Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 8:4

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

4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where [went about] preaching the word ] In these words we have the general effect of the persecution. One particular history of such preaching is given immediately.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Went everywhere – That is, they traveled through the various regions where they were scattered. In all places to which they came, they preached the Word.

Preaching the word – Greek: evangelizing, or announcing the good news of the message of mercy, or the Word of God. This is not the usual word which is rendered preach, but it means simply announcing the good news of salvation. There is no evidence, nor is there any probability, that all these persons were ordained to preach. They were manifestly common Christians who were scattered by the persecution; and the meaning is, that they communicated to their fellow-men in conversation wherever they met them, and probably in the synagogues, where all Jews had a right to speak, the glad tidings that the Messiah had come. It is not said that they set themselves up for public teachers, or that they administered baptism, or that they founded churches, but they proclaimed everywhere the news that a Saviour had come. Their hearts were full of it. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; and they made the truth known to all whom they met. We may learn from this:

1. That persecution tends to promote the very thing which it would destroy.

(2)That one of the best means to make Christians active and zealous is to persecute them.

(3)That it is right for all Christians to make known the truths of the gospel. When the heart is full the lips will speak, and there is no more impropriety in their speaking of redemption than of anything else.

(4)It should be the great object of all Christians to make the Saviour known everywhere. By their lives, their conversation, and their pious exhortations and entreaties, they should beseech dying sinners to be reconciled to God. And especially should this be done when they are traveling. Christians when away from home seem almost to imagine that they lay aside the obligations of religion. But the example of Christ and his early disciples has taught us that this is the very time to attempt to do good.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Act 8:4

Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word.

The aggressive power of Christianity

That it is pre-eminently by aggressive movements that the Church is to prosper. By this means she is to maintain spiritual life in her own soul–cause religion to flourish at home, and extend its triumphs abroad.

1. The truth of this doctrine is suggested by the first impulses of the religious principle–the spirit of love in every Christians bosom. False religionists, both among Pagans and nominal Christians, have, I know, taught that piety was a kind of dormant, contemplative spirit; that its power was to be manifested in patient endurance rather than holy action; in a voluntary withdrawment from the world to avoid its contaminations, rather than in resolute efforts to make the world better. The unsophisticated promptings of the new-born soul are always to active effort for God. This is strikingly exhibited in young converts. It is illustrated with great beauty in the conduct of Christs earliest disciples. It conceives plans, it demands efforts, for the worlds conversion. Every real Christian that lives in the spirit of religion may consult his own Consciousness on this subject. See the lives also of eminently holy men in later times–Baxter, Brainerd, Martyn, Payson, etc.

2. The doctrine I have stated further appears from the fact that truth is the grand instrument which God employs to overthrow the kingdom of Satan, and advance and establish the kingdom of His Son. The Word of God must not only be translated into all the languages of the earth, but it must be carried to every, mans door; nay, its great truths must be pressed home upon every mans conscience. What a mighty work here opens for Christians of every name! It is, moreover, eminently an aggressive work, a missionary movement. How are they to accomplish it by shutting themselves up in cloisters?

3. Both the necessity and the vital importance of the aggressive movements of the Church appears from the very attitude of a fallen world towards God. It is one of hostility to His character and opposition to His truth. The world will not come to the Church and crave instruction at her lips. As her Saviour sought her, so He requires her to seek sinners. In other words, she must make external and aggressive movements. She must not study so much her own comfort as her enlargement.

4. The whole current of Scripture precept and representation is in perfect accordance with this view of the subject. The Bible never instructs the Church that she is to conquer the world by her passive virtues–Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

5. The entire history of the gospel confirms this view of the subject. When has any signal advance been made in the work of human salvation, except by a movement similar to that described in the text? The Mosaic institution was peculiar. It was conservative rather than aggressive. Turn to a still later page in the history of the Church. How was it at the Reformation? How was it at the period when Whitefield and Wesley appeared? And just in proportion as any branch of the Christian Church, in the spirit of Christ, attempts spiritual aggression, in the same proportion its interests are prospered. It is seen fulfilling its high destiny.

Remarks:

1. We see why the Church is organised.

2. This subject also indicates the grand object of all preaching to the Church.

3. This discussion throws light upon the providences of God towards the Church. Now, as in former days, He allows heresies, persecutions, schisms, and various forms of affliction, from time to time, to invade the Church. Missionary efforts formed no part of their original plan; they were the plan of Providence.

4. This subject throws light upon the melancholy fact, known and read of all men, that many Churches which have numbers, and wealth, and much secular influence, have no corresponding moral power. Woe to Churches and to ministers who are thus at ease in Zion. (J. H. Tinsley, D. D.)

The gospel–its propagation and effects

I. It is the will of God to propagate His Sons gospel; and in all ways, through circumstances adverse or prosperous, He gives it free course. Sometimes it is by opening the commerce of nations, so that the messengers may occupy new fields; sometimes by some spark from a martyrs pile kindling a tire in a land or in a heart. Great as has been the effect of the patronage of kings, it has been as nothing in comparison with that constancy of faith even unto death, of which Stephen was its first instance, followed by those of whom our text speaks. This was all that remained of the effects of the first Christian persecution; an added testimony, a wider circulation, and a more decided devotion.

II. What is this gospel?

1. It is called the Word. A word is the utterance of a mind, reason communicating itself. Do we believe that the gospel is the expression of Gods mind, the communication of His will? It is a glorious view which is thus opened. God has spoken concerning us, and to us. That mystery which for ages and generations had enveloped the ulterior designs of the Almighty Creator touching His rebellious creatures is at last revealed. God has announced to us the forgiveness of sins through a Mediator and a Sacrifice; the sanctification of sinners, their recreation in His own lost image, by means of an indwelling Holy Spirit; that prayer is the one connecting link between us and these two unspeakable gifts; that it is His intention to raise the dead to an immortal existence, the character of which, for happiness or misery, will depend upon the life here led by us. These things are amongst the disclosures embodied in that Word which these dispersed disciples preached, and which we, if we be faithful to our commission, are preaching still and still hearing.

2. But, as they preached the Word, so Philip preached Christ (Act 8:5). There was no difference between the two. Christ is the Word, and is so designated because He is the Revealer of God: The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. To preach Christ, in His person, in His character, in His work, is to proclaim Gods Word, in its simplicity, fulness, and strength.

III. The credentials of this gospel. When we preach the Word, or Christ, how do we establish it? No doubt we go back to the evidences: we speak of Gods triple seal, of goodness, wisdom, and power, as set to the words and works of Christ: These arguments are never worn out; nor can it ever be safe to disuse them. But when our Lord said, These signs shall follow them that believe, He taught us to look for more than a mere historical proof. When Philip preached, certain results followed (Act 8:7). Thus he could appeal to effects, and say, Judge ye whether a doctrine which brings with it these infallible signs be of man or of God. These visible tokens do not now attend our preaching, and we ought not to want them; and if we hear not Moses and the prophets, if we refuse the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, neither should we be influenced by any outward sign. But a changed life, an altered spirit, the formation of Christian habits, and the diligent use of Christs ordinances these are the true proofs of the gospel Word in our days; by these things other men take knowledge of its power and of its virtue.

IV. The effect of the proclamation of the Word (Act 8:8). It is long, we may fear, since in any whole place there was joy on account of the gospel. Let me ask then as to the individual soul, Which of you knows what joy is in things spiritual? Who, in days of health and prosperity, finds his happiness simply in Christ? Who, in days of sickness and disappointment, does not find to his consternation that the light of heaven is gone out too? Joy is the overflowing of happiness, the exuberance of a comfort and a tranquillity habitually felt within. Oh where is such joy as that of which our Lord spoke, These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full? Levity there may be, and too much of it; cheerful spirits in some, domestic happiness in some, contentment and even thankfulness in a few; but where amongst us is that grace of Christian joy which seemed to flow so naturally, in other days, out of the very first reception of the tidings of a Saviour? And yet such joy lies nearer than we imagine: sin forgiven, the atonement believed in, the Holy Spirit cherished–it is the natural effect of these things to inspire joy. Ask of God the power to grasp them as realities, and joy will enter with them; a joy not of this world, a joy the very foretaste of heaven. (Dean Vaughan.)

The liberty of prophesying

The great majority of the dispersed Christians held no ecclesiastical office whatever. Yet they preached wherever they came, without being called to do so by official duty or express commission, but entirely from the internal pressure of faith, which cannot but speak of that which affects the heart, from the impulse of the Spirit by whom they were appointed, and from love to the Saviour to whom they were indebted for the forgiveness, of their sins and for their blessed hopes. According to human ideas of Church government and office, it ought not to have been so. But the Lord of the Church does not so confine Himself even to the office of the apostolate established by Himself, as that everything must take place entirely through it in order to be lawful, pleasing to God, blessed, and full of promise. Christ thus shows that no man and no finite office is indispensable and absolutely necessary; only He Himself is ever and everywhere indispensable. (G. V. Lechler, D. D.)

