Acts 8:1
Outline:
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
A. \\#1:1-3\\ The Introduction
B. \\#1:4-26\\ Jesus’ Departure
1. \\#1:4-8\\ The Command
2. \\#1:9-11\\ The Ascension and Promised Return
3. \\#1:12-26\\ The Wait for the Holy Ghost
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
1. \\#Acts 1:1-4\\ The Holy Spirit Comes
2. \\#Acts 2:5-8:4\\ The Power of the Holy Spirit
a. \\#Acts 2:5-13\\ The Power of Languages
b. \\#Acts 2:1-36\\ The Power of Preaching
c. \\#Acts 2:37-41, 47\\ The Power of Salvation
d. \\#Acts 2:42-47\\ The Power of Fellowship
e. \\#Acts 2:44-45\\ The Power of Giving
f. \\#Acts 3:1-11\\ The Power of Healing (miracles) and
more preaching \\#Acts 3:12-26\\
g. \\#Acts 4:1-31\\ The Power of Suffering
h. \\#Acts 4:32-5:42\\ The Power of Chastening
(1) \\#Acts 4:32-37\\ The Continuous Demonstrations
of the Holy Ghost (fellowship, preaching,
giving)
(2) \\#Acts 5:1-11\\ The Holy Ghost Chastens
(3) \\#Acts 5:12-42\\ The Continuous Demonstration of
the Holy Ghost (healing, salvation, suffering)
i. \\#Acts 6:1-7:50\\ The Power of Leadership (salvation,
preaching, persecution)
(1) \\#Acts 6:1-6\\ The Power of Leadership
(2) \\#Acts 6:7\\ The Power of Salvation
(3) \\#Acts 6:8-7:50\\ The Power of Preaching and
Persecution
(a) \\#Acts 6:8-15\\ The Situation
(b) \\#Acts 7:1-53\\ The Preaching
(c) \\#Acts 7:54-60\\ The Persecution
j. \\#Acts 8:1-4\\ The Persecutions Intensify
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
A. \\#8:4-40\\ The Ministry of Philip
1. \\#5-25\\ Philip Called to Samaria
2. \\#26-39\\ Philip’s Called to the Desert
3. \\#39-40\\ God Moved Him Toward Caesarea
III. \\#Acts 13:1-28:31\\ God’s Work in Uttermost Parts of the World
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
2. \\#Acts 2:5-8:4\\ The Power of the Holy Spirit
j. \\#Acts 8:1-4\\ The Persecutions Intensify
i. \\#1\\ "Saul was consenting unto his death"
aa. In the last chapter, Stephen was stoned.
While that was being done, Saul
"consented."
bb. The word means "to take pleasure in, to
allow, to think well of."
ii. "there was a great persecution against the church
which was at Jerusalem" - The religious leaders
decide to end the new "fad."
aa. "and they were all scattered abroad
…Judaea and Samaria" - The followers of
God are forced to expand their outreach
beyond Jerusalem. The persecution was
only in Jerusalem and the surrounding
Jewish areas as that was as far as the
Jewish leaders can reach.
bb. "except the apostles" - Despite being the
objects of what would must have been the
most intense search in persecution, the
apostles stayed in Jerusalem.
cc. \\#3\\ "Saul …made havoc of the church"
Saul became a major driver in the
persecutions.
dd. \\#4\\ "scattered abroad …preaching the
word" - Christians were scattered but not
silenced.
iii. \\#2\\ "devout men carried Stephen to his burial"
Stephen was given a honorary burial.
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
A. \\#8:4-40\\ The Ministry of Philip - The attention turns to a
second of the deacons.
1. Maps
a. Philip's Travels
b. Eunuch's Travels
2. \\#5-25\\ Philip Called to Samaria
a. \\#5-8\\ "down to the city of Samaria" - The city is
north of Jerusalem but is down in altitude.
(1) \\#6\\ "and preached Christ unto them" - The
audience would still be the Jews who had been
scattered or moved from Israel.
(2) "And the people with one accord gave heed" - In
the beginning, the Jewish people seemed to
believe the message of Jesus.
(3) "hearing and seeing the miracles" - The miracles
proving that God was at work.
(4) \\#7\\ Demons were being cast out and sick were
being healed.
(5) \\#8\\ This brought "great joy in that city."
b. \\#9-13\\ The Saving of Simon
(1) \\#9\\ "used sorcery, and bewitched the people
…giving out that himself was some great one"
Simon had practiced the occult.
(2) \\#10-11\\ And the people had regarded him.
(3) \\#12\\ "But when they believed" - When the
Jewish people of Samaria believed…
(4) \\#13\\ "Then Simon himself believed also"
(a) This is the same type of description used to
describe the salvation of others.
(b) Because the words of Peter will be so stern
concerning Simon, some question his
salvation, but there is nothing that would
indicate his salvation was not genuine.
(c) As a young Christian, he simply reverted
back to his old ways and was sternly
rebuked by Peter. (The Jews are often "over
the top" when it comes to their emotions.)
(5) "and when he was baptized" - Those in charge saw
no reason to doubt Simon’s salvation.
