Acts 8:39, commentary and pictures

After his confession of faith in Jesus as the Son of God, the eunuch was baptized by immersion, and as they came up out of the water Philip was suddenly taken away by the Spirit to labor elsewhere and was seen no more. His departure left a finished conversion, with faith settled through prompt acceptance of the gospel and obedience in baptism, and the new believer went on his way rejoicing with enlightened heart and mind. The meeting shows God's direction of workers by the Holy Spirit and angels to honest seekers who are reading Scripture without understanding and praying for light. Workers so led are to be watchful to help every case that comes to notice, then leave the converted to go forward while entering new and unworked fields rather than centering together in a few places. Through this man of great authority the light of truth was thus carried to Ethiopia, where many came out of heathen darkness to accept Christ.

Story and Context

This verse closes the record of Philip's work for the Ethiopian eunuch, a man of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians who had charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning reading the prophet Isaiah, Esaias, without understanding until guided. He was a seeker after light who had been longing and praying for light from heaven, and when Christ was revealed to him he received Him with gladness.

Philip was directed by the Holy Spirit and by an angel to go to a certain place where he would find opportunity to open the Scriptures to a seeker after truth. He was sent to go south to the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza and to join the eunuch's chariot. There he obeyed and found him reading Scripture, and from that same scripture preached unto him Jesus. This shows God's direction of workers to those needing divine help and guidance, that He guides workers to those ready to receive truth and directs people to serve as His representatives there, revealing the close connection between heaven and earth.

After Philip had preached Jesus to him from Scripture, the eunuch confessed with all his heart that he believed Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Upon that confession Philip baptized him by going down with him both into the water and coming up out of the water. This was the taking of the steps requisite in conversion through faith and baptism.

When they were come up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord suddenly and supernaturally caught Philip away so that the eunuch saw him no more. Philip left him at once because he had received a message to go to another place and continued preaching elsewhere. He was found at Azotus and passing through preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

Conversion and Joy

The verse marks a finished conversion through the requisite steps of faith and baptism, with prompt acceptance of the gospel, obedience in confessing with all the heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and going down into the water and coming up out of it. Philip did not leave the case hanging in the balance but stayed until faith was settled in baptism, and then the Spirit of the Lord suddenly and supernaturally caught him away so the eunuch saw him no more. The eunuch went on his way rejoicing as a believer in the truths of God's Word with enlightened heart and mind, his joy following his acceptance of the gospel and baptism. Having completed conversion he did not go on telling everyone about great trials he had had.

Going on the way rejoicing follows God hearing prayer and revealing Himself in light and presence, lifting a person out of discouragement into freedom and happiness. It restores courage, faith and hope to lively exercise and causes praise to God with heart and voice. The eunuch had been longing and praying for light from heaven and received Christ gladly when He was revealed.

The Ethiopian represents seekers for truth and a large class who read the Scriptures but cannot understand their import and are starving for the Word, needing someone to come and explain the Bible to them in order to understand it. He was a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians who had charge of all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning reading Esaias the prophet without understanding until guided. Philip was sent by angel and Spirit to go south to the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza to join his chariot and preached unto him Jesus from that same scripture, showing the Spirit of God waiting to enlighten souls and putting forth much effort for even one man.

His prompt conversion carried the gospel to Ethiopia, where many accepted Christ and came from heathen darkness into Christianity. Through this man of great authority and influence the light of truth shone to the higher classes, equipping him as a ready recipient of truth to influence others in its favor and share its light. That conversion also helped convince the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem that God had granted Gentiles repentance unto life, preparing the way for Paul's mission.

Mission and Witness

Heavenly angels who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation take notice of every honest seeker for light and watch those seeking for enlightenment. Through angels God brings light to appointed human agencies, and the Holy Spirit guides men and women into positions where they can communicate the light received to those in need, guiding workers to people ready to receive truth and preparing them to speak and serve faithfully as His representatives. This was seen when Philip was directed to the desert road to join the chariot and found the Ethiopian councilor of high authority under Candace reading Scripture and needing divine help, and when after confession with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and baptism by going down both into the water and coming up out of the water the Spirit supernaturally caught Philip away so the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing. God's way of working is for men to connect with fellow men as His instrumentality and for people to teach and serve their fellow human beings, rather than for heavenly messengers themselves to preach the gospel or do the work alone, for God sends light through the ministration of angels to His people and through His people to the world, while angels cooperate with men who will work to win souls to Christ. The man of high authority was being drawn to the Saviour and did not resist the drawing nor make his high position an excuse for not accepting the crucified One, and Philip's prompt work brought him to full faith and baptism without leaving his case hanging in the balance.

Philip being caught away to another field after his work was done teaches that God wants His workers to be on watch and ready to help every case that comes to their notice. Believers are to stand in that same relation to Him as Philip, who was told by the Holy Spirit to go to a certain place where he would find opportunity to open the Scriptures to a seeker after truth and obeyed and found the eunuch reading, so that they can understand His voice when He speaks to them. After preaching Jesus from Scripture and baptizing upon confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with the Spirit taking Philip away so the eunuch saw him no more and the eunuch going on his way rejoicing, the finished conversion sends the worker on to the next field, to leave the converted to go forward while entering new fields and opening doors, uniting even with people who have an advanced acquaintance with temperance principles to lead them to the Bible and the Sabbath. This catching away means God wills much spreading about of workers rather than centering in companies in a few places, by division and subdivision carrying experienced workers and workers in training into unworked cities to teach, baptize, distribute literature, and do medical missionary work, and the Holy Spirit cooperates with truly converted workers who give themselves to God for this scattered labor.

The record belongs to the evangelistic work in Acts that gives precious instruction needed in work today and holds the highest education students in schools are to receive, presenting missionary work and true home missionary labor and true Christian home missionary labor of the kind that is needed. It shows how wonderfully the Lord worked for one who was seeking after light, with God sending Philip to do a special work for very few, even one soul, by enlightening the understanding of the Ethiopian with Bible truth, and with people who know God needed to explain Scripture to those who read it but do not understand it, and missionaries required to go where God sends them and continue preaching elsewhere. Workers are urged to read this record of coming up out of the water in baptism upon belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Spirit catching away Philip so the eunuch saw him no more, and the eunuch going on his way rejoicing and continuing his journey rejoicing. Workers seeking preparation for service in the byways and hedges should therefore be given hearty encouragement and support and be allowed to go to needy fields where there are only a few, because God may have a special work for them there presenting the light of truth to those who have never heard the last gospel message.

The completed joyful decision was urgent because evil agencies were waiting for opportunity to press in falsehoods, draw the mind to something else, and divert the newly awakened mind from seeking truth, with Satan interposing obstacles to confuse the inquiring mind that would understand the Word of God. Philip therefore did not leave the eunuch with his case hanging in the balance but stayed with him until his faith was settled in baptism and he went on his way rejoicing in 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 while heavenly angels cooperate with them. There is a God who sends angels as ministering spirits to do a special work in the earth, as seen after Philip had given his message to the Ethiopian and was caught away by the Spirit and the eunuch saw him no more. A man who steps in between the angels and one whom God is seeking to instruct is out of his place and should stand aside and let God work, for God is able to work on human hearts and to lay upon them the burden of opening the Scriptures to the people on whom He chooses.