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The first thing you notice about Philip (one of the Seven) in Acts 8 is that he is fearless. Against the Background of Stephen being stoned to death and Saul seeking out and dragging believers to prison, Philip continues to preach Christ (v5). The second thing: he is willing to go hither and thither – first to Samaria, then to Gaza (vs5, 26). The third thing: he preaches Jesus Christ (v25-35).
If we think what Philip did sounds simple, think again. In Samaria, Philip had a good thing going – his preaching and the miraculous signs won many people to Jesus (v6-8, 12), including a sorcerer Simon. He was called a “Great Power” and convincing enough to “amaze all the people” (v9) with his magic. But through Philip’s preaching even Simon believed the message. When told by an angel to move on, Philip could have protested to stay. However, he did not and moved to Gaza instead where he met an Ethiopian eunuch, Treasurer of Ethiopia. The takeaway is that we never say we have won enough people to Jesus and wish to hang up our evangelistic boots.
Evangelism must also be done where it’s hard to do. The Jews and Samarians were enemies for centuries. The Jews looked down on the Samarians as inferior because they did not uphold Jewish religious practices. Philip is called to preach to his enemies. Imagine going out of your way to someone who has made your life miserable. The point is we must wish our enemies well, telling them about Jesus whether or not we think they deserve it.
Finally, and it cannot be understated, the gift of giving out God’s Word is bound up in our reading and study of it so that we may be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Hence, Philip preached to the masses (as in Samaria) as to the individual (the eunuch). At a moment’s notice, he heads to Gaza. At another moment’s notice, he runs to the chariot of the eunuch. On the spot, he asks the Ethiopian if he understands the passage (Isa. 53) he was reading and preaches from the passage to him. May it not be that moments are lost when, insensitive to God’s prompting, we miss out on giving the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. Our family, relatives and friends need to hear about Jesus – let us be bold to tell them the good news.