The aggressive character of Christianity

A Christian is one who knows and receives as true what Christ has revealed in His Word, whose inward state (religious consciousness) is determined by that knowledge, and whose life is devoted to the obedience and service of Christ. Christianity is therefore a system of doctrine, an inward life, a rule of action. When, therefore, we speak of the aggressive character of Christianity, we may mean the antagonism of truth to error, the expansive power of the principles of spiritual life, or the opposition of good to evil in the outward life; or, as the Scriptures call it, the kingdom of God. We may mean by the aggressive character of Christianity, its inherent force, by which it tends to gain more and more the complete control of the individual man and of human society; by controlling all the forms of human thought, the inward character of men, and their outward conduct.

I. Christianity is thus aggressive. It does tend and strive to subdue.

1. This is variously taught in the Scriptures. It is compared to a stone, cut out of a mountain, which gradually fills the whole earth; to a tree whose branches extend over all lands; to leaven; to a temple in the process of erection; to the sun in its course through the heavens.

2. It is deducible from its nature. Truth is necessarily antagonistic to error, and holiness to sin. The one must strive to overcome the other, both in the individual and the world. Besides being a religion suited to the necessities of all men, and absolutely essential to their well-being here and hereafter, it cannot be embraced by the individual without the consciousness on his part of the obligation to uphold and extend it. A Christian, from the nature of the case, is fired with zeal for the glory of Christ and with love for his fellow-men.

3. It is illustrated in the history of the Church. The original promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head has expanded into the whole system of Christian doctrine. The hundred and twenty disciples in Jerusalem occupied Syria, Egypt, Greece, Italy; and since then Christianity has gained the civilised world. It has banished idolatry, elevated man, and moulded human society.

4. It is proved in the experience of every Christian. His inward life is a progress. He passes from infancy to maturity. The truth becomes better known and more firmly believed. Indwelling sin becomes weaker, and grace stronger. Where this is not true, there is no true life.

II. To what is this aggressive power due?

1. Not to anything in itself as a system of truth. If revealed to the lost in the other world it would be powerless. If revealed to fallen men, sent in books or by living teachers to the heathen, it would, if left to itself, be universally rejected. The opposition of Satan and the evil heart would be too much for it.

2. Not to the subjective effect on the hearts of those who are led to embrace it. If nothing were done ab extra to induce the reception of the gospel, the inward effect and the outward agency would fade away.

3. But to the purpose of God and the co-operation of the Spirit. When a woman puts leaven into a measure of meal, she is sure that the whole will be leavened, because the effect is due to the operation of invariable physical laws. But when the gospel is introduced into a community, whether it will take root and extend, or not, depends on an ab extra sovereign working of Divine power. Hence a sense of dependence is to be acknowledged and cultivated. It is because Christianity is the life of God (i.e., of a present Christ)

that it must prevail.

4. Although the gospel is thus dependent on supernatural agency for its preservation and extension, yet human co-operation is ordained as the means. Faith and love are the powers which we are to wield, depending on the Spirit of God. (C. Hodge, D. D.)

The service of persecution to She Church

The dispersed preached the gospel. Thus by the storm the seeds hitherto collected in one place are scattered hither and thither, and carried to a distance, where they germinate and bear fruit. Thus the Redeemer knows how to convert that into good which was intended only for evil; i.e., not only to hinder the contemplated wicked designs, but by means of them to obtain an unexpected furtherance of His kingdom. (G. V. Lechler, D. D.)

Sparks carried by the wind

The storms of persecution are only winds which fan the fire of faith in the Church, and carry the sparks of truth to a distance. (K. Gerok.)

Wider growth of the Church

We spring up the thicker the oftener we are mowed down. The blood of the martyrs is their harvest-seed. (Tertullian.)

The zeal of the apostles

As a tree on fire kindles a whole forest into a flame, so the apostles, burning with the fire of heaven, have set in a blaze the whole world, and have filled it with the light of truth and the warmth of charity. (St. Augustine.)

Useful incendiaries

The apostles were as burning coals, scattered throughout the nations, blest incendiaries of the world! (Archbishop Leighton.)

What true preaching is

I do not suppose that these good men stood up in pulpits and gave sermons. This also is good; but for this there would often be no time; the men must make haste–their enemies were close upon them–they must flee into the next village! But, before they went, Just listen, they would say. You ask why we are here, why we are in trouble and danger, what is the matter? We will tell you. Then would come the sad tale of Stephen. And the Name that Stephen had loved would again be spoken; with the glad tidings that Jesus who had died was risen again, and was at the right hand of God, to save from their sins those who repented and believed in Him. And He has saved us! those preachers would say; and He is ready to save you! They might not be, all of them, very wise, but they could tell as much as this. And to tell this truly and earnestly is to preach the gospel. May not even a child, then, sometimes preach? (S. G. Green, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 4. They that were scattered – went every where preaching] Thus the very means devised by Satan to destroy the Church became the very instruments of its diffusion and establishment. What are counsel, or might, or cunning, or rage, or malice, against the Lord, whether they are excited by men or devils!

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Now the partition wall was about to be broken down, and the Gentiles to be taken into the pale of the church, God provides this strange means towards it. The disciples are forced to flee for their lives out of Jerusalem, and have an opportunity to preach Christ and the gospel wheresoever they came: thus God can make light to come out of darkness, and makes Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem, Gen 9:27.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

4. they that were scattered abroadwent everywhere preachingThough solemnly enjoined to do this(Luk 24:47; Act 1:8),they would probably have lingered at Jerusalem, but for this besom ofpersecution which swept them out. How often has the rage of Christ’senemies thus “turned out rather unto the furtherance of theGospel” (see Phi 1:12;Phi 1:13).

Ac8:5-25. SUCCESS OFPHILIP’S PREACHINGIN SAMARIACASEOF SIMON MAGUS.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Therefore they that were scattered abroad,…. By reason of the persecution in Jerusalem: the seventy disciples, and other ministers of the word; or the hundred and twenty, excepting the apostles,

went every where; or went through the countries of Judea and Samaria, as far as Phenice, Cyrus, and Antioch:

preaching the word; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions add, “of God”, and so some copies; the Gospel, which is the word of God, and not man; which was not of men, nor received from men, but came from God, and by the revelation of Christ; and which was good news and glad tidings, of peace, pardon, righteousness and salvation, by Jesus Christ.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Spreading of the Gospel; Philip’s Success.

      4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.   5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.   6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.   7 For 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.   8 And there was great joy in that city.   9 But 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:   10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.   11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.   12 But 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.   13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

      Samson’s riddle is here again unriddled: Out of the eater comes forth meat, and out of the strong sweetness. The persecution that was designed to extirpate the church was by the overruling providence of God made an occasion of the enlargement of it. Christ had said, I am come to send fire on the earth; and they thought, by scattering those who were kindled with that fire, to have put it out, but instead of this they did but help to spread it.

      I. Here is a general account of what was done by them all (v. 4): They went every where, preaching the word. They did not go to hide themselves for fear of suffering, no, nor to show themselves as proud of their sufferings; but they went up and down to scatter the knowledge of Christ in every place where they were scattered. They went every where, into the way of the Gentiles, and the cities of the Samaritans, which before they were forbidden to go into, Matt. x. 5. They did not keep together in a body, though this might have been a strength to them; but they scattered into all parts, not to take their ease, but to find out work. They went evangelizing the world, preaching the word of the gospel; it was this which filled them, and which they endeavoured to fill the country with, those of them that were preachers in their preaching, and others in their common converse. They were now in a country where they were no strangers, for Christ and his disciples had conversed much in the regions of Judea; so that they had a foundation laid there for them to build upon; and it would be requisite to let the people there know what that doctrine which Jesus had preached there some time ago was come to, and that it was not lost and forgotten, as perhaps they were made to believe.

