Acts 8:32, commentary and pictures

The passage the traveler was reading was Isaiah's prophecy of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and crucified Saviour, who would submit quietly to suffering and death without resistance or protest. He was reading it without grasping its meaning, yet seeking light and asking whether the prophet spoke of himself or of another man. Philip was sent by heaven to join his chariot, sit beside him, and explain that same Scripture by preaching Jesus from it. That teaching brought the traveler to believe with all his heart, confess his faith, be baptized in water, and go on his way rejoicing. It shows that those who search Scripture without understanding need God-sent human guides, for God watches honest seekers and by angels and the Spirit brings workers to them to lead them into light.

Reading and Its Meaning

The portion of Scripture being read was Isaiah's prophecy, and it points to Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the crucified Saviour. Philip began at that same Scripture and preached Jesus from it, showing how it is to be explained to one seeking to understand it. Its picture of being led as a sheep to slaughter and staying silent as a lamb before its shearer means Jesus submitted to suffering and death without resisting or speaking in protest. Philip used this prophecy to set forth Jesus' mission to save sinners through such suffering.

It presents Christ in His humiliation, suffering to save sinners. Even a reader of high rank is being drawn to this Saviour, and high position is no excuse for refusing Him. The reader was an Ethiopian eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure. He was returning in his chariot from worship at Jerusalem, journeying homeward on the desert road from Jerusalem toward Gaza.

He was reading without understanding its import, studying the Scriptures yet unable to comprehend them by reading alone. He was at the same time seeking after light, an honest seeker longing for truth. He asked whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, needing someone to guide him into its meaning.

Preaching Christ and Believing

Philip was sent toward the south by the angel of the Lord and told by the Spirit to join himself to the chariot on the desert road from Jerusalem toward Gaza. He found there an Ethiopian nobleman of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of her treasure and was journeying homeward from worship at Jerusalem while studying the Scriptures without understanding what he read. Philip asked him whether he understood what he was reading, and being invited to guide him he climbed up into the chariot and sat beside him to open the Scriptures to his understanding. Heavenly angels were watching the honest seeker for enlightenment while the Spirit directed the worker, since God sends light through angels to His people and through His people to the world rather than having heavenly messengers preach the gospel themselves.

When the eunuch asked whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, Philip began at that same scripture of the sheep led to slaughter and the lamb silent before its shearer. He explained it as speaking of Christ in His humiliation, the crucified One, Jesus Christ the Son of God and Saviour, and preached Jesus from it. The opening of the Word delighted the eunuch with the truth and enlightened his heart and mind. In this way a reader who could not understand its meaning by reading alone was shown its import by one with knowledge of God.

That teaching brought the eunuch to believe with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. At his request Philip required such wholehearted belief, heard his confession of faith, went down with him into water at a stream they came to, baptized him, and then was immediately caught away to another place. The newly baptized believer went on his way rejoicing as a believer in the truths of God's Word, no longer dwelling on trials. His prompt acceptance and acting on belief helped carry the gospel to Ethiopia, where many accepted Christ and left heathenism for Christianity. His conversion also helped convince the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem that God had granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.

Pattern for Soul Winning

The Ethiopian was reading the appointed prophecy yet could not grasp its import without someone to guide him, which shows that people may search the Scriptures for truth while remaining unable to understand them alone. This need belongs especially to those who are starving for the word of the Lord and ignorant of the Scriptures. Many all over the world are in this condition, reading without understanding and looking wistfully toward heaven with prayers and tears and inquiries from souls longing for light and grace and the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly angels watch such honest seekers for enlightenment, and the Spirit directs the meeting so that those seeking light are brought into touch with appointed human workers who can explain the Word and guide them into full light. The angel sent to Philip could have done the work for the Ethiopian himself, but it is God's plan that men work for their fellow men, so He sends light through angels to His people and through His people to the world rather than having heavenly messengers preach the gospel themselves. The Holy Spirit guides and places willing men and women where they can communicate the light received, and wonderfully works through workers thus guided to bring a seeking soul to faith in Jesus as the Son of God, to baptism in water, and to going on the way rejoicing.

Every soul is precious in the sight of God, and if there is but one soul to be saved that soul is more precious than all the combined wealth of this world. For this reason longing souls are to be sought everywhere without losing sight of neglected parts of the vineyard and out-of-the-way places, for when human hearts are susceptible to the influences of the Holy Spirit God can do a mighty work through His servants by bringing them into association with men and women who need help and encouragement. God has His eye upon every soul today and will raise up workers to carry the message of truth to those who greatly need it, calling both white people and colored people to engage in His service and be laborers together with Him. Through such conversion as the Ethiopian's the light of truth shines to the higher classes, for he was a man of good standing and wide influence who when converted would give the light to others and exert a strong influence in favor of the gospel.

The experience presents the work to which the Lord calls His people, requiring missionaries like Philip who hear the voice of God and go where He sends them. Workers are to be on watch and ready to help every case that comes to their notice, doing true home missionary labor, so that doors are opened to enter new fields. Truth still finds access to those who are interested and inquiring by meeting them, searching the Scriptures with them, and suggesting helpful questions, as when Philip was commanded to go where he would find the searching man, was invited into his chariot, and the man received light. In every age the Lord thus leads His people to communicate with one another, bringing honest-hearted ones into connection with informed believers specially fitted to reach their individual needs, so that knowledge of the truth is given by the informed to the uninformed, and hearty encouragement and support are given to those preparing to serve in the byways and hedges.

The Ethiopian represents a large class in this seeking condition, described as half-converted, a seeker after truth, honest-hearted but uninformed, having some knowledge of prophecy but unable to understand it clearly. His interest had come from hearing Christ's sermons to the people, and he was desiring light and searching the Scriptures for truth. He was earnestly longing and praying for light from heaven, ready to receive the truth when brought into contact with a messenger who could explain it. When Christ was revealed to him he received Him with gladness.

At that moment the newly awakened mind seeking truth hangs in the balance, with heavenly angels cooperating with the human worker while evil angels wait to press in falsehoods, interpose obstacles, confuse the mind, and divert it from truth. Therefore God's workers must be wholly consecrated and quick to understand their work. They are to take advantage of every circumstance to teach the grace of God and draw men to Christ without leaving the inquirer unfinished. They will guide the footsteps aright as they let the Holy Spirit sanctify their tongues and refine and ennoble their hearts, while many stand on the verge of the kingdom waiting only to be gathered in.