Acts 8:38, commentary and pictures

At his own command the chariot stopped on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza, and the Ethiopian treasurer under Candace went down with Philip into actual water to be immersed and come up again after he had heard Jesus preached from Isaiah and believed with all his heart that He is the Son of God. The going down together into the water and coming up out of it shows the mode is immersion in the likeness of Christ's death, sealing true conversion only after the gospel has been preached, understood, believed and openly confessed. It is to be given at once without waiting to test the believer, because delay leaves the newly awakened mind exposed to Satan's obstacles and confusion. Heaven and earth are closely joined in such a baptism, for angels mark the honest seeker, the Spirit opens his eyes to see Christ and directs the Spirit-guided worker to his side to explain the Word. Labor for even one soul in an out-of-the-way place is precious and productive of mighty results, for the rejoicing eunuch carried the gospel to Ethiopia and helped convince the church that God grants Gentiles repentance unto life.

Baptism Event and Setting

The man was an Ethiopian nobleman of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasure, who had been to Jerusalem to worship and was journeying homeward studying the Scriptures on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. He was a man of influence doing a great work who was interested in the Scriptures, and God recognized him as a seeker after truth. As a reader of Isaiah without understanding he represents a large class who read the Scriptures and cannot understand their meaning.

As he read, Philip by divine direction joined his chariot, sat beside him, opened the Scriptures to his understanding, and preached Jesus from the prophecy of His suffering and death. The eunuch's mind had been led by the Spirit to study, and God sent Philip to enlighten him because he could not understand alone. With enlightened heart and mind he came to believe with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, confessed that faith as Philip required, and when they came to a stream of water asked what hindered his baptism. He did not resist the drawing to the Saviour and did not let high rank keep him from the crucified One, but asked for baptism as soon as water was found.

At his command the chariot was ordered to stand still, and both Philip and the eunuch went down together into actual water. There in the water Philip baptized him by immersion, not by sprinkling, in keeping with going down both into the water and coming up again. Afterward they came up out of the water together.

Immediately afterward the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and he was seen no more by the eunuch. Philip was taken to Azotus and went on preaching till Caesarea, departing at once to another place when the work was done. The eunuch went on his way rejoicing as a believer in the truths of God's Word instead of dwelling on trials, with great rejoicing following conviction, confession, and baptism.

Through this one conversion the gospel was carried to Ethiopia, where many accepted Christ and left heathenism for Christianity. The event also helped convince the apostles and Jerusalem leaders that God grants Gentiles repentance unto life, preparing the way for Paul's mission.

Baptism Meaning and Requirements

The act described is immersion in actual water, not sprinkling, with both men going down together into the water and afterward coming up out of it. The going down and coming up is in the likeness of Christ's death. It is the authorized Scriptural mode, performed promptly when the seeker stops the chariot in response to faith in Jesus Christ.

Water baptism seals true conversion and is one of the steps requisite in conversion. It is given only after the gospel of the Word has been preached, heard, and explained from the Scriptures, and after the hearer has believed with all the heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and has openly confessed that faith. The mind is led by the Spirit to study, enlightened by the appointed teacher, and then the believer asks what hinders baptism, orders a halt, and goes down into the water to be baptized.

Baptism is to be given at once without delay and without waiting to see how the believer will hold to the faith. Nothing is to be counted a hindrance when the confession of wholehearted faith has been made and water is found. Immediate action is needed because Satan interposes obstacles to confuse an inquiring mind that would understand the Word, and evil angels wait for opportunity to press in falsehoods and divert a newly awakened mind drawn to the Saviour so that he might never accept Him.

Baptism is an ordinance administered by a minister, and receiving it is a first work of duty when its obligation becomes clear. Administering it requires courage. Though Philip had never received the ceremony of ordination, men who go out with the burden of bringing souls into the truth are ordained of God, and when the Lord works with them to win a soul they should baptize that soul at once and not question about the matter, because the opportunity may not come again. If an ordained minister is within reach he should be sought to do the baptizing, but when there is nobody else the worker himself should baptize. Being baptized by a minister who is not truly called gives no sound basis for confidence in that minister, and those later troubled by this discovery may seek baptism again and begin anew.

Divine Leading and Mission

Heaven is closely joined to earth in the search for a single soul, for angels mark honest seekers after light and bring them to appointed human teachers. The Spirit leads such a mind to study the Scriptures and opens spiritual eyesight to see Christ as the Saviour of the world who pardons the transgression of all who believe on Him. God sends His angel and His Spirit to direct the worker to the seeking soul, so that teaching of Jesus from Scripture brings conviction, wholehearted belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, confession, baptism by immersion in actual water, and then great rejoicing when the work is done. Every soul is precious in the sight of God, and though God sends light through angels He gives the work of preaching the gospel to people guided by the Holy Spirit to carry that light to the world. Even high rank does not hold back the one truly drawn to the Saviour, as the treasurer under Candace did not resist the drawing or let position keep him from the crucified One but asked for baptism as soon as water was found.

Seekers who read Scripture without understanding are reached through human missionaries who hear God's voice, go where He sends them, and explain His Word and preach Jesus to them. Because the eunuch could not understand, the Spirit led Philip to enlighten him, and after belief and confession both men went down into the water for baptism before Philip was caught away and seen no more. God and His angels as ministering spirits do a special work on earth to instruct seekers, and no one should step between them and one whom God is teaching but should stand aside and let God work on the heart and lay the burden of opening the Scriptures upon human instruments.

The baptism shows precious home-missionary labor in personal work for one susceptible soul in a neglected, out-of-the-way place. Philip was directed to meet the nobleman journeying homeward from Jerusalem, to sit beside him in the chariot and open the Scriptures to his understanding until with enlightened heart and mind he believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Upon confession of wholehearted faith Philip at once went down with him into the water and baptized him, then departed to another place while the nobleman went on his way rejoicing as a believer. Labor for even one soul in such places is precious and brings mighty results through the Holy Spirit, and the work nearest at hand is to be accepted as God's choice.

The command to stop the chariot is the model of prompt acceptance and confession of Christ, obedience to Him, and readiness to answer the call of duty. Upon believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the eunuch acted at once, stopped the chariot, and went down into the water where Philip baptized him. His response illustrates the steps of conversion including baptism in the likeness of Christ's death. Through his conversion the gospel was carried to Ethiopia, where many accepted Christ and left heathenism for Christianity.

Through one converted man of great authority the light of truth shines to the higher classes and to others. God's guidance brought Philip to a receptive, influential hearer whose conversion and baptism could help spread the truth to others and enable him to share the gospel. Workers are thus to be on watch and ready to help every case that comes to their notice, for such openings enter new fields and allow work with people advanced in temperance principles without entangling the work.

The baptism belongs to the missionary pattern in Acts 8 that must be carefully studied and copied and that belongs to the highest education to be received. God's agencies must be wholly consecrated, quick to understand their work, and take advantage of every circumstance to teach the grace of God and draw men to Christ, while heavenly angels cooperate with human workers to win souls. Immediate action is needed and decision must not be left hanging in the balance, because Satan interposes obstacles to confuse an inquiring mind and evil angels press in falsehoods to divert a newly awakened mind from the Saviour. The chapter teaches spreading out instead of centering in a few places, dividing and subdividing experienced forces, merging efforts in one city then dividing to enter the next, and entering unworked cities with unpretentious buildings and small schools for preparing workers while working, so the truth becomes a power and thousands are converted to work for other souls.