      II. A particular account of what was done by Philip. We shall hear of the progress and success of others of them afterwards (ch. xi. 19), but here must attend the motions of Philip, not Philip the apostle, but Philip the deacon, who was chosen and ordained to serve tables, but having used the office of a deacon well he purchased to himself a good degree, and great boldness in the faith, 1 Tim. iii. 13. Stephen was advanced to the degree of a martyr, Philip to the degree of an evangelist, which when he entered upon, being obliged by it to give himself to the word and prayer, he was, no doubt, discharged from the office of a deacon; for how could he serve tables at Jerusalem, which by that office he was obliged to do, when he was preaching in Samaria? And it is probable that two others were chosen in the room of Stephen and Philip. Now observe,

      1. What wonderful success Philip had in his preaching, and what reception he met with.

      (1.) The place he chose was the city of Samaria, the head city of Samaria, the metropolis of that country, which stood where the city of Samaria had formerly stood, of the building of which we read, 1 Kings xvi. 24, now called Sebaste. Some think it was the same with Sychem or Sychar, that city of Samaria where Christ was, John iv. 5. Many of that city then believed in Christ, though he did no miracle among them (Act 8:39; Act 8:41), and now Philip, three years after, carries on the work then begun. The Jews would have no dealings with the Samaritans; but Christ sent his gospel to slay all enmities, and particularly that between the Jews and the Samaritans, by making them one in his church.

      (2.) The doctrine he preached was Christ; for he determined to know nothing else. He preached Christ to them; he proclaimed Christ to them (so the word signifies), as a king, when he comes to the crown, is proclaimed throughout his dominions. The Samaritans had an expectation of the Messiah’s coming, as appears by John iv. 25. Now Philip tells them that he is come, and that the Samaritans are welcome to him. Ministers’ business is to preach Christ–Christ, and him crucified–Christ, and him glorified.

      (3.) The proofs he produced for the confirmation of his doctrine were miracles, v. 6. To convince them that he had his commission from heaven (and therefore not only they might venture upon what he said, but they were bound to yield to it), he shows them this broad seal of heaven annexed to it, which the God of truth would never put to a lie. The miracles were undeniable; they heard and saw the miracles which he did. They heard the commanding words he spoke, and saw the amazing effects of them immediately; that he spoke, and it was done. And the nature of the miracles was such as suited the intention of his commission, and gave light and lustre to it. [1.] He was sent to break the power of Satan; and, in token of this, unclean spirits, being charged in the name of the Lord Jesus to remove, came out of many that were possessed with them, v. 7. As far as the gospel prevails, Satan is forced to quit his hold of men and his interest in them, and then those are restored to themselves, and to their right mind again, who, while he kept possession, were distracted. Wherever the gospel gains the admission and submission it ought to have, evil spirits are dislodged, and particularly unclean spirits, all inclinations to the lusts of the flesh, which war against the soul; for God has called us from uncleanness to holiness, 1 Thess. iv. 7. This was signified by the casting of these unclean spirits out of the bodies of people, who, it is here said, came out crying with a loud voice, which signifies that they came out with great reluctancy, and sorely against their wills, but were forced to acknowledge themselves overcome by a superior power, Mar 1:26; Mar 3:11; Mar 9:26. [2.] He was sent to heal the minds of men, to cure a distempered world, and to put it in to a good state of health; and, in token of this, many that were taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. Those distempers are specified that were most difficult to be cured by the course of nature (that the miraculous cure might be the more illustrious), and those that were most expressive of the disease of sin and that moral impotency which the souls of men labour under as to the service of God. The grace of God in the gospel is designed for the healing of those that are spiritually lame and paralytic, and cannot help themselves, Rom. v. 6.

      (4.) The acceptance which Philip’s doctrine, thus proved, met with in Samaria (v. 6): The people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, induced thereto by the miracles which served at first to gain attention, and so by degrees to gain assent. There then begin to be some hopes of people when they begin to take notice of what is said to them concerning the things of their souls and eternity–when they begin to give heed to the word of God, as those that are well pleased to hear it, desirous to understand and remember it, and that look upon themselves as concerned in it. The common people gave heed to Philip, oi ochloi—a multitude of them, not here and there one, but with one accord; they were all of a mind, that it was fit the doctrine of the gospel should be enquired into, and an impartial hearing given to it.

      (5.) The satisfaction they had in attending on, and attending to, Philip’s preaching, and the success it had with many of them (v. 8): There was great joy in that city; for (v. 12) they believed Philip, and were baptized into the faith of Christ, the generality of them, both men and women. Observe, [1.] Philip preached the things concerning the kingdom of God, the constitution of that kingdom, the laws and ordinances of it, the liberties and privileges of it, and the obligations we are all under to be the loyal subjects of that kingdom; and he preached the name of Jesus Christ, as king of that kingdom–his name, which is above every name. He preached it up in its commanding power and influence–all that by which he has made himself known. [2.] The people not only gave heed to what he said, but at length believed it, were fully convinced that it was of God and not of men, and gave up themselves to the direction and government of it. As to this mountain, on which they had hitherto worshipped God, and placed a great deal of religion in it, they were now as much weaned from it as every they had been wedded to it, and become the true worshippers, who worship the Father in spirit and in truth, and in the name of Christ, the true temple, John iv. 20-23. [3.] When they believed, without scruple (though they were Samaritans) and without delay they were baptized, openly professed the Christian faith, promised to adhere to it, and then, by washing them with water, were solemnly admitted into the communion of the Christian church, and owned as brethren by the disciples. Men only were capable of being admitted into the Jewish church by circumcision; but, to show that in Jesus Christ there is neither male nor female (Gal. iii. 28), but both are alike welcome to him, the initiating ordinance is such as women are capable of, for they are numbered with God’s spiritual Israel, though not with Israel according to the flesh, Num. i. 2. And hence it is easily gathered that women are to be admitted to the Lord’s supper, though it does not appear that there were any among those to whom it was first administered. [4.] This occasioned great joy; each one rejoiced for himself, as he in the parable who found the treasure hid in the field; and they all rejoiced for the benefit hereby brought to their city, and that it came without opposition, which it would scarcely have done if Samaria had been within the jurisdiction of the chief priests. Note, The bringing of the gospel to any place is just matter of joy, of great joy, to that place. Hence the spreading of the gospel in the world is often prophesied of in the Old Testament as the diffusing of joy among the nations: Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,Psa 67:4; 1Th 1:6. The gospel of Christ does not make men melancholy, but fills them with joy, if it be received as it should be; for it is glad tidings of great joy to all people, Luke ii. 10.

      2. What there was in particular at this city of Samaria that made the success of the gospel there more than ordinarily wonderful.

      (1.) That Simon Magus had been busy there, and had gained a great interest among the people, and yet they believed the things that Philip spoke. To unlearn that which is bad proves many times a harder task than to learn that which is good. These Samaritans, though they were not idolaters as the Gentiles, nor prejudiced against the gospel by traditions received from their fathers, yet had of late been drawn to follow Simon, a conjurer (For so Magus signifies) who made a mighty noise among them, and had strangely bewitched them. We are told,

      [1.] How strong the delusion of Satan was by which they were brought into the interests of this great deceiver. He had been for some time, nay, for a long time, in this city, using sorceries; perhaps he came there by the instigation of the devil, soon after our Saviour had been there, to undo what he had been doing there; for it was always Satan’s way to crush a good work in its bud and infancy, 2Co 11:3; 1Th 3:5. Now,

      First, Simon assumed to himself that which was considerable: He gave out that he himself was some great one, and would have all people to believe so and to pay him respect accordingly; and then, as to every thing else, they might do as they pleased. He had no design to reform their lives, nor improve their worship and devotion, only to make them believe that he was, tis megas—some divine person. Justin Martyr says that he would be worshipped as proton theon—the chief god. He gave out himself to be the Son of God, the Messiah, so some think; or to be an angel, or a prophet. Perhaps he was uncertain within himself what title of honour to pretend to; but he would be thought some great one. Pride, ambition, and an affectation of grandeur, have always been the cause of abundance of mischief both to the world and to the church.

      Secondly, The people ascribed to him what he pleased. 1. They all gave heed to him, from the least to the greatest, both young and old, both poor and rich, both governors and governed. To him they had regard (Act 8:10; Act 8:11), and perhaps the more because the time fixed for the coming of the Messiah had now expired, which had raised a general expectation of the appearing of some great one about this time. Probably he was a native of their country, and therefore they embraced him the more cheerfully, that by giving honour to him they might reflect it upon themselves. 2. They said of him, This man is the great power of God–the power of God, that great power (so it might be read), that power which made the world. See how ignorant inconsiderate people mistake that which is done by the power of Satan, as if it were done by the power of God. Thus, in the Gentile world, devils pass for deities; and in the antichristian kingdom all the world wonders after a beast, to whom the dragon gives his power, and who opens his mouth in blasphemy against God, Rev. xiii. 2-5. 3. They were brought to it by his sorceries: He bewitched the people of Samaria (v. 9), bewitched them with sorceries (v. 11), that is, either, (1.) By his magic arts he bewitched the minds of the people, at least some of them, who drew in others. Satan, by God’s permission, filled their hearts to follow Simon. O foolish Galatians, saith Paul, who hath bewitched you? Gal. iii. 1. These people are said to be bewitched by Simon, because they were so strangely infatuated to believe a lie. Or, (2.) By his magic arts he did many signs and lying wonders, which seemed to be miracles, but really were not so: like those of the magicians of Egypt, and those of the man of sin, 2 Thess. ii. 9. When they knew no better, they were influenced by his sorceries; but, when they were acquainted with Philip’s real miracles, they saw plainly that the one was real and the other a sham, and that there was as much difference as between Aaron’s rod and those of the magicians. What is the chaff to the wheat? Jer. xxiii. 28.

