Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Philip began with the very passage the Ethiopian was reading and preached Jesus from it. That passage was Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant led as a sheep to the slaughter and silent as a lamb before its shearer, humiliated and deprived of justice. He explained it as fulfilled in Jesus, revealing Christ and His mission to save sinners and the redemption found in Him, calling for repentance toward God for transgressing His law, faith in Christ as Savior, confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and baptism in the likeness of His death. The Spirit and an angel sent Philip from Samaria to the desert road to join the chariot and open the Scriptures to a seeking, praying reader who could not understand without a guide, for angels watch for seekers but do not preach the gospel themselves, God sending light through angels to His people and through His people to the world. The verse thus gives the pattern for labor for souls today, meeting interested people where they are, obeying promptly and going even for one precious soul, explaining the Word to those who read without understanding, and telling them of Jesus at once without delay lest Satan divert the newly awakened mind.
Scripture Philip Explained
Philip began with the very passage the Ethiopian was reading and preached Jesus from it, opening the Scriptures to his understanding starting at that same text. That starting point answers the need of a large class who read the Scriptures without understanding their meaning and need someone to guide them and explain the Word to them. The passage was Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant, of one led as a sheep to the slaughter and silent as a lamb before its shearer, whose judgment was taken away in humiliation. The question it raised was whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, and Philip answered it by showing the One of whom the prophet spoke.
He explained the prophecy as fulfilled in Jesus, revealing Christ and His mission to save sinners and the redemption found in Him. That telling about Jesus led the hearer under conviction to believe with all the heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Preaching Jesus in this way set forth repentance toward God for transgressing the Father's law, faith in Christ as Savior, confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and baptism in the likeness of Christ's death. The prompt acceptance and confession illustrate the call to accept and obey without delay.
That belief and confession led at once to baptism when water was found, with no hindrance remaining to seeking it. Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water for Philip to baptize him. Afterward the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and having taken the steps requisite in conversion the eunuch went on his way rejoicing rather than telling of great trials or dwelling on them. In this way the opening of that one scripture prepared an enlightened heart and mind for confession of faith and immediate baptism.
Heaven Guides the Meeting
The traveler was a nobleman and eunuch of great authority under Candace, with charge of all her treasure, journeying homeward from worship at Jerusalem while studying the Scriptures. He was an honest, half-converted seeker, longing and praying for light, deeply interested in the Scriptures and doing a great work as a man of influence. He had heard Christ's sermons to the people, and though a man of high position being drawn to the Saviour, he did not resist the drawing nor make his position an excuse for not accepting the crucified One.
Though reading and pleading for light, he could not comprehend or understand the prophecy without a guide. He asked whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, which shows how Scripture readers can starve for the Word while shepherds feed themselves and fields are white to harvest. His need for someone to guide him shows that many today read Scripture without understanding its meaning and are ready to receive the gospel when one who knows God's word explains it and leads the reader to Jesus.
The Holy Spirit and an angel sent Philip from successful work in Samaria across the desert to Gaza to a certain place to open the Scriptures to a seeker after truth. He was to go near, join the chariot, ask whether the man understood what he read, and when invited to come up, sit beside him. Philip obeyed without questioning, recognized him at once as the man to whom he had been sent, and beginning at that same passage the eunuch was reading he told him about Jesus.
Heavenly angels watch those seeking enlightenment and lead and guide willing workers to them, bringing light for those in need to appointed human agencies. They do not preach the gospel themselves, and the angel could not do the teaching himself, because men must connect with their fellow men and work in their behalf as God's instrumentality. God sends light through the ministration of angels to His people, and through His people to the world, entrusting people rather than angels to work for one another while the Holy Spirit guides and instructs willing men and women by placing them where they can communicate the light received.
The eunuch's heart was alive with interest as Philip explained, and he promptly accepted the light and acted on faith without delay, which illustrates the call to accept and obey Christ without delay. Philip had the courage to carry out the work of baptizing him. Through the converted eunuch the light of truth shone to the higher classes, and the gospel reached Ethiopia where many came from heathen darkness into Christianity and left heathenism for Christ, and his conversion helped convince the apostles and Jerusalem leaders that God had granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.
