Biblical Missionaries Philip as Missionary

Lesson #10 for September 5, 2015

Scriptures: [2 Corinthians 4:18; Acts 2:44-47; 4:34-37; Acts 8; 21:7-10][i].

1.    This lesson focuses on events connected to Philip who was first chosen as one of the seven deacons and later became an evangelist to Samaritans and Gentiles.

2.    Don’t you wish we knew more about what happened between resurrection Sunday and the ascension, 10 days before Pentecost? In those 40 days, Christ met the disciples in several different locations and gave them a number of challenges. See [Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:5-8]ii. In actual fact, those commissions were not only for those first disciples and other followers but also for the Christian church for the rest of human history. What do you think those first disciples thought Jesus had in mind when He said they would go from Jerusalem to Samaria to the uttermost ends of the earth?

3.    What does it mean to take the gospel to the whole world? Does that mean that we need to have at least a few Seventh-day Adventists in each country of the world? Or, does it mean in our modern days of communication that some part of the gospel message will reach every citizen-every man, woman, and child on planet earth? Would that even be possible?

4.    What do we know about Philip? The name Philip means “horse lover.” There are four people mentioned in the New Testament with the name Philip. Two of them were members of Herod’s family. The other two are of more interest to us. The first, Philip of Bethsaida, was one of the early disciples who followed Jesus and called his friend Nathaniel to become a disciple as well. Nathaniel apparently also went by the name Bartholomew. (John 1:43-46iii) The other was Philip the evangelist on whom we are focusing this week.

5.    During the final week of Jesus’s ministry, some Greeks approached Philip the disciple and said that they wanted to see Jesus. We do not know exactly who those people were or how they heard about Jesus. It is quite possible that they heard about the triumphal entry. It is also very possible that they heard all the whispering of all the other people coming to Jerusalem with the hope that Jesus would become the new king. Philip went to Andrew, and the two of them apparently took the Greeks to see Jesus. (John 12:20-21iv) It is very interesting to read through John 12:32[v] to see the interaction between Jesus and His Father which happened on that occasion. Why do you think the question raised by those Greeks led to that response?

6.    The Philip that we will focus on in this lesson who was sometimes referred to as Philip the evangelist is first mentioned as one of the seven men chosen to be deacons. (Acts 6:2-5vi) We do not know how much time passed between the events of Acts 5 and the events of Acts

6. We also do not know how much time passed from the time they chose the seven deacons until Stephen was arrested and stoned in A.D. 34. As we know from Acts 7:57-8:1vii, the stoning of Stephen led to a period of intense persecution of Christians. That persecution was led apparently by Saul of Tarsus. Many Christians were jailed, and some were killed. What we do know is that Philip apparently left Jerusalem and traveled to Samaria, probably with his wife and children.

It was Philip who preached the gospel to the Samaritans; it was Philip who had the courage to baptize the Ethiopian eunuch. For a time the history of these two workers [Philip and Paul] had been closely intertwined. It was the violent persecution of Saul the Pharisee that had scattered the church at Jerusalem and destroyed the effectiveness of the organization of the seven deacons. The flight from Jerusalem had led Philip to change his manner of labor, and resulted in his pursuing the same calling to which Paul gave his life. Precious hours were these that Paul and Philip spent in each other’s society; thrilling were the memories that they recalled of the days when the light which had shone upon the face of Stephen upturned to Heaven as he suffered martyrdom flashed in its glory upon Saul the persecutor, bringing him, a helpless suppliant, to the feet of Jesus.—Ellen G. White, Sketches From the Life of Paul, p. 204.1. [Content in brackets is added.]

7.    Try to imagine being a part of the Christian group starting out at the time of the Pentecost and growing until the time of Stephen’s stoning. Read Acts 2:44-47 and 4:34-37viii. It was a time of great community, fellowship, and sharing of almost everything. Thousands of people joined the group of Christians. They met regularly in the temple and in private homes. But, sooner or later, there was bound to develop some disagreements among them. Read Acts 6:1-7; 15:5ix. The Greek-speaking Jews thought their widows were being discriminated against in favor of the Aramaic-speaking widows.

8.    In order to deal with that problem, the disciples asked the entire Christian group to choose seven suitable men to take charge of the distributions. It is interesting to note that all seven of those who were chosen had Greek names. Of course, we know there were many people in those days who had both a Greek name and a Hebrew or Aramaic name. One of those who was chosen was Philip. Thus, Philip’s first job as a Christian deacon was to take care of the business of the church.

