Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
After Stephen's death severe persecution scattered the believers from Jerusalem, and Philip, one of the seven deacons, went down to Samaria and preached the risen Christ and Redeemer there. The Samaritans were ready because Jesus had earlier won their hearts by commendation and mercy, so they listened eagerly, many believed and were baptized, and healing of the sick and deliverance from unclean spirits brought great joy to the city. His work shows that salvation was no longer restricted to the Jewish and chosen people but was carried to Samaritans and Gentiles and all peoples, breaking through Jewish prejudice and reducing hostility between Jews and Samaritans. The success led Jerusalem to send Peter and John to help, helped the disciples understand the commission to witness in Samaria and beyond, and helped prepare the way for Paul's later ministry. Going down to Samaria and preaching Christ is the pattern for working cities now, by division and subdivision of experienced workers into unworked places with humble work centering in one city then dividing to the next, joining preaching of the gospel with care for physical needs and going where God sends, with the Spirit waiting to enlighten and convert souls.
Setting and Events in Samaria
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria in the scattering that followed Stephen's death, when severe persecution and martyrdom drove the believers from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria and beyond. After Stephen's martyrdom the persecution of Christ's followers sent Philip from Jerusalem to Samaria to preach Christ there. The Philip who went was one of the seven deacons, driven from Jerusalem to carry the gospel to Samaria.
To preach Christ unto them was to preach Christ, Jesus, the risen Christ and risen Redeemer. The Samaritans were ready to receive His messengers because Jesus had earlier preached to them Himself, winning their hearts by words of commendation and acts of mercy. They welcomed the believers and listened eagerly to Philip's message about Jesus. Many who had once been bitter enemies of the Jews believed and were baptized, becoming a fruitful harvest of believers.
His ministry was accompanied by deliverance from unclean spirits and the healing of the sick, and the people's response brought great joy to the city. Among those who turned to the faith was Simon, a sorcerer whose fame and wealth came from deceiving the people. Seeing the sick healed and people brought to the truth, he joined the believers, hoping to gain equal power and greater fame and wealth.
Gospel Beyond the Jews
After Stephen's death and the persecution that scattered believers from Jerusalem into Judea and beyond, Philip went down to Samaria and preached Christ there, the risen Christ and risen Redeemer. His preaching shows that the message of salvation was no longer restricted to the Jewish people and the chosen people but was carried beyond them to Samaritans and Gentiles and to all peoples. The Samaritans welcomed the believers and listened eagerly, and many believed and were baptized, proving that Samaritans and Gentiles were included in Christ's message and that His mission extended beyond Jerusalem and Judea.
That work in Samaria broke through Jewish prejudice and broke down and reduced the hostility between Jews and Samaritans. Philip's success led the church in Jerusalem to send Peter and John to help, and their joint work helped the disciples understand Christ's commission to witness in Samaria and beyond Jerusalem and Judea. His labor among the Samaritans also helped prepare the way for Paul's later ministry.
God later called Philip away from that successful work in Samaria to share the gospel with one inquiring soul, and the eunuch's conversion carried the gospel to Ethiopia, where many accepted Christ and turned from heathenism to Christianity. The advance through scattering shows how persecution can further the gospel, as later imprisonment also became an occasion for work that guided many people into the path of life, as seen when John Bunyan's imprisonment guided many into the path of life.
Pattern for Present Mission
Philip going down to the city of Samaria and preaching Christ there is the pattern for working cities now, and it is to be carefully studied. It means the work must not remain centered in companies in a few places with large schools and extravagant buildings while cities stay unworked. Instead there must be much spreading about through division and subdivision of experienced workers. Workers are to go into places never worked, commence humble missionary work in several places centering in one city and then divide to enter the next city so that several cities are worked at once. They are to put up only unpretentious buildings in the cities, establish small schools for preparing workers, and take workers along to instruct them in different lines of work including medical work and spreading books and papers with simple Bible lessons, so that under the cooperation of the Holy Spirit thousands will be converted and will work for other souls.
As one carrying on Christ's work after His ascension, Philip in Samaria shows that preaching the gospel and caring for physical needs belong together. His preaching Christ was accompanied by the casting out of unclean spirits and the healing of the sick, the people received his message, and their response brought great joy to the city. Proclaiming Christ in this way means hearing the voice of God and going where He sends, with the Spirit of God waiting to enlighten souls and convert them to the truth. It means explaining the Word to those who are reading the Scriptures and cannot understand their import, and putting forth much effort even for one man. The Ethiopian to whom Philip preached Jesus represents a large class of human beings that need missionaries like Philip.