      Thus, notwithstanding the influence Simon Magus had had upon them, and the unwillingness there generally is in people to own themselves in an error, and to retract it, yet, when they saw the difference between Simon and Philip, they quitted Simon, gave heed no longer to him, but to Philip: and thus you see,

      [2.] How strong the power of Divine grace is, by which they were brought to Christ, who is truth itself, and was, as I may say, the great undeceiver. By that grace working with the word those that had been led captive by Satan were brought into obedience to Christ. Where Satan, as a strong man armed, kept possession of the palace, and thought himself safe, Christ, as a stronger than he, dispossessed him, and divided the spoil; led captivity captive, and made those the trophies of his victory whom the devil had triumphed over. Let us not despair of the worst, when even those whom Simon Magus had bewitched were brought to believe.

      (2.) Here is another thing yet more wonderful, that Simon Magus himself became a convert to the faith of Christ, in show and profession, for a time. Is Saul also among the prophets? Yes (v. 13), Simon himself believed also. He was convinced that Philip preached a true doctrine, because he saw it confirmed by real miracles, of which he was the better able to judge because he was conscious to himself of the trick of his own pretended ones. [1.] The present conviction went so far that he was baptized, was admitted, as other believers were, into the church by baptism; and we have no reason to think that Philip did amiss in baptizing him, no, nor in baptizing him quickly. Though he had been a very wicked man, a sorcerer, a pretender to divine honours, yet, upon his solemn profession of repentance for his sin and faith in Jesus Christ, he was baptized. For, as great wickedness before conversion keeps not true penitents from the benefits of God’s grace, so neither should it keep professing ones from church-fellowship. Prodigals, when they return, must be joyfully welcomed home, though we cannot be sure but that they will play the prodigal again. Nay, though he was now but a hypocrite, and really in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity all this while, and would soon have been found to be so if he had been tried awhile, yet Philip baptized him; for it is God’s prerogative to know the heart. The church and its ministers must go by a judgment of charity, as far as there is room for it. It is a maxim in the law, Donec contrarium patet, semper prsumitur meliori parti–We must hope the best as long as we can. And it is a maxim in the discipline of the church, De secretis non judicat ecclesia–The secrets of the heart God only judges. [2.] The present conviction lasted so long that he continued with Philip. Though afterwards he apostatized from Christianity, yet not quickly. He courted Philip’s acquaintance, and now he that had given out himself to be some great one is content to sit at the feet of a preacher of the gospel. Even bad men, very bad, may sometimes be in a good frame, very good; and those whose hearts still go after their covetousness may possibly not only come before God as his people come, but continue with them. [3.] The present conviction was wrought and kept up by the miracles; he wondered to see himself so far outdone in signs and miracles. Many wonder at the proofs of divine truths who never experience the power of them.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

They therefore ( ). Demonstrative as often (1:6, etc.) though it will make sense as the article with the participle . The general statement is made here by and a particular instance () follows in verse 5. The inferential particle () points back to verse 3, the persecution by young Saul and the Pharisees. Jesus had commanded the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem till they received the Promise of the Father (1:4), but they had remained long after that and were not carrying the gospel to the other peoples (1:8). Now they were pushed out by Saul and began as a result to carry out the Great Commission for world conquest, that is those “scattered abroad” (, second aorist passive participle of ). This verb means disperse, to sow in separate or scattered places () and so to drive people hither and thither. Old and very common verb, especially in the LXX, but in the N.T. only in Acts 8:1; Acts 8:4; Acts 11:19.

Went about (). Constative second aorist active of , to go through (from place to place, ). Old and common verb, frequent for missionary journeys in the Acts (Acts 5:40; Acts 8:40; Acts 9:32; Acts 11:19; Acts 13:6).

Preaching the word ( ). Evangelizing or gospelizing the word (the truth about Christ). In 11:19 Luke explains more fully the extent of the labours of these new preachers of the gospel. They were emergency preachers, not ordained clergymen, but men stirred to activity by the zeal of Saul against them. The blood of the martyrs (Stephen) was already becoming the seed of the church. “The violent dispersion of these earnest disciples resulted in a rapid diffusion of the gospel” (Alvah Hovey).

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Persecution Scatters for Witnessing, V. 4

1) “Therefore they that were scattered abroad,” (hoi men oun diasparentes) “Therefore those who were scattered or dispersed,” those from the church at Jerusalem, where they had lingered, “having all things” common, while fellowshipping in prayer, witnessing, and the study of the word in Jerusalem, Act 2:41 to Act 7:60.

2) “Went every where preaching the word,” (dielthon evangelizomenai ton logon) “Passed through the territories where they were scattered preaching the word,” telling the story of the resurrected, living, ascended Christ, Act 11:19-20. This occurred when the church delayed an extended period in Jerusalem, neglecting extended obedience to God’s command for them, Luk 24:46-49; Act 1:8. Where Satan made, or tried to make martyrs, he made missionaries instead, Php_1:12-13.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

4. And they were scattered abroad. Luke declareth in this place also, that it came to pass by the wonderful providence of God, that the scattering abroad of the faithful should bring many unto the unity of faith; thus doth the Lord use to bring light out of darkness, and life out of death. For the voice of the gospel, which was heard heretofore in one place only, doth now sound everywhere; in the mean season, we are taught by this example that we must not yield unto persecutions, but rather be encouraged unto valiantness; for, when the faithful flee from Jerusalem, they are not afterward discouraged either with exile or with their present miseries, or with any fear, that they degenerate into slothfulness; (500) but they are as ready to preach Christ even in the midst of their calamity as if they had never suffered any trouble. Moreover, Luke seemeth to note that they led a wandering life in that they changed their lodgings often. Therefore, if we desire to be counted their brethren, let us prick forward ourselves so diligently, that no fear or bitterness of cross discourage us, but that we go forward in showing forth the profession of faith; and that we never be weary of furthering the doctrine of Christ; for it is an absurd thing that exile and flight, which are the first exercises of martyrdom, should make us dumb and fainthearted.

(500) “ Ad ignaviam vel tarditatem,” unto sloth or cowardice.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(4) They that were scattered abroad.These. As has been said above, would in all probability be Stephens Hellenistic fellow-workers and followers. As in later ages, the axiom that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church, held true from the beginning. The attempt to stamp out the new faith did but give it a wider scope of action, and urged it on to pass the limits within which it might otherwise have been confined for a much longer period.

Preaching the word.Better, preaching the glad tidings of the word.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

‘They therefore who were scattered abroad, went about preaching the word.’

The violence and inexorability of the persecution resulted in the scattering abroad of the church. But what seemed to be a setback became an opportunity. God had decided that it was now time for the church to expand. All over Judaea appeared men proclaiming the Kingly Rule of God (Act 8:12) and the new Messiah (Act 8:5) and His teaching.

‘Preaching the word.’ Literally ‘proclaiming the good news of the word’.

The Ministry of Philip in Samaria.

One such was Philip who now proclaimed Christ in Samaria where he was well received. As a refugee from persecution in Jerusalem he would be especially welcomed. At this time the Samaritans looked fairly equably on Jews as long as they were not connected with Jerusalem.

The Samaritans were as a whole despised by the Jews as ‘half breed’ Jews, but they too believed in the Law of Moses, having their own version of the Pentateuch, and in general observed the laws of cleanliness. They also awaited a ‘Coming One’, the Taheb, the deliverer, an idea based on Deu 18:15. Thus they were seen as a kind of half-Jew. While the Pharisees and Sadducees would not want to have dealings with them, they were not seen as total outcasts like the Gentiles, and feelings between Jews and Samaritans rose and fell like a barometer. The impression we have is that at the time of Jesus’ ministry there was a level of tolerance, at least from the Samaritan point of view, as long as the Jew was not involved with Jerusalem (Luk 9:52-53; Luk 10:33; Luk 17:11; Luk 17:16; John 4). Thus a man who was fleeing from persecution in Jerusalem would be doubly welcome.