9.    But, it was not long before Stephen was arrested and stoned and a terrible persecution against Christians began in Jerusalem. (Acts 8:1-6[x]) We do not know if Philip was married at that time or not, but probably he was; and he took his family with him to Samaria. Fortunately, the experience recorded in John 4 with Jesus and the woman at the well in Sychar had made an opening on which Philip was hoping to expand.

10.    Who were the Samaritans? At the time when the Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 723/722 B.C., the Assyrians deported almost all of the remaining Israelites and scattered them throughout their kingdom. At the same time, they took people from various other places and resettled them in Samaria. The few Israelites that were left in the northern kingdom then intermarried with and assimilated those new people. The Samaritans liked to think of themselves as descendants of the Israelites. However, the Jews considered them to be descendants of foreigners. Remember that there were squabbles between the Jews and the Samaritans right from the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Later, one of the Maccabean sons conquered the Samaritans and forced them to pay tribute. He also apparently destroyed their temple.

11.    When Philip arrived in Samaria, his tasks suddenly changed. He then became essentially a foreign evangelist. If the example of Stephen is any indication, Philip may have already been a very effective evangelist. But, at least we are sure that Philip was no longer dealing primarily with widows!

12.    Those who have observed the church’s work in foreign countries have recognized that many missionaries have been sent overseas only to find that they were needed to do jobs that were quite different from what they had thought they were going to do!

13.    Read Acts 8:6-15xi. Apparently, Philip was conducting a very successful ministry in Samaria. His ministry was so successful that when the Christians in Jerusalem heard about it, they sent Peter and John to check things out and/or to assist. Apparently, Philip had been baptizing Samaritans; but, they had not received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17xii)

14.    Peter and John also had to deal with Simon who had been astonishing the Samaritans with magic. Later, he wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit; Peter condemned him for it.

15.    Read Acts 8:26-39xiii, the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch had been reading Isaiah 53:7-8xiv. What would you say to someone who asked what the meaning of those verses is? The Ethiopian was probably reading in Greek.

16.    How did the Ethiopian decide to become a Jew? How much of the gospel did he learn from Philip? Did he ever go back to Jerusalem to get further instruction? Apparently, Philip used that occasion to explain to the eunuch about the death and resurrection of Jesus. What points about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ would you want to mention in a brief encounter with someone? How brief was that encounter?

17.    The next time we read about Philip was about 23 years later. In the late spring of A.D. 58, Paul and his friends were taking the offerings from the Gentiles to the church in Jerusalem. We read in Acts 21:7-10xv that they landed at Caesarea. There Paul spent some wonderful days with Philip and his family. Philip had four daughters who were deemed by the Holy Spirit to be suitable to receive the gift of prophecy. We do not know exactly what they were doing; but, it is certainly a wonderful testimony to Phillip’s home instruction. How did Philip manage to be so successful raising his daughters to serve God? What do the example of Philip’s daughters have to say about the role of women in the church then as well as now?

18.    Try to imagine the discussion between Philip and Paul. Remember that it was Paul’s persecution of the Christians in Jerusalem that forced Philip to flee from his work as a deacon! What do you think they talked about?

19.    What do we know about Philip’s wife? Nothing! Was he married before he was chosen as one of the deacons? We do not know. However, Paul’s later instructions about the selection of deacons suggests that Philip was married. (1 Timothy 3:8-13xvi) Had he been one of the lesser-known followers of Jesus? We do not know that either. But, apparently, Paul and Philip had a wonderful time together which extended to “a number of days.” (Acts 21:10xvii)

20.    Remember that after being arrested and tried briefly in Jerusalem, Paul was whisked away from Jerusalem to preserve his life (See Acts 23:12-22xviii.) and was taken to prison in Caesarea where he stayed for about two years under Felix and Festus. Did he have opportunity to work with Philip or to at least talk to him during that time? Was Philip allowed to go to the prison where Paul was being kept?

21.    We do not know how long Philip stayed in Samaria or whether he went directly after that to Caesarea. In any case, he conducted a very successful missionary program.

When they were scattered by persecution they went forth filled with missionary zeal. They realized the responsibility of their mission. They knew that they held in their hands the bread of life for a famishing world; and they were constrained by the love of Christ to break this bread to all who were in need.—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 106.1.

And when His disciples were driven from Jerusalem, some found in Samaria a safe asylum. The Samaritans welcomed these messengers of the gospel, and the Jewish converts gathered a precious harvest from among those who had once been their bitterest enemies.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 106.4.