Pattern for Workers Today
The verse gives the pattern for personal labor for sinners and seekers, in which God brings His servants into association with susceptible souls longing for help in neglected parts of the vineyard. As Philip was divinely directed to the Ethiopian nobleman journeying homeward while studying the Scriptures, joined him in the chariot after asking whether he understood what he read, and opened the Scriptures to his understanding beginning at that same passage to preach Jesus, so the same work is to be done today by meeting interested and inquiring people where they are, becoming acquainted with them, joining them, searching the Scriptures with them, and suggesting helpful questions. The eunuch was reading the prophecy of one led as a sheep to the slaughter and could not understand it without a guide, asking whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, and Philip began at that same scripture and preached Jesus as its fulfillment, explaining the Scriptures to a soul under conviction, delighting him with the truth so that with enlightened heart and mind he believed the message and believed with all the heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That telling prepared him for confession of faith and immediate baptism when water was found, with both going down into the water, and illustrates how God works in every age by bringing honest-hearted ones into connection with those of His people who can best reach the individual needs of each case, some having special knowledge adapted to help one class of inquirers and others trained differently to help other classes.
It teaches workers to be on watch and ready to help every case that comes to their notice, to hear God's voice, obey promptly without questioning, and go promptly where the Spirit directs even to help one person. Philip was sent from successful work in Samaria across the desert to Gaza to serve one person seeking the truth, showing that the place God sends may hold someone needing help and that one soul to be saved is more precious than all the combined wealth of the world. His prompt obedience without questioning God's direction shows conformity to God's will and that every soul is precious in God's sight, and through this conversion the light of truth shone to the higher classes. The Holy Spirit guided him to go near and teach an honest seeker for light, proving that angels bring light for those in need to appointed human agencies and that God sends light through angels to His people and through His people to the world.
It shows the Ethiopian as representing a large class today who are reading the Scriptures and cannot understand their meaning, who need missionaries like Philip who hear the voice of God, go where He sends them, and explain His Word to guide readers to Jesus. Many read Scripture without understanding it yet are ready to receive the gospel when it is explained, and people searching the Scriptures and starving for the Word still need someone to come and explain it to them. Such are as sheep having no shepherd because the shepherds feed themselves and feed not the flock, and the fields where they live are white unto the harvest, so the standard of truth must be lifted in new territories and the truth presented with the Holy Spirit accompanying the presentation.
The telling about Jesus must be done at once, without leaving the case hanging in the balance. Immediate action is necessary because while heavenly agencies work, Satan interposes obstacles to confuse an inquiring mind, and evil angels wait for opportunity to press in falsehoods and divert a newly awakened mind from seeking truth, so delay could mean the seeker would never accept the Saviour. The Lord's workers must therefore be wholly consecrated to His service, quick to understand their work, and as wise stewards take advantage of every circumstance to teach the grace of God and draw men to Christ. Believers are to stand in that close relation to God that they understand His voice when He speaks to them, in conformity to His will.
The Holy Spirit guides and instructs willing men and women by placing them where they can communicate the light received, shaping their speech and character, with angels leading workers to people ready to receive the truth. God keeps His eye upon every soul trying to understand the message of salvation, and just as surely as He sent help to the Ethiopian He will raise up workers today to carry the message of truth to those who greatly need it, calling both white people and colored people to engage in His service as laborers together with Him. Those workers must labor with wisdom through difficulties and slights while making manifest that the Lord fulfils His Word.
The experience is precious instruction needed in work today and part of wonderful history that holds the highest education students in schools are to receive. It gives the pattern for medical and gospel work to be carefully studied and followed in the cities, by beginning with Scripture and preaching Jesus to individuals, going into places never worked, spreading out rather than centering in a few places, dividing and subdividing workers, establishing small schools to prepare and educate workers on the job in different lines of work, putting up only unpretentious buildings, and laboring humbly so that thousands are converted and then work for other souls. It is an example of God's special work for a few souls in a needy, out-of-the-way field, and a reason to give hearty encouragement and support to workers who seek preparation and a place to go to such fields rather than holding them back, with Philip having the courage to carry out the work of preaching the gospel and baptizing. It shows true Christian home missionary labor, in which Philip carries Jesus to a sincere Christian pleading with the Father in heaven for clearer light to know the truth, one who has grace but less light yet holds fast unyieldingly to light already believed and is not satisfied to grope in darkness, whom God does not leave in darkness but gives clearer light, and all should be earnest seekers for the truth.
