SB4
8 October 1999



Acts 8

Providence and dispersion


0. Introduction.
We see in this study how the Holy Spirit is in control of everything, cannot be manipulated, and works in bad situations to further the gospel and God's glory.

Read 7:54-60 for background, then read 8:1-8.


1. 8:1-8. Persecution and dispersion.
Why did God allow intense persecution to break out against the church?
What was the result of this? Were the results ultimately positive or negative?
How does this relate to the theme given in Acts 1?
Would the Christians have brought the gospel to the surrounding areas without the impetus of the persecution?
Why did the apostles stay in Jerusalem?


2. 8:9-25. Simon the Sorcerer.
What was the motive behind Simon's offer of money? How was he relating to the Holy Spirit? Why does Peter tell him that he still had bitterness and sin [v23]?
How do our attitudes or behavior parallel his? What lesson should we gain from this?


3. 8:26-40. Philip and the Ethiopian.
How did Peter introduce the gospel? In what ways can we witness in such ways?
What was the Spirit's role in this whole story?
What does the phrase "divine appointment" mean to you?
Discuss how we can use "appointments" and other opportunities to share the gospel.
How do you feel about witnessing to strangers? To friends? Witnessing spontaneously?
How does Philip begin to talk and witness to him?
What shows that Philip must have explained the need for a personal response? How do we explain that need to others?
How might the Holy Spirit indicate that we should witness to a particular person?
How might you use such a passage as this (Is. 53) or others to share the gospel?
Though Philip couldn't disciple the Ethiopian, how would he have matured spiritually?


4. Conclusion: prayer.
Spend about 15+ minutes in sharing and prayer, sharing personal requests, fellowship concerns, and other requests, plus praying to apply the lessons of this study. Pray also for the peoples of northern Africa today, who mostly have followed Islam for centuries instead of Christ.


Notes.
8:5. Some biblical manuscripts have "the city of Samaria", referring to the old capital of Samaria, at this time also called Sebaste, and today called Nablus, in the West Bank.
Simon: Some doubt exists as to wheter his faith was genuine, since Peter declared that his heart was not right before God [v21], and some early Christian literature refers to Simon the Sorcerer (Simon Magus) as a great heretic and instrumental in starting the gnostic heresies.
8:16. Here the Holy Spirit had not filled a group of believers as in chapter 2. In fact, throughout Acts we see that the Holy Spirit works differently with different people. We can't easily put the Spirit into a "box" and expect Him to behave in a humanly predictable manner. He works differently with different individuals, according to their own situation, needs, and God's plans for them. Thus, we can't say that if you're a believer, you must experience X, Y, and Z, when His plan for each person may be different. Thus it is incorrect to say that a believer must have a charismatic experience, some special manifestation or experience, speak in tongues, or such in order to be a spiritual Christian. God's Spirit works as He pleases in each of us, not arbitrarily, nor predictably in our terms, but according to His purpose for each of us.
8:26. Gaza is about 80km from Jerusalem, near the coast and along major travel and trade routes.
Eunuch. The eunuch was either a convert to Judaism or at least a God-fearing Gentile. Eunuchs were harem attendants, but sometimes rose to positions of power. But because of his race and emasculation as a eunuch, he would not have been allowed to fully participate in Jewish rites (Detu. 23:1). Ethipian tradition claims him as the country's first evangelist, and by tradition he is named Indich and Fudich.
Reading aloud was customary, so it's natural that Philip could have overheard him. The eunuch was reading from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
Ethiopia. See more on the background page.
Candace was the title of the queen mother, who carried out secular administrative duties, for which the king was considered too sacred.
8:30. Azotus corresponds to OT Ashdod; it was located 30km north of Gaza and 90km south of Caesarea, all near the coast. Caesarea was a Gentile city and the Roman administrative capitol of Judea. Philip apparently made the city his home base, as his next appearance is 20 years later in Caesarea in Acts 21:8. See more on the background page.

Some questions on § 3 are based on those from the study guide booklet Evangelism, Rebecca Pippert & Ruth Siemens, IV Press, 1985.