22.    While it is too bad that differences arose between the Hebrew-speaking widows and the Greek-speaking widows in the early church, it resulted in the wonderful experience of choosing the seven deacons. (Romans 8:28xix) Today, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is scattered over almost all of the world. How can we make sure that we do not allow cultural, social, or other barriers to divide us? Do we ever have differences of opinion today?

23.    Even if the church’s evangelistic programs today are very successful and assuming we managed to eliminate prejudices, etc., we need to remember that if the church is very successful at reaching people of all classes and accepting them without prejudice, it will result in even more people being attracted to the church, and they will join with their biases and prejudices to be worked on!

24.    Did God have to allow persecution to come to the believers in Jerusalem in order to get His people to move out of Jerusalem so that they would speak to Samaritans and Gentiles?

25.    What sort of early training do you think Philip received? As a young Hebrew boy, he should have attended a synagogue school. But, the most important aspects of his training were probably in the Christian community during the time he served as a deacon or maybe earlier.

26.    On what basis were the deacons chosen? (1 Timothy 3:8-13xx) Surely, they must have had a very good opportunity to spend time with the original disciples and learn from them. In fact, those who were chosen to be deacons were probably young men who already knew a lot about Christianity; many of them may have been followers of Jesus earlier. Do you think Paul remembered that the first Christian sermon that he heard was from a deacon?

27.    It has been said that if Adventists could just keep all of their children in the church here in North America, the church would be growing faster than it is now. Unfortunately, in our day and time, the natural tendency toward rebellion during the teen years makes it particularly challenging to keep them in the church. How can we do a better job of keeping our children faithful?

28.    Philip is an example of someone who ended up doing something quite different from that for which he was originally chosen. Are we prepared to meet the needs of our local communities even if they are quite different from what we would choose for ourselves? Are we willing to serve humbly where the needs are greatest?

29.    What lessons can we learn from these early experiences of the church about sharing the gospel? Look again briefly at the story of Philip. He fled persecution, confronted the sorcerer, preached to unbelievers, cast out demons, witnessed to a high official of the Ethiopian royal court, and discovered what it meant to be surprised daily by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

30.    Could some of us today who dedicate our lives faithfully to spreading the gospel have experiences similar to those which Philip had? The disciples had been told that they were to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. For first century Romans, Greeks, and Jews, Ethiopia was probably considered to be one of the ends of the earth.

31.    How many miracles do you think Philip performed in the course of his ministry? Was his miracle-working power one of the things that attracted people to him?

32.    Read 1 Timothy 3:8-13xxi. In these verses are spelled out Paul’s admonition for the choice of deacons. Were those the guidelines that the first disciples used when choosing Philip? Would they be appropriate guidelines for us to use today? At what point in his ministry do you think Philip received the Holy Spirit? Did he begin working miracles soon after that?

33.    How well did Philip understand the Samaritan culture and customs? Is it important for missionaries to understand their “audience”? Lots of evidence suggests that the better we know our audience, the more effective our witness will be.

34.    What are the most challenging areas of the world in our day? How will the gospel be carried to China? Some Adventists have gone to China as English-language instructors. What about to the Muslim world? Many of us will never have the opportunity to serve the church overseas and certainly not under those kinds of circumstances; but, what practical things could we do in our own church to make it a more effective evangelistic ministry? One thing that would always be appropriate is to continue inviting other people to join us. When was the last time you invited a non-Adventist to church? Or, to Sabbath school?

i-2 Corinthians 4:Good News Translation (GNT)

18 For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.

Acts 2:Good News Translation (GNT)

44 All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another. 45 They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed. 46 Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, 47 praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

Acts 4:Good News Translation (GNT)

34 There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, 35 and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the needs of the people.

36 And so it was that Joseph, a Levite born in Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “One who Encourages”), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and turned it over to the apostles.

Acts 8:Good News Translation (GNT)

8 And Saul approved of his murder.

Saul Persecutes the Church

That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, mourning for him with loud cries.

3 But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.

The Gospel Is Preached in Samaria

4 The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message. 5 Philip went to the principal city[a] in Samaria and preached the Messiah to the people there. 6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. 7 Evil spirits came out from many people with a loud cry, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

9 A man named Simon lived there, who for some time had astounded the Samaritans with his magic. He claimed that he was someone great, 10 and everyone in the city, from all classes of society, paid close attention to him. “He is that power of God known as ‘The Great Power,’” they said. 11 They paid this attention to him because for such a long time he had astonished them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip's message about the good news of the Kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself also believed; and after being baptized, he stayed close to Philip and was astounded when he saw the great wonders and miracles that were being performed.

