chariot on the way home. This man, who was likely Jewish, was a eunuch and thus would have been excluded from the inner courts of the Temple in Jerusalem. However, he had come to worship and was now on his way home, reading the book of Isaiah as he traveled. The Ethiopian was a rich man (scrolls cost lots of money!), a man of power, and at least in some way a celebrity. Yet Philip knew he needed Jesus just a much as anyone else. We should never fear speaking to those who are considered to be important people about Jesus. Philip goes to him and says (v 30), "Do you know what you're reading?" And the man replies (v 31), "How can I know unless someone teaches me?!" What message for us is embedded in these verses? Philip teaches that the passage from Isaiah is about Jesus Christ, the Ethiopian believed and was baptized.  The Ethiopian was ready for God 

Then, as miraculously as he appeared, Philip was taken from this man and delivered to Azotus (a Philistine city also known as Ashdod) from where he preached to all of Ceasarea. This tells us that Philip preached even to the Gentile cities (Ceasarea). Look back at Jesus' command in Acts 1:8---this is the beginning of the preaching and spreading of the Gospel to all the ends of the earth!

Great stories in this chapter and it continues in chapter 9. We hear more about Saul and his life!

Have a great day and enjoy the nice warmth! 

Shalom+
Pastor Paul