Philip began with the very passage the Ethiopian was reading and preached Jesus from it. That passage was Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant led as a sheep to the slaughter and silent as a lamb before its shearer, humiliated and deprived of justice. He explained it as fulfilled in Jesus, revealing Christ and His mission to save sinners and the redemption found in Him, calling for repentance toward God for transgressing His law, faith in Christ as Savior, confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and baptism in the likeness of His death. The Spirit and an angel sent Philip from Samaria to the desert road to join the chariot and open the Scriptures to a seeking, praying reader who could not understand without a guide, for angels watch for seekers but do not preach the gospel themselves, God sending light through angels to His people and through His people to the world. The verse thus gives the pattern for labor for souls today, meeting interested people where they are, obeying promptly and going even for one precious soul, explaining the Word to those who read without understanding, and telling them of Jesus at once without delay lest Satan divert the newly awakened mind.
Scripture Philip Explained
Philip began with the very passage the Ethiopian was reading and preached Jesus from it, opening the Scriptures to his understanding starting at that same text. That starting point answers the need of a large class who read the Scriptures without understanding their meaning and need someone to guide them and explain the Word to them. The passage was Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant, of one led as a sheep to the slaughter and silent as a lamb before its shearer, whose judgment was taken away in humiliation. The question it raised was whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, and Philip answered it by showing the One of whom the prophet spoke.
He explained the prophecy as fulfilled in Jesus, revealing Christ and His mission to save sinners and the redemption found in Him. That telling about Jesus led the hearer under conviction to believe with all the heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Preaching Jesus in this way set forth repentance toward God for transgressing the Father's law, faith in Christ as Savior, confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and baptism in the likeness of Christ's death. The prompt acceptance and confession illustrate the call to accept and obey without delay.
That belief and confession led at once to baptism when water was found, with no hindrance remaining to seeking it. Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water for Philip to baptize him. Afterward the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and having taken the steps requisite in conversion the eunuch went on his way rejoicing rather than telling of great trials or dwelling on them. In this way the opening of that one scripture prepared an enlightened heart and mind for confession of faith and immediate baptism.
Heaven Guides the Meeting
The traveler was a nobleman and eunuch of great authority under Candace, with charge of all her treasure, journeying homeward from worship at Jerusalem while studying the Scriptures. He was an honest, half-converted seeker, longing and praying for light, deeply interested in the Scriptures and doing a great work as a man of influence. He had heard Christ's sermons to the people, and though a man of high position being drawn to the Saviour, he did not resist the drawing nor make his position an excuse for not accepting the crucified One.
Though reading and pleading for light, he could not comprehend or understand the prophecy without a guide. He asked whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, which shows how Scripture readers can starve for the Word while shepherds feed themselves and fields are white to harvest. His need for someone to guide him shows that many today read Scripture without understanding its meaning and are ready to receive the gospel when one who knows God's word explains it and leads the reader to Jesus.
The Holy Spirit and an angel sent Philip from successful work in Samaria across the desert to Gaza to a certain place to open the Scriptures to a seeker after truth. He was to go near, join the chariot, ask whether the man understood what he read, and when invited to come up, sit beside him. Philip obeyed without questioning, recognized him at once as the man to whom he had been sent, and beginning at that same passage the eunuch was reading he told him about Jesus.
Heavenly angels watch those seeking enlightenment and lead and guide willing workers to them, bringing light for those in need to appointed human agencies. They do not preach the gospel themselves, and the angel could not do the teaching himself, because men must connect with their fellow men and work in their behalf as God's instrumentality. God sends light through the ministration of angels to His people, and through His people to the world, entrusting people rather than angels to work for one another while the Holy Spirit guides and instructs willing men and women by placing them where they can communicate the light received.
The eunuch's heart was alive with interest as Philip explained, and he promptly accepted the light and acted on faith without delay, which illustrates the call to accept and obey Christ without delay. Philip had the courage to carry out the work of baptizing him. Through the converted eunuch the light of truth shone to the higher classes, and the gospel reached Ethiopia where many came from heathen darkness into Christianity and left heathenism for Christ, and his conversion helped convince the apostles and Jerusalem leaders that God had granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.
