Another psalm says, “Talk of all His wondrous works!” (Ps. How careful we need to be in preaching the gospel and in personal witnessing to distinguish between those who "believe" and those whobelieve. He was flexible and sensitive to the Spirit’s direction. He smiled, reached under the counter, and held up his transistor radio. Fornication has been forsaken, uncleanness of life has been hated and left, theft and dishonesty of every kind have become detestable. Acts 28:23;When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Simon Magus who represents mere profession of faith in Christ, and Philip, the deacon and evangelist, who represents true possession of Christ. (3) Luke never stated that Simon received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17,18). 78:14; Ps. Cripple him, and you have a Sir Walter Scott. Our words of truth will pierce their souls. Except the apostles - This is an interesting qualifying statement. be very jealous, be bitterly envious (Acts 8.23) (Analytical Lexicon). In the NT the idea is God-fearing. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, Remember that the word forgive ("forgiven") includes the sense of let go of or release from obligation, release from debt, and in this context release from wickedness that holds him in bondage to unrighteousness (Acts 8:23). KJV Acts 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. If he was indeed a literal eunuch (i.e., emasculated), he would not have been allowed to enter the Temple area (probably based on Dt 23:1), and in effect would have been a "second class proselyte." Often I find that I’m not told what “step 2” is until I’ve taken “step 1”. But - Term of contrast. He focused on the "before" and not the "after!" 29:40; Exod. 90:16; Ps. KJV Acts 8:10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. A child is a child to him; he will not make him a hired servant; but he shall feast upon the fatted calf, and shall have the music and the dancing as much as if he had never gone astray. The devil stole man's true joy in his successful temptation in the Garden (cf Ps 16:11), but the glorious Gospel received restores supernatural joy to our soul (cf Gal 5:22+). This man is what is called the great power of God - Some commentators (Barton - Life Application Commentary) see Simon as a false Messiah and there is some Scriptural support, for Paul gives us the true power of God writing "but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (or Messiah) the power of God and the wisdom of God." And so in obedience to His Lord, Philip goes to the despised land of Samaria! But ever since Johannes Gutenberg devised the printing press, Scripture has been reproduced in countless forms and editions. When he awoke on that January Sunday in 1850, he thought of staying home. A sermon given up to sentimental and flowery speech is as a nosegay flung to a drowning sailor. Effective evangelism becomes possible only when the church recovers both the biblical gospel and a joyful confidence in its truth, relevance and power. Philip ("lover of horses") - This is not Philip the apostle (Mt 10:3) but Philip who was put in charge of serving tables (Acts 6:2, 5). However, as noted in the definition of eunuch (above) he may not have been emasculated as some high officials were described using the word eunuch (e.g., Potiphar an official, or "eunuch" of Pharaoh's court). ", Friberg on chole - (1) as a bitter digestive fluid stored in the gall bladder in the body gall, bile; (2) as a bitter substance made from wormwood, a plant yielding a bitter-tasting dark-green oil that is alcoholic in its effect gall (Mt 27.34); (3) idiomatically, of a person be full of bitter poison, i.e. ", Gilbrant - Classical literature uses chrēma to indicate “things that are used or needed,” such as goods, property, or money (cf. means first a writing or thing written, a document. Not demurring, but at once obeying. Keep the context in mind -- Josephus writes of some Jews who were killed just for stepping foot on Samaritan ground! Let it be true again of Your global Church Lord. Rich Cathers on Bitterness - Bitterness is a root cause of problems in life. 4:13; Jer. It is a famishing city which has not the bread of life; but it is a flourishing city which has the bread of life freely dispensed from the pulpit every Sabbath day by loving hands. We talk about wanting all that God has for us. And Saul was consenting unto his death. James 2:17) that is not saving faith, for these plants have no root (see Mark 4:17), they bear no fruit, and they do not persevere but last only for a while (on perseverance, see notes on John 6:40; Ro 8:29; 8:30; 2 Ti 2:11-13; Jude 21). The Immortality of the Soul:
And wherever they went, they preached the Word and many more believed. He had become an expert in the magic arts." Liddell-Scott). And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria - The word "all" does not mean all without exception, for Luke qualifies the quantity with except the apostles. 32:32 - describes the wickedness of Israel's enemies was described as having its roots in Sodom and Gomorrah.]). And lifts the thoughts above. Because he was faithful where God called him, he was tapped for wider service. Or was it a combination of both with the popularity of the apostles in addition?" (Sermon), D.L. Swindoll - God didn’t bring the apostles to Samaria to bestow the Holy Spirit but to witness the Samaritans receiving the Holy Spirit. I realized I hadn’t completed the story. One use of euaggelizo (where it is actually used twice) in the Septuagint depicts exactly what these scattered believers were doing... How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news (euaggelizo), Who announces peace and brings good news (euaggelizo) of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7 quoted in part by Paul in Ro 10:15+), Gilbrant has an interesting note on the secular use of euaggelizo/euangelizo - This verb is related to the noun angelos, “messenger.” Originally the term stood for proclaiming a military victory, “to bring good news” of various content from the battlefield. The enemy comes as a lion to devour, and when that approach fails, he comes as a serpent to deceive. He may or may not have been a eunuch physically. I’m not sure I want to say with confidence that the early church had become fat and lazy, staying in Jerusalem, but that’s certainly what happens sometimes to us. May the fruit of my life be an example of a follower of Christ. Amnos is used 96 times in the Septuagint and while the offering of sheep is alluded to in Ge 4:4 (flock which would probably include sheep), the sacrificial use of the amnos is not specified until the exodus of Israel from Egypt (Ex 12:5-7 but Lxx is not amnos but probaton - sheep).