14 The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 Simon saw that the Spirit had been given to the believers when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered money to Peter and John, 19 and said, “Give this power to me too, so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter answered him, “May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God's gift with money! 21 You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God's sight. 22 Repent, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will forgive you for thinking such a thing as this. 23 For I see that you are full of bitter envy and are a prisoner of sin.”

24 Simon said to Peter and John, “Please pray to the Lord for me, so that none of these things you spoke of will happen to me.”

25 After they had given their testimony and proclaimed the Lord's message, Peter and John went back to Jerusalem. On their way they preached the Good News in many villages of Samaria.

Philip and the Ethiopian Official

26 An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get ready and go south[b] to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This road is not used nowadays.)[c] 27-28 So Philip got ready and went. Now an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia, was on his way home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God and was going back home in his carriage. As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that carriage and stay close to it.” 30 Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 The official replied, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” And he invited Philip to climb up and sit in the carriage with him. 32 The passage of scripture which he was reading was this:

“He was like a sheep that is taken to be slaughtered,

like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off.

He did not say a word.

33 He was humiliated, and justice was denied him.

No one will be able to tell about his descendants,

because his life on earth has come to an end.”

34 The official asked Philip, “Tell me, of whom is the prophet saying this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak; starting from this passage of scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus. 36 As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water, and the official said, “Here is some water. What is to keep me from being baptized?” 37 [d]

38 The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The official did not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy. 40 Philip found himself in Azotus; he went on to Caesarea, and on the way he preached the Good News in every town.

Acts 21:Good News Translation (GNT)

7 We continued our voyage, sailing from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a day. 8 On the following day we left and arrived in Caesarea. There we stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen as helpers in Jerusalem. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who proclaimed God's message. 10 We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea.

ii-Matthew 28:Good News Translation (GNT)

18 Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people.

Luke 24:Good News Translation (GNT)

47 and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And I myself will send upon you what my Father has promised. But you must wait in the city until the power from above comes down upon you.”

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.”

Acts 1:Good News Translation (GNT)

5 John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus Is Taken Up to Heaven

6 When the apostles met together with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?”

7 Jesus said to them, “The times and occasions are set by my Father's own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. 8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

iii-John 1:Good News Translation (GNT)

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come with me!” (44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter lived.) 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the book of the Law and whom the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

46 “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” answered Philip.

iv-John 12:Some Greeks Seek Jesus

20 Some Greeks were among those who had gone to Jerusalem to worship during the festival. 21 They went to Philip (he was from Bethsaida in Galilee) and said, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”

v-John 12:32 When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” (all intelligent creatures, on earth and in heaven)

vi-Acts 6:2 So the twelve apostles called the whole group of believers together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the preaching of God's word in order to handle finances. 3 So then, friends, choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them in charge of this matter. 4 We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching.”

5 The whole group was pleased with the apostles' proposal, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a Gentile from Antioch who had earlier been converted to Judaism.

vii-Acts 7:57 With a loud cry the Council members covered their ears with their hands. Then they all rushed at him at once, 58 threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses left their cloaks in the care of a young man named Saul. 59 They kept on stoning Stephen as he called out to the Lord, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!” He said this and died.

8 And Saul approved of his murder.

Saul Persecutes the Church

That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria.

viii-Acts 2:44 All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another. 45 They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed. 46 Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, 47 praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

Acts 4:34 There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, 35 and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the needs of the people.

36 And so it was that Joseph, a Levite born in Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “One who Encourages”), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and turned it over to the apostles.

ix-Acts 6:The Seven Helpers

6 Some time later, as the number of disciples kept growing, there was a quarrel between the Greek-speaking Jews and the native Jews. The Greek-speaking Jews claimed that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds. 2 So the twelve apostles called the whole group of believers together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the preaching of God's word in order to handle finances. 3 So then, friends, choose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and we will put them in charge of this matter. 4 We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching.”

5 The whole group was pleased with the apostles' proposal, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a Gentile from Antioch who had earlier been converted to Judaism. 6 The group presented them to the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them.

7 And so the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew larger and larger, and a great number of priests accepted the faith.

Act 15:5 But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses.”

x-Acts 8:8 And Saul approved of his murder.