(6) "and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs
…done." - Seeing the power of God work put the
puny power of Satan which he had used into its
place.
c. \\#14-17\\ The Apostles Come to See
(1) \\#14\\ "apostles …sent unto them Peter and John"
It is evident that the apostles had authority
beyond those in the local church today, even to
the point of having authority over other
churches and pastors/evangelists. We do not
have any apostles today and those who call
themselves such seem to me to be presumptuous.
(2) \\#15, 17\\ "Who …prayed for them, that they
might receive the Holy Ghost …and they received
the Holy Ghost."
(a) Does one need to pray to receive the Holy
Ghost today? Do they need a "second
benefit" \\#2Cor 1:15\\?
(b) NO.
i. There are many verses which indicate
that the Holy Ghost abode inside of
the believers being addressed in the
epistles.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of
God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Ga 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba, Father.
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together
for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
ii. But the best verse to prove that He is
in ALL believers is…
Ro 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell
in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his.
iii. Why did those filled with the Holy
Spirit have to pray and "pass" the
Holy Spirit along in the book of
Acts?
aa. The answer is not given, but it
is hinted in verse 16..
Acts 8:16 (For as yet…."
bb. This verse indicates that there
was a condition that had changed
even by the time Acts was
written.
cc. My guess is that the book of Acts
was a transition period for many
things were changing.
dd. These people were born under the
Law but died in the church age.
ee. Even some who believed only had
part of the gospel
\\#Acts 19:1-7\\.
ff. It seems that during the early
days of the church, the Holy
Ghost was passed by the laying on
of hands, perhaps to provide a
clear connection back to the
apostles, but by the time Romans
was written (Paul’s 3rd
missionary journey, 52 to 58 AD),
the Holy Spirit came to believers
at the time of salvation.
http://www.biblestudy.org/maps/apostle-paul-third-missionary-journey-
map.html
d. \\#18-25\\ Simon’s sin
(1) \\#18\\ Simon "offered them money" for the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
(2) \\#19-23\\ Peter strongly rebuked Simon.
(a) \\#20\\ "Thy money perish with thee" - The
phrase might indicate that Simon was still
lost.
(b) While that is a possibility, it is just as
likely that Simon was not.
i. \\#13\\ He had believed as others.
ii. \\#24\\ He displayed a humble repentant
heart.
iii. \\#22\\ Peter told him to seek
forgiveness not salvation.
(c) It seems possible that Simon was still
thinking like a lost person. Being
unlearned in many things of God, he
probably tried to do what he would have
done in his old life. He needed to be
rebuked for it.
(d) When Peter told Simon that his money might
perished with him, he was not necessarily
giving a prophecy. He may have been
stating a possibility that Simon was not
saved; however, other conditions indicate
that he likely was.
(e) Only eternity will reveal the truth.
3. \\#26-39\\ Philip’s Called to the Desert
a. \\#26\\ "the angel of the Lord spake"
(1) Philip had been the vessel to carry a
revival to Samaria, now God personally lead
him from that city to the country side.
(2) "the way …from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is
desert" - Philip had to travel back toward
Jerusalem to get on this road.
b. \\#27-28\\ "a man of Ethiopia"
(1) \\#27\\ Ethiopia is far to the south of Israel.
A lot would depend on the route taken, but it
could easily be 1000 miles or more.
(2) Several things would make us think he was a
servant to the queen.
(a) He was a "eunuch," indicating an owned
slave.
(b) Yet he had "great authority." He was not
trying to run away but was in service on
this trip.
(c) "Candace, queen of the Ethiopians" - And we
are told he served under the queen.
(3) It would also seem that he was Jewish.
(a) \\#28\\ "Was returning" - He had been to
Jerusalem.
(b) "read Esaias the prophet" - While there,
he had secured a great treasure, the
scroll of Isaiah.
(c) It would seem this man had gone to
Jerusalem and had worshipped while
there. Having a scroll of the Bible
book would not have been cheap to
purchase or easy to come by. It stands
to reason that only a Jewish man would
have done these things.
(d) "sitting …read Esaias"
i. The eunuch had stopped his chariot
and was reading the book of Isaiah!
ii. \\#32-33\\ The place where he read
was \\#Is 53:7-8\\.
c. \\#29\\ The Holy Spirit commanded Philip to join the
eunuch.
d. \\#30\\ Philip instantly and whole-heartedly obeyed.
e. \\#34-35\\ Soon, Philip was declaring the good
news of Jesus to the eunuch.
f. \\#36-39\\ "What doeth hinder me from being baptized"
(1) Philip had spoken of the Christian converts
being baptized after believing.
(2) \\#37\\ "If thou believest with all thine
heart" - The condition for salvation.
(3) "I believe" - The eunuch did.
(4) \\#38-39\\ "they went down both into the
water …and when they were come up out of
the water" - While this verse does not
completely dismiss sprinkling as the mode
of baptism, it does hint at it. There was
no need for them to go into the water if
sprinkling was all they were going to do.
In fact, they could have done that from a
canteen.
4. \\#39-40\\ God Moved Him Toward Caesarea
a \\#39\\ "the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip" -
The Holy Spirit literally moved Philip from one place
to another.
b. "Azotus …till he came to Caesarea" - Azotus was
near the sea. From there, Philip continued to
preach to the Jews along the sea coast as he traveled
toward Caesarea.
c. It does not appear that Philip suffered any
persecution as he preached. At this time, the
persecution was localized to Jerusalem and
perhaps the surrounding areas.
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