THE
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THE ETHIOPEAN EUNUCH

Russell Ebbs

THE CONTEXT of the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 is as follows:

1 The gospel is preached firstly to Israel, the descendants of Shem, in chapter 2, then to the descendants of Ham (the Ethiopian) in chapter 8, and finally to the descendants of Japheth (the Roman centurion ) in chapter 10 (see Gen. 9:18,19). Here was progress in fulfilling the words of the Lord Jesus himself in Acts 1:8: "ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and... in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth".
2 Acts 8 itself focuses on the work of Philip preaching to the Gentiles, after the Jews had rejected the Word, and Saul had commenced the dreadful persecution of the brethren and sisters.
3 The preaching of Philip focuses not only on the success of his preaching in Samaria, but also on two individuals: Simon the sorcerer in Samaria, who had bewitched the people, but who himself was bewitched in seeing signs and wonders; and the Ethiopian in the wilderness who, without any miracle, believed the Old Testament Scriptures and Philip’s inspired words, the equivalent of the New Testament. Both were great men associated with wealth. Simon, whose name means ‘hearing’, was double-minded; his heart was "not right in the sight of God" (v. 21). The other is not named, but he clearly had a good and honest single-minded heart (v. 37; Lk. 8:15). One sought self-advancement in the Truth, and was rejected; the other humbled himself before his servants, like Naaman, and was accepted.

 

Providence

The reader may like to consider how the Lord had prepared the circumstances of the Ethiopian coming into the Truth.

1 Note the involvement of an angel (v. 26), and consider the general but most important point made in Hebrews 1:14.
2 The word translated ‘desert’ in verse 26 is regularly translated ‘wilderness’; compare Isaiah 40:3-10.
3 The word translated ‘south’ in verse 26 is translated ‘noon’ in 22:6. Compare the zeal of the two men who are the subjects of these two verses, and note also Malachi 4:2. Philip was sent away from populous Samaria onto a desert road at noon, where, naturally speaking, he was unlikely to meet a prospective convert.
4 The Ethiopian ‘happened’ to be reading a very appropriate passage from the prophet Isaiah (v. 28). Note how in Ruth 2:3 Ruth’s "hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz".
5 The Ethiopian would have carried sufficient water for him to have been ‘Christened’ if such had been allowable; but on the journey, at the right time and at the right place, deep water was available (v. 36).

 

The Ethiopian’s mind of the spirit

1 He had travelled all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship (v. 27). This implies that he had an understanding of 1 Kings 8:41-43.
2 That this foreigner travelled to Jerusalem also reveals his comprehension of what Philip called "the things concerning the kingdom of God" (v. 12), styled by Paul "the hope of Israel" (28:20).
3 This journey was not a mechanical religious act, considered sufficient in itself, since verse 28 shows him, when returning, to be exercising his mind on the Word.
4 He clearly regarded the Scriptures as the Word of the living God, as he referred to Isaiah as "the prophet" (v. 34).
5 The Ethiopian was reading out aloud (v. 30) in the hearing of his servant or servants as he was travelling. Compare Deuteronomy 6:7. This reveals a humility of mind, despite his being a man of great authority (Isa. 66:2). He may have been like Abraham, who instructed his young men in the Truth (Gen. 14:14; 18:19).
6 Verses 31 and 34 reveal an enquiring mind on the subject of the Scriptures; he desired to know more of what God said.
7 These verses also show that he appreciated that, for salvation, he needed something more than the Old Testament Scriptures—he also needed the equivalent of our New Testament, which, at that time, was a Spirit-gifted apostle who would speak words of the Holy Spirit to guide him (v. 31; cf. Rom. 10:14).
8 The words of Hebrews 4:12 are particularly true of the Ethiopian: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart". Clearly, the Word of God pierced his soul as he read Isaiah 53:7,8. Though the Lamb "opened... not his mouth" (Acts 8:32) before those who were responsible for his being "cut off out of the land of the living" (Isa. 53:8), yet verse 35 continues: "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus".

TO WHICH SCRIPTURES DID PHILIP REFER?

The reader may wish to consider the quotation from Isaiah 53 in Acts 8, and then consider a possible list of other scriptures which Philip may (or could) have used when he "preached unto him Jesus". The present writer suggests that Isaiah 56:3-8 would almost certainly have been included somewhere in Philip’s discourse.

 

The effect of the Word believed

By means of fulfilled Bible prophecy, the Ethiopian was enabled to see Jesus of Nazareth as saviour and Christ. He was immersed into the death of Christ with the representative of Christ, who was then immediately caught up towards heaven. So the Ethiopian would understand that he would now be able to "seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1, RV), and thus "he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). So was carried the gospel in a chariot to Ethiopia.

 


PUBLIC READING OF SCRIPTURE 

Both as a form of exhortation in our own meetings, and as a witness in a public place, the reading out loud of the Word of God is very effective when done well.

It is, after all, God’s Word, His thoughts, His will being expressed. Too often it can be read without thought. If we, like one of the prophets, had been instructed to carry a message to certain people, we would make very sure we expressed it in the way God required. Yet that is just how we should approach the public reading of His Word.

When the children of Israel had returned from captivity in the time of Nehemiah and Ezra, we read that they had a united fellowship; and when they came together they asked for the Word of God to be read (Neh. 8:1). We are told: "they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading" (v. 8). The word "distinctly" means ‘to separate’, and the word "understand" carries the meaning ‘to inform and instruct’. This brings home the point that it is not just expressive and clear diction which is being spoken of, necessary though that is to hold the attention of the listeners and cause them to dwell on what is being said. Instruction and teaching are thus an integral part of reading the Word.

When it is done correctly the result will be as that recorded in Nehemiah 8:8-12: a proper appreciation of God’s message. In Nehemiah’s time they began in sorrow (v. 9), but, after understanding the reading, they were able to feast and make great mirth because they were able to understand the words declared unto them (v. 12). Tears turned to laughter—such is the power of God’s Word when understood and assimilated into the mind of the hearer. We often try to improve the Word of God with words of our own, but using Scripture to explain Scripture allows the power of God’s Word to glorify His Name. 

Trevor Maher