Acts 8

King James Version

Full text for Acts Chapter 8

1¶ And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2And devout men carried Stephen [to his burial], and made great lamentation over him.

3As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed [them] to prison.

4¶ Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

6And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed [with them]: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

8And there was great joy in that city.

9But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

10To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

11And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

12But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

14¶ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

16(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

18And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

22Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity.

24Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

26¶ And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

30And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

36And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Following Stephen's death, a great persecution scattered believers from Jerusalem, prompting Philip to preach Christ in Samaria, where many, including the sorcerer Simon, believed and were baptized. Peter and John were sent to impart the Holy Ghost, rebuking Simon for attempting to purchase this spiritual power. Later, Philip was divinely led to an Ethiopian eunuch, whom he instructed in scripture and baptized, before being supernaturally transported away.

Medium Summary

Acts chapter 8 begins with a severe persecution against the Jerusalem church, initiated by Saul, which scattered believers throughout Judaea and Samaria, though the apostles remained. Philip, one of the scattered, went to Samaria, where he preached Christ, performed miracles, and brought great joy, leading many, including the sorcerer Simon, to believe and be baptized. Upon hearing of Samaria's conversion, Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem to impart the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands, as it had not yet fallen upon them. Simon, witnessing this, offered money to gain the power to bestow the Holy Ghost, for which Peter sternly rebuked him, declaring his heart was not right and urging repentance. Subsequently, an angel directed Philip to a desert road, where he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch reading the prophet Isaiah. Philip explained the scripture, leading the eunuch to believe in Jesus Christ and request baptism. After baptizing the eunuch, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch continued his journey rejoicing, while Philip was found preaching in other cities.

Long Summary

Acts chapter 8 opens with Saul's approval of Stephen's death, immediately followed by a widespread persecution against the church in Jerusalem, causing all believers, except the apostles, to scatter throughout Judaea and Samaria. This dispersion, however, served to spread the Gospel, as those scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip, one of these evangelists, journeyed to the city of Samaria, where he proclaimed Christ, demonstrating his message with powerful miracles such as casting out unclean spirits and healing the lame and palsied, resulting in great joy among the people. A man named Simon, who had long practiced sorcery and held the Samaritans captive with his deceptions, also witnessed Philip's ministry. The Samaritans, including Simon, believed Philip's preaching concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, and were subsequently baptized. When the apostles in Jerusalem learned that Samaria had received the word, they dispatched Peter and John to them. Upon their arrival, Peter and John prayed for the new converts to receive the Holy Ghost, which had not yet fallen upon them, and then laid hands on them, whereupon they received the Spirit. Simon, observing that the Holy Ghost was given through the apostles' laying on of hands, offered them money, desiring to purchase this power for himself. Peter vehemently rebuked Simon, condemning his thought that the gift of God could be bought with money, declaring his heart was not right and urging him to repent of his wickedness. Simon, in fear, requested the apostles to pray for him. After testifying and preaching, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, spreading the gospel in many Samaritan villages. Meanwhile, an angel of the Lord directed Philip to a desert road leading to Gaza, where he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, a high official of Queen Candace, who was returning from worship in Jerusalem and reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit prompted Philip to approach the chariot, and Philip, hearing the eunuch read, asked if he understood the scripture. The eunuch invited Philip to explain the passage concerning the suffering servant, and Philip, beginning from that scripture, preached Jesus unto him. As they traveled, they came to water, and the eunuch, confessing his belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was baptized by Philip. Immediately after the baptism, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, continuing his journey with rejoicing, while Philip was found at Azotus and continued preaching through various cities until he reached Caesarea.

Core Concepts

  • Persecution and DispersionA great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, initiated by Saul, caused believers to scatter throughout Judaea and Samaria, inadvertently spreading the Christian message.
  • Evangelism by the ScatteredThose who were dispersed from Jerusalem did not cease to preach the word, demonstrating that the spread of the Gospel was not solely dependent on the apostles.
  • The Holy Ghost and Laying on of HandsThe Samaritan believers received the Holy Ghost through the prayer and laying on of hands by the apostles Peter and John, distinct from their initial water baptism.
  • SimonySimon the sorcerer's attempt to purchase the power to impart the Holy Ghost with money gives rise to the concept of "simony," the buying or selling of spiritual offices or gifts.
  • Divine Guidance in EvangelismPhilip's ministry demonstrates divine guidance through angelic instruction and the direct prompting of the Spirit, leading him to specific individuals like the Ethiopian eunuch.
  • Interpretation of ScripturePhilip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch highlights the importance of guided interpretation of scripture, as Philip explained the prophecy of Isaiah 53 in light of Jesus Christ.
  • Baptism as a Confession of FaithThe Ethiopian eunuch's baptism immediately followed his confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, illustrating baptism as an outward declaration of inward belief.