They were centred around Shechem, and ‘the city of Samaria’ may be Shechem itself. The chief city of the area was Sebaste, but that was mainly of foreign population. While it is not certain where the Samaritans came from they may well have been made up of a population which resulted partly from the Israelites left in the north after the northern exile, who separated themselves off in order to keep their religion pure, although possibly intermingling with foreigners by marriage, although their exact source is not known. They had at one stage erected their own Temple on Mount Gerizim, but that was destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 2nd century BC, something for which they never forgave Jerusalem. Their feelings about this were indeed so intense that when Herod offered to rebuild their Temple they refused as soon as they learned that he would also be rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple. This brings out their intense hatred of Jerusalem. We learn from the Gospels that once they had learned that Jesus was bound for Jerusalem they had refused to receive Him (Luk 9:52-53), while at a time when He was leaving Jerusalem they welcomed Him gladly (John 4).

However, unknown to Philip these Samaritans held in awe one Simon, who proclaimed himself the Great One, who had continually impressed them with his magic and sorceries. And he held them in his thrall. But now a greater than Simon was to be introduced to them.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The missionary work of the disciples and of Philip:

v. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere, preaching the Word.

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

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

v. 7. For 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.

v. 8. And there was great joy in that city.

While the apostles remained in Jerusalem with the small remnant of the former large congregation, escaping personal injury probably only because of a superstitious fear of their power to perform miracles, the disciples that were driven from Jerusalem by the persecution were ever mindful of the command of their Lord Jesus. They journeyed everywhere; and wherever they came, they brought the joyous message of the Word, the gracious Gospel of the Savior. Note: The men that went out at this time were not members of the teaching staff of the congregation, they were so-called lay-members, and yet they brought the message of the Gospel wherever they went. Every Christian, learned or unlearned, can and should give testimony of the faith of his heart, and thus try to gain souls for the Savior. But in all these missionary endeavors the work of one man stood out very prominently, namely, that of Philip, one of the seven officers elected by the congregation, chap. 6:5. His work as deacon having been terminated by the persecution in Jerusalem, he became an evangelist. He made the journey either to one of the cities of the region of Samaria or, more likely, to the city of Samaria, or Sebaste, the capital of the district itself. The topic of his preaching was ever the same, the one subject that can never be preached too often or too fervently: Christ, the Savior of the world. And this simple Gospel-preaching concerning the Messiah had its effect. It received a better reception than in the case of the Jews, to whose self-righteousness the Word of the cross was ever an offense. The multitudes that gathered about Philip attended carefully to the things that were spoken by Philip, and were of one mind. The combined evidence of the preaching which they heard, and of the signs which he performed as a proof of the Gospel’s divine mission, was so powerful as to convince great numbers of them. For many demoniacs were freed from the evil spirits, the unclean devils that had taken possession of them, though the spirits protested with loud cries when they were driven out, and many paralytics and lame people were healed. Note the distinction made also here between the driving out of demons and the healing of sick people. Luke’s description shows that he was well acquainted with the nature of both afflictions, and that he distinguished with a reason. The consequence of all these events was that there was great joy in that whole city. It was a time of blessing for body and soul. Philip did not belong to the tribe of the modern sensational preachers with the knack of electrifying the masses; none of their tricks were employed by him. It was the preaching of Christ that brought about the new condition, the miracles serving only for further confirmation.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Act 8:4. Went every where preaching the word As the apostles were natives of Judea, and had no notion of the conversion of the Gentiles, but would have confined theirministry within the narrow bounds of their own country; this dispersion was nicely ordered by Divine Providence, to render the design of Christ’s coming among men fully effectual, which was both to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of his people Israel.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Act 8:4-5 . ] they went through , they dispersed themselves through the countries to which they had fled. [219]

Act 8:5 . Of the dispersed persons active as missionaries, who were before designated generally, one is now singled out and has his labours described, namely Philip , not the apostle, as is erroneously assumed by Polycrates in Eusebius, iii. 31. 2, v. 24. 1 (see, on the contrary, Act 8:1 ; Act 8:14 , and generally, Zeller, p. 154 ff; Ewald, p. 235 f.), but he who is named in Act 6:5 , Act 21:8 . That the persecution should have been directed with special vehemence against the colleagues of Stephen, was very natural. Observe, however, that in the case of those dispersed, and even in that of Philip, preaching was not tied to an existing special office. With their preaching probably there was at once practically given the new ministry (that of the evangelists, Act 21:8 ; Eph 4:11 ), as circumstances required, under the guidance of the Spirit.

.] from Jerusalem.

. ] into a city of Samaria . What city it was (Grotius and Ewald think of the capital, Olshausen thinks that it was perhaps Sichem ) is to be left entirely undetermined, and was probably unknown to Luke himself. Comp. Joh 4:5 . Kuinoel, after Erasmus, Beza, Calvin, Calovius, and others, takes . as the name, not of the country, but of the capital ( Sebaste , which was also called Samaria , Joseph. Antt. xviii. 6. 2). In that case, indeed, the article would not have been necessary before , as Olshausen thinks (Poppo, ad Thuc. i. 10; Ellendt, Lex. Soph. II. p. 137; comp. Luk 2:4 ; Luk 2:11 ; 2Pe 2:6 ). , too, with the genitiye of the name of the city, is a Greek idiom (Ruhnk. Epp. crit. p. 186); but Act 8:9 , where . is evidently the name of the country ( ), is decidedly opposed to such a view. See also on Act 8:14 .

] namely, the people in that city .

[219] The is resumed at Act 11:19 , a circumstance betokening that the long intervening portion has been derived from special sources here incorporated.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

XII

PHILIP TO THE FRONT

Act 8:4-40 ; Act 21:8-9 .

You will find in the four lists of the twelve apostles the name of Philip (see Mat 10:2 ; Mar 3:18 ; Luk 6:14 f; Act 1:13 f). Was the Philip we are to discuss here, Philip, the deacon of Act 6:5 , or was he Philip, the apostle, and what the proof? My answer is: (1) In Act 8:1 it is declared that in the persecution conducted by Saul of Tarsus, all of the congregation was scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles, and these latter were not scattered; (2) Act 8:14 locates the apostles still at Jerusalem when they heard of Philip’s work in Samaria; (3) Act 8:40 carries this Philip to Caesarea; (4) Act 21:8-9 shows that many years later he was still living at Caesarea where he entertained Paul, and expressly declares that he was one of the seven deacons. I submit this circumstantial proof of identity because Romanist traditions confound him with Philip the apostle, just as they confound James (Act 15:13 ) and Jude (Jud 1:1 ), half-brothers of our Lord, with the apostles James, the son of Alpheus (Luk 6:15 ), and Judas, the brother of James (Luk 6:16 ). The scriptures concerning this Philip are Act 6:5 ; Act 8:4-13 ; Act 8:26-40 ; Act 21:8-9 , which show that he was a Hellenistic Jew, and that he is said to have had four daughters who prophesied.

It is well just here to locate on a map the Azotus of Act 8:40 and trace a line to Caesarea. Gaza is near to Azotus, the most southern of the Palestinian cities on the Mediterranean coast, and going up that coast to Caesarea, straight up the coast line, you have the line of Philip’s travels, and the cities in which he preached. On this same line are Lydda (Act 9:32 ) and Joppa (Act 9:36 ). This shows that Philip’s work probably led to Christ the disciples whom Peter found at these two cities.

In Act 10:37 Peter declares that Cornelius, the centurion at Caesarea, already knew the word published about our Lord. It is quite probable that through Philip’s preaching at Caesarea he had obtained some of the knowledge which prepared him to receive Peter, as he is the only preacher that we know of at that time preaching in Caesarea.

Now, trace a line on the map from Tyre through Ptolemais to Caesarea. Tyre is in Phoenicia, the northern part of the Mediterranean coast of Judea. Going from Tyre south of Caesarea, an intervening seaport between Tyre and Caesarea is Ptolemais. It is probable that the congregations at Tyre and Ptolemais found by Paul (Act 21:3-8 ) were established by Philip. If we connect Act 2:17-18 (Joel’s prophecy), that on the handmaidens should the Spirit of God be poured out, with Act 21:9 , “Philip had four daughters who prophesied,” and Mar 16:17-18 , and connect, “These signs shall follow them that believe,” with Act 2:43 , which tells us that the apostles gave many signs and wonders, with Act 8:7 , where Philip works miracles, it is evident that both Philip and his daughters had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

With these facts and probabilities before us, let us give a summary” of the scriptural history of the life and labors of Philip. He was a Hellenistic Jew, attending the Passover at which our Lord was crucified; was in the great audience addressed by Peter on the day of Pentecost (Act 2:5-11 ); was converted, with his daughters, and all received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and were well-known factors in all the marvelous history of that series of great meetings, lasting for three-and a-half years, recorded in Act 2:5-8:4 . Being well known to all the multitude of the disciples, he was by them elected to the office of deacon, and was second of the seven. But when the persecution of Saul ended the great series of meetings, dispersed the congregation, and thereby left no deacon’s work to do, he became an evangelist, and boldly carried the gospel to the Samaritans, as our Lord himself had done (Joh 4 ), and under Spirit-guidance went into the desert near Gaza, and led the Ethiopian treasurer, a Jewish proselyte, to Christ, through which convert, according to history and tradition, Ethiopia was evangelized. Then, under the same Spirit-guidance, he carried the gospel to the whole Mediterranean coast of Judea, from Azotus to Tyre, establishing congregations at Saroaria; Peter following him at Lydda, Sharon, Joppa, and Azotus, Lydda, Sharon, Joppa, Caesarea, Ptolemais, and Tyre, thus influencing the tides of commerce and merchants that through these great seaports reached all the western world.

