Acts 8:26-40

1. Acts 8:26-40 26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."

2. Acts 8:26-40 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,

3. Acts 8:26-40 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."

4. Acts 8:26-40 30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

5. Acts 8:26-40 31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

6. Acts 8:26-40 32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

7. Acts 8:26-40 33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."

8. Acts 8:26-40 34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

9. Acts 8:26-40 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?"

10. Acts 8:26-40 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

11. Acts 8:26-40 39When 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.

12. Acts 8:26-40 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

13. Conversion of an Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8:26-40

14. Characters • God • Angel • Holy Spirit • Christ • Philip • Ethiopian Eunuch

15. Philip • Philip – chosen to supervise and distribute food to the widows (Acts 6:1-6) • Later, Philip carried the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8:5-13) • Baptized the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39)

16. Ethiopian Eunuch • Treasurer for Candace (kandake), queen of Nubia • A very devout man • A man with no small number of obstacles religiously • Returning from Jerusalem reading an Isaiah scroll

17. Character of Ethiopian • Traveled far to worship • Spent a large sum of money to purchase an Isaiah scroll • Returning home, he was reading the scroll aloud • Had an honest heart and admitted he did not understand what he was reading

18. Predominantly in Acts, conversions were of religious people • Acts 2 - Pentecost • Acts 8 - Ethiopian • Acts 9:1-9 - Saul who became Paul • Acts 10 - Cornelius

19. Philip and the Ethiopian • Philip’s question: “Do you understand what you are reading?” • Ethiopian’s answer: “How can I except some man guide me?” • Philip’s response: “He got into the chariot and beginning at the same scripture preached unto him Jesus.” • Ethiopian’s interruption of Philip’s teaching

20. Back to Basics • God’s business is saving souls of men. • Philip’s message was Christ; Paul’s message was Christ; our message must be Christ. • Philip extended no invitation, challenge, threat, or any other such thing. • The Eunuch was a seeker who had the heart of a disciple. • He wanted to be baptized the moment he came to the realization he must and he had the opportunity.