Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 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, 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."
30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
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.
33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."
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.
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?" 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 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. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
As I study the Bible, there are passages that are difficult for me and hard to understand...Some I interpret one way, and after reading it again several days or weeks later, I interpret it another way...On the very hard verses, I sometimes pray and ask God to help open my mind more so I can better understand His word in these verses...
When the early church was getting started, many knew part of the Bible, the Old Testament part, but new followers and the other believers did not know of Christ (yet)...The up and coming New Testament was being orally taught, and soon, and at God's Speed, would be written down into the four gospels and the Acts, and the letters of the Apostles, and finally the Revelation of John...But at the time when Philip met the Ethiopian we only had the Old Testament...
An angel told Philip to go and help an Ethiopian, who needed some help with Scripture...As Philip ran to the chariot and stayed near it, he seen the important official in charge of the treasury of Candance reading the Book of Isaiah...The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah chapter fifty three...Philip ask the Ethiopian if he was understanding what he was reading...The Ethiopian said "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?"...The Ethiopian was unaware that the sheep was the Messiah that came to earth...Philip would explain the sheep was our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ...
Philip knew about Jesus...(And) most believe this is Philip the Deacon...This Philip is one of the Seven (acts 6:5)...Most believe it is not Philip the Disciple...Some believe they are one and the same Philip... Nevertheless this Philip was able to finish the story of Isaiah for the Ethiopian...This Philip knew the story of Jesus and what He had done in Israel, and Jerusalem...Philip knew that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, like a sheep led to a slaughter...
We can assume the Ethiopian was a believer in God, because first he had a copy of the the Book of Isaiah...Not many would have copies of such an important document back then...All documents and Book of the Bible, at that time, were hand written...Secondly, he was reading the Book of Isaiah...Our faith comes from these stories we read about...A strengthening of our faith happens when we better understand the story...This helps spread the word...
(As you see verse thirty seven does not appear in the 1984 version of the New International Version, but is in other versions, including the King James Version)...The Ethiopian says I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God...The Ethiopian was converted that day...He was an important businessman and believer in God and His Son...The Word of Jesus would spread throughout the nation and continent of Africa, much because of the assistance and help he and others would receive in understanding the word...Followers of Christ must continue to remind ourselves and others that their is a great and true story to tell...Sharing the word, helps spread the word...