The remarkable things in these labors are: (1) He commenced at the important city of Samaria, on the great northern thoroughfare from Jerusalem to Galilee, Damascus, and the Euphrates. (2) Then near Gaza on the great thoroughfare from Jerusalem to Africa. (3) Then the coast line of the Mediterranean, whose seaports were the starting points of the sea thoroughfares over which travel and commerce reached northern Africa, Asia Minor, and all Europe. (4) With headquarters at Caesarea, the Roman capital of the East, he was in touch with all the thought, official power, and intercommunication of imperial Rome, the mistress of the world. (5) The selection of these strategical positions was not accidental, but Spirit-guided in every instance; so we see from the record that he was to be the forerunner of the Jerusalem apostles and of Paul, Peter, and John following him to the city of Caesarea; Paul following him at Tyre, Ptolemais, and Caesarea. (6) He was the first, after our Lord himself, to openly carry the gospel to the Samaritans, thus breaking down the wall of partition that had stood between Jews and Samaritans since Assyria conquered and led away into captivity the ten tribes, and repeopled the city of Samaria with aliens, and put over the country captive priests that established a rival worship to Jerusalem (2Ki 17:23-24 ), which later, in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, and persisted in hostility and alien worship until the days of our Lord (Joh 4:9-26 ). The hostility that had stood that long, all through these centuries of strife, was now broken down by the preaching of Philip in that city of Samaria.

His position in the spread of the kingdom is between Stephen and Paul in understanding that in Christ there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, bondmen, nor freemen, “but Christ is all in all”; he stands between Stephen and Paul in following worldwide lines of evangelization. Just here we are interested to know what were the themes of Philip’s preaching in Samaria.

The record says that he preached Christ unto them (Act 8:5 ); and he preached unto them concerning the kingdom of God in the name of Christ. These themes indicate that Jesus died to save Samaritans, and that the kingdom of heaven was intended to include Samaritans. The record also says that demons were cast out, and malignant diseases cured as signs of this man’s preaching. Then followed a most remarkable result. When those of the city of Samaria understood that Christ had died for them, and that they were included in the scope of the kingdom of heaven, and this was attested by such remarkable signs, then they all were of one accord, giving attention to the preaching of Philip, “And there was much joy in the city” (Act 8:8 ).

For a long time there had been a man in Samaria named Simon, a magician, or sorcerer, who dominated Samaria, and who claimed to have the great power of God. He had bewitched these people by his sorcery, so that they held him in regard as the messenger of God in their city. No doubt the bewitching by sorcery included all of these magical arts and tricks of legerdemain, and even pseudomiracles, in order to attest him, so that the city of Samaria, when Philip reached it, was thus full of malignant forms of diseases. It was demon-possessed, diseased and deluded by sorcery.

In this connection we notice that Act 8:12 says that those who had been subject to Simon, when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, were baptized, both men and women. You learn from that, that faith must precede baptism, and, therefore, subjects of baptism must be people able to repent and believe and hence they are here said to be men and women. From Act 8:13 we learn that a mere demagogue, when the crowd won’t follow him, will follow the crowd. When Simon’s flock all left him, he jumped over the fence.

There are some exceedingly fine lessons concerning Simon Magus that will come out in the next chapter; so I gather just this one here. Later we will take up this theme: “The apostles following Philip.” Then we will consider Simon Magus in connection with Peter. The only lesson to which I call attention here is that when the true miracles of God come in touch with pseudomiracles, they show up the pseudomiracles. Simon saw that Philip had a power which he did not possess, and that when the crowd left him he followed the crowd, and was filled with wonder at these signs of Philip they were so different from his, so manifestly genuine, so much more to the point, while his were so manifestly demerited in their intent just as when Paul came to a certain island there was a sorcerer, Elymas, who dominated the island and influenced the government, but he was rebuked and smitten with blindness by Paul, and sorcery gave way before the power of the gospel. Just as in the city of Ephesus, the people who had been deluded by books of magic, when the true gospel of Jesus Christ came in conflict with it, the magic was abandoned and their books piled on the street, though very costly, and made into a bonfire, whose sparks ascended to the skies, announcing the triumph of the word of God over the delusions of Satan.

PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH Act 8

The great moral lessons of this section are the following:

(1) God sometimes calls men from preaching to crowds in a city to preaching to one man in a lonely place. Just so we trace Philip. There, in that big meeting in Samaria, he receives a call to pass Jerusalem by, going down into the desert a strange direction of God. When he gets there his audience is just one man.

(2) Men sometimes get less from a heterodox and hypocritical Jerusalem than from a wayfarer in a desert place. This treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia was a proselyte, not a Jew, but a proselyte to the Jews. He had been attending the great feasts in Jerusalem, and was now returning. He found no light in Jerusalem. He had made a long trip, and out there on his way back he meets a solitary man in the desert and gets light and life and salvation from him.

(3) The third moral lesson is that the conversion of one man may revolutionize a nation. There are more results abiding today from this desert meeting of two men than from the great meeting in the city of Samaria. History tells us that this man, after his conversion, being so influential, became a preacher of the gospel in his own country, Ethiopia, which answers to Abyssinia of the present day; that the whole country was brought to Christ through this man, and in Abyssinia today there is more religion than there is in Samaria where this big meeting was, and it is a purer religion. So God understood what he was doing.

Once a pastor preached a sermon somewhat on that line on Sunday, and a man in the audience was greatly distressed at heart, and it seemed that it would be a great difficulty to get him to move away from a great position of usefulness to loneliness. He came back from hearing the sermon saying, “Maybe God wants me to lead somebody to Christ like that Ethiopian eunuch,” and he may revolutionize a nation.

(4) There is much profit in an inquirer’s study of God’s Word. This was a very sincere man. He did not go to Jerusalem except for religious purpose; and driving along, back home in his chariot he was reading God’s Word. What great good comes to a man from a study of God’s Word!

(5) Where one wants to understand, and is in desperate earnestness about it, an interpreter will be found. You may rest assured that in your study of God’s Word, when you come to matters that you cannot explain, if you really want to understand them if you are desperately in earnest about them God is sure to bring you somebody that can explain every case of perplexity.

(6) The docile spirit will receive instruction from any competent source. This man had the teachable spirit. Here he is accosted by a stranger: “Understandest thou what thou readest?” And he said, “How can I, except some one shall guide me?” “And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him,” whereupon this traveler climbed up into his chariot to expound that passage of God’s Word.

(7) The next moral lesson is that the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. He was reading a prophecy, and the place where he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth.

(8) The next lesson is that from any text in the Bible the shortest road leads to Jesus Christ. Philip took that very scripture which was puzzling this man, and showed him that the shortest road from that scripture would bring him to the very same Jesus Christ that he was reading about in that scripture. He is the lamb, the sheep, which openeth not his mouth. This was Jesus, as thus fixed by the Spirit of interpretation, and shows the deep significance of that famous fifty third chapter of Isaiah.

(9) When one is converted he seeks to obey. The eunuch says, “What doth hinder me to be baptized?” In other words, he says, “You preached Christ to me; I have taken him. Why not let me obey Christ right now? Why wait till I get back home?”

Here the question arises, Why could not the Jews at Jerusalem expound Isa 53 ?

This eunuch was up there, where were priests, rabbis, and all the Jewish people of Judea. Why could not they tell him what the prophet meant? The answer is that the Jews believed only those prophecies to be messianic that spake of the conquests of the Messiah, and as making the Jews the nation of the world. They refused to attribute to him the humiliating passages those that told of his suffering and of his death. Some Jews even said that there had to be two Messiahs one the great leading Messiah that was to be the great king of the dews, this conqueror of the world and the other a Messiah of suffering.

This passage has a bearing on the act, subject, and administrator of baptism. The passage says that they got down from the chariot and that they both went down into the water, and that Philip baptized him, and that they came up out of the water. That certainly has a very decisive bearing on the “act” of baptism, as to what it is. In the preceding verse, when the eunuch said, “What binders me from being baptized?” Philip replied, “If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest.” That means that it is not lawful unless one believes with all his heart. But it is very doubtful indeed whether verse 37 is a part of the text; it is certainly not in the oldest manuscripts. It was doubtless first written on the margin by some copyist and afterward got into the text.