Pattern for Workers Today
The verse gives the pattern for personal labor for sinners and seekers, in which God brings His servants into association with susceptible souls longing for help in neglected parts of the vineyard. As Philip was divinely directed to the Ethiopian nobleman journeying homeward while studying the Scriptures, joined him in the chariot after asking whether he understood what he read, and opened the Scriptures to his understanding beginning at that same passage to preach Jesus, so the same work is to be done today by meeting interested and inquiring people where they are, becoming acquainted with them, joining them, searching the Scriptures with them, and suggesting helpful questions. The eunuch was reading the prophecy of one led as a sheep to the slaughter and could not understand it without a guide, asking whether the prophet spoke of himself or of some other man, and Philip began at that same scripture and preached Jesus as its fulfillment, explaining the Scriptures to a soul under conviction, delighting him with the truth so that with enlightened heart and mind he believed the message and believed with all the heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That telling prepared him for confession of faith and immediate baptism when water was found, with both going down into the water, and illustrates how God works in every age by bringing honest-hearted ones into connection with those of His people who can best reach the individual needs of each case, some having special knowledge adapted to help one class of inquirers and others trained differently to help other classes.
It teaches workers to be on watch and ready to help every case that comes to their notice, to hear God's voice, obey promptly without questioning, and go promptly where the Spirit directs even to help one person. Philip was sent from successful work in Samaria across the desert to Gaza to serve one person seeking the truth, showing that the place God sends may hold someone needing help and that one soul to be saved is more precious than all the combined wealth of the world. His prompt obedience without questioning God's direction shows conformity to God's will and that every soul is precious in God's sight, and through this conversion the light of truth shone to the higher classes. The Holy Spirit guided him to go near and teach an honest seeker for light, proving that angels bring light for those in need to appointed human agencies and that God sends light through angels to His people and through His people to the world.
It shows the Ethiopian as representing a large class today who are reading the Scriptures and cannot understand their meaning, who need missionaries like Philip who hear the voice of God, go where He sends them, and explain His Word to guide readers to Jesus. Many read Scripture without understanding it yet are ready to receive the gospel when it is explained, and people searching the Scriptures and starving for the Word still need someone to come and explain it to them. Such are as sheep having no shepherd because the shepherds feed themselves and feed not the flock, and the fields where they live are white unto the harvest, so the standard of truth must be lifted in new territories and the truth presented with the Holy Spirit accompanying the presentation.
The telling about Jesus must be done at once, without leaving the case hanging in the balance. Immediate action is necessary because while heavenly agencies work, Satan interposes obstacles to confuse an inquiring mind, and evil angels wait for opportunity to press in falsehoods and divert a newly awakened mind from seeking truth, so delay could mean the seeker would never accept the Saviour. The Lord's workers must therefore be wholly consecrated to His service, quick to understand their work, and as wise stewards take advantage of every circumstance to teach the grace of God and draw men to Christ. Believers are to stand in that close relation to God that they understand His voice when He speaks to them, in conformity to His will.
The Holy Spirit guides and instructs willing men and women by placing them where they can communicate the light received, shaping their speech and character, with angels leading workers to people ready to receive the truth. God keeps His eye upon every soul trying to understand the message of salvation, and just as surely as He sent help to the Ethiopian He will raise up workers today to carry the message of truth to those who greatly need it, calling both white people and colored people to engage in His service as laborers together with Him. Those workers must labor with wisdom through difficulties and slights while making manifest that the Lord fulfils His Word.
The experience is precious instruction needed in work today and part of wonderful history that holds the highest education students in schools are to receive. It gives the pattern for medical and gospel work to be carefully studied and followed in the cities, by beginning with Scripture and preaching Jesus to individuals, going into places never worked, spreading out rather than centering in a few places, dividing and subdividing workers, establishing small schools to prepare and educate workers on the job in different lines of work, putting up only unpretentious buildings, and laboring humbly so that thousands are converted and then work for other souls. It is an example of God's special work for a few souls in a needy, out-of-the-way field, and a reason to give hearty encouragement and support to workers who seek preparation and a place to go to such fields rather than holding them back, with Philip having the courage to carry out the work of preaching the gospel and baptizing. It shows true Christian home missionary labor, in which Philip carries Jesus to a sincere Christian pleading with the Father in heaven for clearer light to know the truth, one who has grace but less light yet holds fast unyieldingly to light already believed and is not satisfied to grope in darkness, whom God does not leave in darkness but gives clearer light, and all should be earnest seekers for the truth.