The Sabbath-School by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 7, 1883

The Sabbath-School.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Lesson for the Pacific Coast—June 16.

ACTS 8th Chapter.

Notes on the Lesson.

"AND at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem." The Revised Version has it, "And on that day," indicating that the martyrdom of Stephen was only the beginning of a general persecution. Like wild beasts, one taste of blood made the bigoted Jews clamorous for more. In fact, the language of the sacred historian implies the comparison of the maddened persecutors to wild beasts. Thus, at the close of Stephen's speech they "gnashed on him with their teeth," fit language to be applied to a wolf or a tiger. Again, in verse three it is said that Saul "made havoc of the church." Of this, Farrar says: "Literally, 'he was ravaging'—the church. No stronger metaphor could well have been used. It occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, but in the Septuagint, and in classical Greek, is applied to the wild boars which uproot a vineyard. Not content with the visitation of the synagogue, he got authority for an inquisitorial visit from house to house, and even from the sacred retirement of the Christian home he dragged not only men, but women, to judgment and to prison. So thorough was his search, and so deadly were its effects, that, in referring to it, the Christians of Damascus can only speak of Saul as "he that devastated in Jerusalem them that call on this name," using the strong word which is strictly applicable to an invading army which scathes a conquered country with fire and sword."

ON account of this persecution the believers at Jerusalem "were scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria." In thus scattering they only obeyed the injunction of the Master, "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another." Their religious principles would not allow them to resist, and nothing would be gained for the cause of God if they should remain and submit to a wholesale massacre. We can even see the hand of Providence in allowing this persecution, for it was the means of spreading the truth throughout all that region. We have seen that the new converts were "of one heart and of one soul;" they loved one another's society, and since they were necessarily shut off in a great measure from outside associations, there was danger that they would become clannish, and settle down, content with having received the truth. But now they were driven out, and were given a fresh opportunity to prove the sincerity of their conversion by "preaching the word." Their persecutions did not quench their love of the truth. The wicked Jews thought to root out the hated religion of Jesus, but instead of that they caused the seed to be sown broadcast. Thus they proved that man "can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth."

THEY were all scattered, "except the apostles." It seems that God had work for them still in Jerusalem. Christ had instructed them that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem," and they were not in haste to leave the city. We cannot tell why they stayed, or what they did, but we may be sure that they followed the leading of the Spirit of God.

"THEN Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them." This Philip was one of the "seven" spoken of in chapter 6. In Acts 21:8 he is further distinguished as "Philip the evangelist." Some may query how we know that the Philip who preached in Samaria, and who baptized the eunuch, was Philip the evangelist, and not Philip the apostle. The answer is easy: The apostles all remained in Jerusalem, many had embraced the truth at Samaria, and then they sent unto them Peter and John. Consequently, Philip the apostle must have also remained at Jerusalem.

"Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John."—This verse alone disproves the Catholic assumption that Peter occupied the position of pope, taking the place of Christ as head of the church. Instead of that, he was subject to the decisions of the rest, going wherever the majority thought best. Nowhere in the Bible do we find any intimation that any one occupied a higher rank than the rest. The apostles did not even presume to dictate to the body of the church, as is shown in chapter 5. And in this they simply acted in accordance with their own teaching, especially that of Peter himself, to take the oversight of the flock, not "as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock," and to "be subject one to another." 1 Peter 5:1–5.

THE question is often asked, Is baptism a saving ordinance? If it is meant by this, Will baptism suffice to save a person, if he does nothing else? the answer must be, No. But if it is desired to know if baptism is necessary, the reply must be, Yes. If it were not necessary, it would not have been commanded. When the people inquired of the apostles, "What shall we do?" the answer was, "Repent, and be baptized." Christ said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." And from Philip's preaching to the eunuch we learn that we cannot preach Christ without teaching baptism. The record simply says that Philip began at the 53d of Isaiah where the eunuch was reading, "and preached unto him Jesus." That was all; yet as they went on their way, the eunuch cried out, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?"

THE chapter which the eunuch was reading foretells in a vivid manner the trial and death of Jesus. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted." "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter." There is force in this expression, for Christ was the antitypical lamb. "And he made his grave with the wicked." This shows the burial of Christ; and the following verses show a resurrection, and the final joy of Christ as he sees those who have been redeemed by his blood. From this we can get an idea of what kind of an act the eunuch had in mind when he asked to be baptized. It must have been something that would have been suggested by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. But sprinkling bears no resemblance whatever to these things. And it would have required a great deal of ingenuity on the part of Philip to so preach Christ that sprinkling would be naturally suggested. But he could very easily show how we show faith in Christ, by being "buried with him in baptism," "planted" "in the likeness of his death."

FOR this kind of baptism, water was needed, not a few drops merely, but "much water." John 3:23. But for what is popularly known as baptism, only a few drops are required. In fact, we have seen the ceremony performed where it could not with any sort of propriety have been called sprinkling, since scarcely a drop of water was used; the administrator merely put his finger in a bowl that was supposed to contain water, and then touched the candidate's forehead. But the eunuch would have had an abundance of water with him for drinking, sufficient for any such performance, or even for veritable sprinkling, and it would not have been necessary for them to get out of the chariot.

"BUT this was a desert place, and there could not have been enough water there for immersion," it is sometimes objected. The word ereemos, translated desert, means a wilderness, an uninhabited place, and not necessarily a barren country. An instance of its use is found in Matt. 14:13–19. The multitude were there with Jesus, and in a "desert place," yet they were commanded to "sit down on the grass," which proves that it was not a barren, sandy desert. As for the place in question, travelers say that on any route which they might have taken from Jerusalem to Gaza, there was an abundance of water.

ONE thought in connection with Philip's sermon to the eunuch should be impressed on the mind of every one who labors in the cause of God. And that is that it is just as important to preach to small congregations as to large ones. If a minister preaches to a large congregation, and only one is finally converted, he has accomplished no more than if he had preached to that one alone. Here was Philip, a man "full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom," capable of preaching to a "city congregation," yet he was sent off to preach to one man; and he went out into the wilderness without any hesitation, not knowing that he would find even that one man. But how great were the consequences. The eunuch "went on his way rejoicing" in the new light that he had received, and, like the other disciples, he must have preached the word to those whom he met. And thus the Ethiopians heard the truth. It might have been more gratifying to Philip's personal pride, if he had had any, to be sent on a mission to Ethiopia, but the result was accomplished by this trip to the desert. Two of Christ's most instructive sermons were preached to an audience of a single individual.

FROM the unenlightened Ethiopian, we may learn a lesson of diligence in the study of the word of God. He was a proselyte to the Jewish religion, and had been to worship in the place to which all Jews looked as the dwelling-place of God,—the temple at Jerusalem. The religion which he had adopted was a long step in advance of the superstition of his native country, still he felt that he was only a learner. He was searching the Scriptures, although they conveyed no meaning to his mind. But the promise is sure, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine," and Philip was sent to instruct him. But how many of us are there who would have been occupied as he was? How many are there who think to take the Bible with them on a journey, to read by the way? Yet this is what we are commanded to do. If the eunuch had not been reading the Bible, Philip would probably not have been sent to instruct him. Who can tell how many opportunities for receiving great light we may have missed, because we were not attentively studying the word as we should. The Lord may not send an evangelist to our assistance, as he did to the eunuch, but his Spirit is ever ready to enlighten us. What an encouragement this is for us to read even those portions of the Bible that are beyond our comprehension. E. J. W.