Alexander Carson said that it was impossible for man or Satan to keep this witness from saying that immersion is baptism. Then he said that a fool once followed a wagon all the way from Glasgow to Edinburg to see if the hind wheel would ever catch up with the fore wheel. “That fool,” he said, “had an errand in all that long journey, though a fool’s errand, but whoever will take both the baptizer and the baptized down into the water for the purpose of sprinkling him has not even a fool’s errand.”

Old Dr. Fisher, with whom I had a debate in Waco, and also at Davilla in Milam County, in commenting on this passage, said, “If Philip preached an immersion sermon he had a sprinkling text,” and quoted from Isa 53 : “He shall sprinkle many nations.” I replied by saying that the word “sprinkle” in that scripture, meant astonish, or startle, and proved it by the scholarship of the world, and that the word in Greek was thaumazo: “So shall he astonish many nations,” and that it was evident by the very word astonish, which also is implied from the context: “Like as many were astonished at thee [his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men], so shall he startle [or astonish] many nations.” That was my reply to him.

It may here be asked, Was the baptism of the eunuch authoritative as to the administrator? If so, why cannot a deacon baptize now? This deacon, Philip, was the evangelist at this time, and not a deacon. He had become a preacher. I have known deacons to become preachers, and I have known, in some cases, a good deacon to be spoiled to make a mighty poor preacher, but it was not so in this case.

Philip went ahead and prepared the way under God, for the apostles. We have already seen that after he baptized the eunuch he was found at Azotus, and then it is said that he preached in all the cities up the coast to Caesarea, among which were Lydda and Joppa, which Peter afterward visited and found a congregation already there, just as he had followed Philip into Samaria. He never thought to go to Samaria himself to preach, but when he heard that Philip had reached there, he and John went over to look into it. So he followed Philip to Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea; and we see from Act 21 that Paul, returning from a foreign missionary tour, stops at Tyre, finding a congregation, and at Ptolemais, also finding a congregation, and at Caesarea, where he found another congregation. Paul also stopped at the house of Philip, the evangelist. It is astonishing how that after the persecution of Saul of Tarsus, the pressure generally took hold of the people. They went everywhere preaching the word. They carried the gospel to Samaria, to Lydda, Joppa, Caesarea, Ptolemais, Tyre, Phoenicia) and Antioch. They are the ones that changed the tone of the preaching from Jews only, to Gentiles as well, and the apostles could hardly keep up following. They were getting there after these men had broadened the lines, lengthened the cords, and strengthened the stakes.

In Act 8:26-29 it is said that the angel and the Spirit spoke to Philip, and, in Act 8:39 , the Spirit caught away Philip. Now, how did the angel and the Spirit thus deal with Philip? Doubtless the angel of the Lord spake to Philip in a vision; doubtless the Spirit of the Lord spake to Philip by an inside impression, and doubtless the Spirit of God moved on Philip powerfully to go to a new place.

QUESTIONS 1. Was the Philip of this section the Philip of Act 6:5 , the deacon, or the apostle Philip? What the proof?

2. Why submit this circumstantial proof of identity?

3. Group in order the scriptures concerning Philip.

4. From these scriptures was he probably a Hebrew Jew or a Hellenist Jew?

5. What do we know of his family?

6. Locate on the map the Azotus of Act 8:40 , and trace a line to Caesarea.

7. Are Lydda (Act 9:32 ) and Joppa (Act 9:36 ) on this line?

8. Then whose work probably led to Christ the disciples whom Peter found at these two cities?

9. In Act 10:37 Peter declares that Cornelius, the centurion at Caesarea, already knew the word published about our Lord. Is it probable that through Philip’s preaching at Caesarea he had obtained some of the knowledge which prepared him to receive Peter?

10. Trace a line on map from Tyre through Ptolemais to Caesarea.

11. Connect Act 2:17-18 , Joel’s prophecy that on the handmaidens shall the Spirit of God be poured out, with Act 21:9 , “Philip had four daughters who prophesied,” and Mar 16:17-18 , and connect “These signs shall follow them that believe” with Act 2:43 , which tells that the apostles did many signs and wonders, with Act 8:7 where Philip works miracles, and then state the relation of Philip and his family to the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

12. With these facts and probabilities before us, what is a summary of the scriptural history of the life and labors of Philip?

13. What the remarkable things in these labors?

14. What then is his position in the spread of the kingdom?

15. What were the themes of Philip’s preaching in Samaria?

16. What do these themes indicate?

17. How was this preaching attested?

18. What was the remarkable result?

19. Who at this time dominated Samaria, and how, and what is meant by sorcery?

20. What lesson do we gather from Act 8:12 on the relation between faith and baptism, and consequently on the subjects of baptism?

21. What lesson do we gather from Act 8:13 which says, that when the crowd left him, Simon also believed and was baptized, and followed Philip, wondering at the miracles that he wrought?

22. What are the great moral lessons of this section?

23. Why could not the Jews at Jerusalem expound Isa 53 ?

24. What is bearing of this passage on the act & subject of baptism?

25. What said Alexander Carson of this passage?

26. What about that verse Act 8:37 : “If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest?”

27. What said a Methodist preacher about this?

28. Was the baptism of the eunuch authoritative as to the administrator? If so, why cannot a deacon baptize now?

29. Show how Philip went ahead and prepared the way under God for the apostles?

30. Explain how the angel and the Spirit spoke to Philip (Act 8:26 ; Act 8:29 ), and how the Spirit caught away Philip (Act 8:39 ).

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

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

Ver. 4. See Trapp on “ Act 8:1 “ Trucidabantur et multiplicabantur, saith Austin. They were never the fewer for being slain. Plures efficimur quoties metimur, saith Tertullian. Ecclesia totum mundum sanguine et oratione convertit, saith Luther; the Church converts the whole world by her sufferings and prayers.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

4 13. ] PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL IN SAMARIA BY PHILIP.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

4. ] resumes the subject dropped at the end of Act 8:1 , and determines this verse to be the opening of a new section, not the close of the former.

.] See reff.

. . .] Here first we become acquainted with the missionary language so frequent in the rest of the book: and we have , an expression very familiar among Christians when the book was written, for [the fuller one which must have prevailed at first] . . .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Act 8:4 . : marking a general statement, in following verse, introducing a particular instance (so Rendall, Appendix on , Acts , p. 162, and see also p. 64). : the word is constantly used of missionary journeys in Acts, cf. Act 5:40 ; Act 11:19 ; Act 9:32 (Luk 9:6 ), cf. Act 13:6 , note. : it is a suggestive fact that this word is only used once in the other Gospels (Mat 11:5 by our Lord), but no less than ten times in St. Luke’s Gospel, fifteen in Acts, and chiefly elsewhere by St. Paul; truly “a missionary word,” see Act 8:12 . Simcox, Language of the N. T. , p. 79, speaks of its introduction into the N.T. with “such a novel force as to be felt like a new word”. It is used several times in LXX, and is also found in Psalms of Solomon , Act 11:2 ( cf. Isa 40:9 ; Isa 52:7 , and Nah 1:15 ). On its construction see Simcox, u. s. , p. 79, and Vogel, p. 24.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act 8:4-8

4Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. 6The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. 7For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8So there was much rejoicing in that city.

Act 8:4 “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” Notice it was not the Apostles, because they remained in Jerusalem, but the Hellenistic Jewish Christians scattered throughout the region who became the early evangelists. It is amazing that the worldwide mission of the church was instigated, not by the Apostles, but by Stephen and Philip.

The “word” here must surely mean the gospel, but also the added worldwide, non-Jewish focus of Stephen (Great Commission, Act 1:8; Mat 28:18-20; Luk 24:47).

Act 8:5 “Philip” He is one of “the Seven” mentioned in Act 6:5 (cf. Act 21:8-9). He is depicted in three evangelistic settings: (1) Samaria; (2) the Ethiopian Eunuch; and (3) ministry in the Palestinian coastal area. These “seven” had a heart for evangelism.

“went down to the city of Samaria” There is a manuscript question over whether the text reads “the city of Samaria” or “a city of Samaria.” Manuscript attestation is in favor of the definite article (cf. MSS, P74, , A, B). However, this city was not known by the name Samaria at this time, but as Sebaste. During this Roman period the term Samaria was used of the district. The major city of Samaria would have been Shecham, then called Neapolis and today Nablus. It has been theorized that this city may be Gitta because that is the traditional home of Simon Magus. This theory is from Justin Martyr, who was also from this area.