After Stephen's death severe persecution scattered the believers from Jerusalem, and Philip, one of the seven deacons, went down to Samaria and preached the risen Christ and Redeemer there. The Samaritans were ready because Jesus had earlier won their hearts by commendation and mercy, so they listened eagerly, many believed and were baptized, and healing of the sick and deliverance from unclean spirits brought great joy to the city. His work shows that salvation was no longer restricted to the Jewish and chosen people but was carried to Samaritans and Gentiles and all peoples, breaking through Jewish prejudice and reducing hostility between Jews and Samaritans. The success led Jerusalem to send Peter and John to help, helped the disciples understand the commission to witness in Samaria and beyond, and helped prepare the way for Paul's later ministry. Going down to Samaria and preaching Christ is the pattern for working cities now, by division and subdivision of experienced workers into unworked places with humble work centering in one city then dividing to the next, joining preaching of the gospel with care for physical needs and going where God sends, with the Spirit waiting to enlighten and convert souls.
Setting and Events in Samaria
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria in the scattering that followed Stephen's death, when severe persecution and martyrdom drove the believers from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria and beyond. After Stephen's martyrdom the persecution of Christ's followers sent Philip from Jerusalem to Samaria to preach Christ there. The Philip who went was one of the seven deacons, driven from Jerusalem to carry the gospel to Samaria.
To preach Christ unto them was to preach Christ, Jesus, the risen Christ and risen Redeemer. The Samaritans were ready to receive His messengers because Jesus had earlier preached to them Himself, winning their hearts by words of commendation and acts of mercy. They welcomed the believers and listened eagerly to Philip's message about Jesus. Many who had once been bitter enemies of the Jews believed and were baptized, becoming a fruitful harvest of believers.
His ministry was accompanied by deliverance from unclean spirits and the healing of the sick, and the people's response brought great joy to the city. Among those who turned to the faith was Simon, a sorcerer whose fame and wealth came from deceiving the people. Seeing the sick healed and people brought to the truth, he joined the believers, hoping to gain equal power and greater fame and wealth.
Gospel Beyond the Jews
After Stephen's death and the persecution that scattered believers from Jerusalem into Judea and beyond, Philip went down to Samaria and preached Christ there, the risen Christ and risen Redeemer. His preaching shows that the message of salvation was no longer restricted to the Jewish people and the chosen people but was carried beyond them to Samaritans and Gentiles and to all peoples. The Samaritans welcomed the believers and listened eagerly, and many believed and were baptized, proving that Samaritans and Gentiles were included in Christ's message and that His mission extended beyond Jerusalem and Judea.
That work in Samaria broke through Jewish prejudice and broke down and reduced the hostility between Jews and Samaritans. Philip's success led the church in Jerusalem to send Peter and John to help, and their joint work helped the disciples understand Christ's commission to witness in Samaria and beyond Jerusalem and Judea. His labor among the Samaritans also helped prepare the way for Paul's later ministry.
God later called Philip away from that successful work in Samaria to share the gospel with one inquiring soul, and the eunuch's conversion carried the gospel to Ethiopia, where many accepted Christ and turned from heathenism to Christianity. The advance through scattering shows how persecution can further the gospel, as later imprisonment also became an occasion for work that guided many people into the path of life, as seen when John Bunyan's imprisonment guided many into the path of life.
Pattern for Present Mission
Philip going down to the city of Samaria and preaching Christ there is the pattern for working cities now, and it is to be carefully studied. It means the work must not remain centered in companies in a few places with large schools and extravagant buildings while cities stay unworked. Instead there must be much spreading about through division and subdivision of experienced workers. Workers are to go into places never worked, commence humble missionary work in several places centering in one city and then divide to enter the next city so that several cities are worked at once. They are to put up only unpretentious buildings in the cities, establish small schools for preparing workers, and take workers along to instruct them in different lines of work including medical work and spreading books and papers with simple Bible lessons, so that under the cooperation of the Holy Spirit thousands will be converted and will work for other souls.
As one carrying on Christ's work after His ascension, Philip in Samaria shows that preaching the gospel and caring for physical needs belong together. His preaching Christ was accompanied by the casting out of unclean spirits and the healing of the sick, the people received his message, and their response brought great joy to the city. Proclaiming Christ in this way means hearing the voice of God and going where He sends, with the Spirit of God waiting to enlighten souls and convert them to the truth. It means explaining the Word to those who are reading the Scriptures and cannot understand their import, and putting forth much effort even for one man. The Ethiopian to whom Philip preached Jesus represents a large class of human beings that need missionaries like Philip.