Saul Persecutes the Church

That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, mourning for him with loud cries.

3 But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.

The Gospel Is Preached in Samaria

4 The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message. 5 Philip went to the principal city[a] in Samaria and preached the Messiah to the people there. 6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed.

xi-Acts 8:6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. 7 Evil spirits came out from many people with a loud cry, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

9 A man named Simon lived there, who for some time had astounded the Samaritans with his magic. He claimed that he was someone great, 10 and everyone in the city, from all classes of society, paid close attention to him. “He is that power of God known as ‘The Great Power,’” they said. 11 They paid this attention to him because for such a long time he had astonished them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip's message about the good news of the Kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself also believed; and after being baptized, he stayed close to Philip and was astounded when he saw the great wonders and miracles that were being performed.

14 The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

xii-Acts 8:14 The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

xiii-Acts 8:Philip and the Ethiopian Official

26 An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get ready and go south[a] to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This road is not used nowadays.)[b] 27-28 So Philip got ready and went. Now an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia, was on his way home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God and was going back home in his carriage. As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that carriage and stay close to it.” 30 Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 The official replied, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” And he invited Philip to climb up and sit in the carriage with him. 32 The passage of scripture which he was reading was this:

“He was like a sheep that is taken to be slaughtered,

like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off.

He did not say a word.

33 He was humiliated, and justice was denied him.

No one will be able to tell about his descendants,

because his life on earth has come to an end.”

34 The official asked Philip, “Tell me, of whom is the prophet saying this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak; starting from this passage of scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus. 36 As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water, and the official said, “Here is some water. What is to keep me from being baptized?” 37 [c]

38 The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The official did not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy.

xiv-Isaiah 53:Good News Translation (GNT)

7 “He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly;

he never said a word.

Like a lamb about to be slaughtered,

like a sheep about to be sheared,

he never said a word.

8 He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die,

and no one cared about his fate.

He was put to death for the sins of our people.

xv-Acts 21:7 We continued our voyage, sailing from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a day. 8 On the following day we left and arrived in Caesarea. There we stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen as helpers in Jerusalem. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who proclaimed God's message. 10 We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea.

xvi-1 Timothy 3:Helpers in the Church

8 Church helpers must also have a good character and be sincere; they must not drink too much wine or be greedy for money; 9 they should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They should be tested first, and then, if they pass the test, they are to serve. 11 Their wives[a] also must be of good character and must not gossip; they must be sober and honest in everything. 12 A church helper must have only one wife,[b] and be able to manage his children and family well. 13 Those helpers who do their work well win for themselves a good standing and are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.

xvii-Acts 21:10 We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea.

xviii-Acts 23:The Plot against Paul's Life

12 The next morning some Jews met together and made a plan. They took a vow that they would not eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who planned this together. 14 Then they went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have taken a solemn vow together not to eat a thing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Council send word to the Roman commander to bring Paul down to you, pretending that you want to get more accurate information about him. But we will be ready to kill him before he ever gets here.”

16 But the son of Paul's sister heard about the plot; so he went to the fort and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the officers and said to him, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18 The officer took him, led him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to say to you.”

19 The commander took him by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, “What do you have to tell me?”

20 He said, “The Jewish authorities have agreed to ask you tomorrow to take Paul down to the Council, pretending that the Council wants to get more accurate information about him. 21 But don't listen to them, because there are more than forty men who will be hiding and waiting for him. They have taken a vow not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are now ready to do it and are waiting for your decision.”

22 The commander said, “Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” And he sent the young man away.

xix-Romans 8:28 We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him,[a] those whom he has called according to his purpose.

xx-1 Timothy 3:Helpers in the Church

8 Church helpers must also have a good character and be sincere; they must not drink too much wine or be greedy for money; 9 they should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They should be tested first, and then, if they pass the test, they are to serve. 11 Their wives[a] also must be of good character and must not gossip; they must be sober and honest in everything. 12 A church helper must have only one wife,[b] and be able to manage his children and family well. 13 Those helpers who do their work well win for themselves a good standing and are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.

xxi-1 Timothy 3:Helpers in the Church

8 Church helpers must also have a good character and be sincere; they must not drink too much wine or be greedy for money; 9 they should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They should be tested first, and then, if they pass the test, they are to serve. 11 Their wives[a] also must be of good character and must not gossip; they must be sober and honest in everything. 12 A church helper must have only one wife,[b] and be able to manage his children and family well. 13 Those helpers who do their work well win for themselves a good standing and are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.

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