“and began proclaiming Christ to them” The Samaritans were hated by the Jews because they considered them to be half-breeds (cf. Ezr 4:1-3). This was related to the Assyrian exile of 722 B.C. that repopulated the area of the northern Ten Tribes with pagans who intermarried with the small remaining Jewish population (cf. 2Ki 17:24-41).

This group of people was also ministered to by Jesus. Jesus revealed His Messiahship to a woman of Samaria and her village (cf. John 4). Now Philip preaches about “the Christ” (definitive article), which is the Greek translation of “The Messiah” (see Special Topic at Act 2:31). The OT title relates to YHWH’s promise of sending One who would set up the new kingdom, inaugurate the new age of the Spirit. This event is foreshadowed in Jesus’ ministry and specifically mandated in Jesus’ closing words (Act 1:8).

Act 8:6 “The crowds with one accord” The phrase “one accord” is very popular with Luke. See note at Act 1:14.

“as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing” This refers to miracles confirming Philip’s message (cf. Act 8:7). These same manifestations of the Spirit accompanied Jesus, the Twelve, the Seventy, and Peter and John preaching.

Act 8:7 Demon possession is a reality in our world (cf. Merrill F. Unger’s two books: [1] Biblical Demonology and [2] Demons in the World Today). See the two Special Topics at Act 5:16.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Therefore, &c. = They therefore indeed.

went every where. Lit passed through. Greek. dierchomai. Occ forty-three times, thirty-one times in Luke and Acts.

preaching. Greek. euangelizo. App-121.

word. Greek. logos. App-121.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

4-13.] PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL IN SAMARIA BY PHILIP.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Act 8:4-6. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

We cannot tell how far the soil had been prepared for the sowing of the gospel seed by our Lords visit to Sychar, a city of Samaria. The influence of the converts in that place may have inclined the people of the city of Samaria to give the more heed to the preaching of Philip. The work of a great and good man may seem sometimes to die out, but its effects remain, and extend beyond the place where he laboured.

Act 8:7-11. For 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. And there was great joy in that city. But 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: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he bewitched them with sorceries.

He had managed to secure great influence over the people, and he held them under his wicked rule.

Act 8:12-17. But 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. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

So that miraculous gifts were bestowed upon them. Of course, there was already manifest among them that divine operation of the Spirit of God, by which men are converted, and brought to faith in Christ; but they had not known the special, attesting, wonder-working power of the Spirit until the apostles came amongst them. A good work was thus done, yet everything was not altogether as the apostles could have wished it to be.

Act 8:18-26. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. And 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. 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.

He must have wondered at receiving such an order as that. To be directed to go to a city, he could understand; but to be sent to a road which went through the desert, must have seemed strange to him; yet he obeyed his Lords orders.

Act 8:27. And he arose and went:

Always do as you are told by your Lord. The first qualification for a good servant of Jesus Christ is immediate obedience.

Act 8:27-28. 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, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

He was a devout man, who was seeking rest of heart, but he could not find it. He had joined in all the solemn services of the Jewish law, but as yet he had not discovered the great secret of eternal life. He was still searching for it; and as he rode along the rough road, he was reading the Book of the prophet Esaias.

Act 8:29-30. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

That is the main thing; a religion that is not based upon understanding will soon come to an end. An emotional religionone that is nothing but emotionwill be temporary and transient religion; so Philip enquired of the eunuch, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Act 8:31-34. And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The 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: in his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

That was a very important question; it went to the very root of the matter. It was useless for him to read about some unknown person; he must know who it was of whom the prophet had written

Act 8:35. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the came scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

You may begin anywhere in the Bible, and preach Jesus. You may begin at the first chapter of Genesis, or at the last chapter of Malachi, at the first of Matthew or the last of Revelation, and still preach Jesus, for he is the sum and substance of the whole Scripture.

Act 8:36-40. And 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?

And 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. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And 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. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached

(See how he kept to his one business wherever he might be, in Samaria, on the desert pathway, or in the town of Azotus:) He preached

Act 8:40. In all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

Oh, for the like earnest spirit to be in all of us who profess to be Christs followers, that we may preach him wherever we may be!

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Act 8:4. , they therefore who were scattered abroad went in different directions) These very words are resumed, as if after a long parenthesis, in ch. Act 11:19, and this thread of the narrative is thus continued. The verb , to pass on throughout, in the Acts often signifies doctrine scattered everywhere.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Act 11:19, Act 14:2-7, Mat 10:23, 1Th 2:2

Reciprocal: Zec 10:9 – sow Mat 9:38 – that Mar 16:20 – the Lord Luk 10:2 – the Lord Luk 14:21 – Go Joh 4:38 – sent Act 8:1 – and they Act 14:7 – General Phi 1:12 – rather 1Pe 1:1 – scattered 3Jo 1:7 – that

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

4

Act 8:4. Therefore indicates a conclusion is to be drawn from facts stated or understood. Saul was persecuting the disciples so cruelly that they fled from the community and went into various territories. Preaching the word was not a part of the conclusion from therefore, but was added for our information to show that the disciples were not weakening in their love for the word. Their being scattered is the only part that is offered as a conclusion after the word therefore. The motive in preserving their lives was that they might be able still to defend the faith in other places. Chapter 11:1.9 names some of the places where they went preaching.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Act 8:4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. The immediate result of this bitter persecution was the fulfilment of the first part of the Saviours words: Ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria. Tertullians famous saying, The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians, is first exemplified in the conduct of these earliest missionaries, in the days that followed the death of Stephen. Persecution and trouble only served to make them more earnest in their Masters cause. Wherever they went, they proclaimed the faith, and the joyful tidings concerning the Redeemer and His work. Some of the dispersed carried the message as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch (Act 11:19). Some probably travelled even to Rome and Italy, for Rom 16:7 makes mention of Andronicus and Junia, who were also in Christ before Pauls own conversion.

As a specimen of the work done by these persecuted banished ones, the writer of the Acts gives us in detail, an account of the proceedings of one of the more distinguished of them,Philip the deacon, known as the evangelist.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

The severe persecution at Jerusalem, dispersed the whole body of the church, and scattered both members and teachers thereof, except the apostles. Some went to Damascus, some to Samaria, some to Phoenice, Cyprus and Antioch. But God over-ruled this scattering for his church’s increasing: he brought good out of evil, light out of darkness, order out of confusion. It is a great and certain truth, that the Holy God would suffer no sort of evil to be, did he not know how to bring some excellent good out of that evil.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

See notes on verse 1

Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)

4. Therefore indeed being dispersed abroad, they went everywhere preaching the word. Oh, how the devil overshot himself in the Sauline persecutions. It was high time that Jerusalem nest was broken up and the saints dispersed to the ends of the earth to preach the gospel. Nothing could so effectually bring to pass this indispensable desideratum as a bloody persecution. Hence the devil set a trap, lost all of his bait and got caught in it himself. This awful Sauline persecution was worth more than a wagon full of gold to send the gospel to the destitute, and thus establish the church in all the earth. Meanwhile Satans persecution dispatched hundreds and thousands of blood-washed and fire-baptized evangelists to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth; he even lost the greatest and most successful leader of hells army he ever had on the earth, i. e., Saul of Tarsus, whose attitude at the very front of the popular church qualified him, invested in the livery of heaven, to serve the devil and promote the damnation of souls infinitely beyond the possibilities of the blackest incarnate reprobate, fighting overtly and devouredly under the motley banner of the bottomless pit. Therefore in the work of Saul the persecutor hell suffered signal bankruptcy.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Philip’s evangelization of Samaria 8:4-8

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Whereas persecution resulted in the death of some believers it also dispersed the disciples over a wider area. Luke described what they did as scattered believers as "preaching the word" (Gr. euaggelizomenoi ton logon, lit. "proclaiming good news the word"). The gospel message is in view. Sometimes what appears to be very bad turns out to be very good (Mat 16:18).

". . . persecution faced faithfully can have positive results for the church (see also Act 11:19-30 for more results from this dispersion)." [Note: Bock, Acts, p. 317.]

 

". . . the thrust of the church into its mission after the persecution of the Christian community in Jerusalem is parallel with Luke’s portrayal in his Gospel of the spread of Jesus’ fame after the devil’s assault in the wilderness." [Note: Longenecker, p. 355.]

"As the mission begins to move beyond Jerusalem and Judea, it is useful to distinguish two roles within it: the role of the initiator and the role of the verifier. The apostles shift at this point from the former to the latter role. That is, their function is reduced to recognizing and confirming the work of the evangelists who bring the gospel to new areas and groups, or to working as evangelists in areas already opened for mission (cf. Act 8:25; Act 9:32-42)." [Note: Tannehill, 2:102.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)