CHAPTER 8
And
Saul
was there,
giving approval
to
Stephen’s
death.
On
that
day
a great
persecution
broke out
against
the
church
in
Jerusalem,
and
all
except
the
apostles
were scattered
throughout
Judea
and
Samaria.
But
Saul
began to destroy
the
church.
Going
from house to house,
he dragged off
men
and
women
and put them
in
prison.
With loud shrieks,
unclean
spirits
came out of
many
who
were possessed,
and
many
of the paralyzed
and
lame
were healed.
Prior to that time,
a
man
named
Simon
had practiced sorcery
in
the
city
and
amazed
the
people
of Samaria.
He claimed
to be
someone
great,
and all the people,
from
the least
to
the greatest,
heeded his words
and said,
“This man
is
the
divine
power
called
the Great Power.”
But
when
they believed
Philip
as he preached the gospel
of
the
kingdom
of God
and
the
name
of Jesus
Christ,
they were baptized,
both
men
and
women.
Even
Simon
himself
believed
and
was baptized.
He followed
Philip closely
and
was amazed
by the great
signs
and
miracles
he observed.
When
the
apostles
in
Jerusalem
heard
that
Samaria
had received
the
word
of God,
they sent
Peter
and
John
to
them.
For
the Holy Spirit had
not yet
fallen
upon
any
of them;
they had simply been
baptized
into
the
name
of the
Lord
Jesus.
When
Simon
saw
that
the
Spirit
was given
through
the
laying on
of the
apostles’
hands,
he offered
them
money.
“Give me
this
power
as well,”
he said,
“so that
everyone on whom
I lay
my
hands
may receive
the Holy
Spirit.”
But
Peter
replied,
“May your
silver
perish
with
you,
because
you thought
you could buy
the
gift
of God
with
money!
Repent,
therefore,
of
your
wickedness,
and
pray to
the
Lord.
Perhaps
He will forgive
you
for the
intent
of
your
heart.
After Peter and John
had testified
and
spoken
the
word
of the
Lord,
they returned
to
Jerusalem,
preaching the gospel
in many
of the
Samaritan
villages.
Now
an angel
of the Lord
said
to
Philip,
“Get up
and
go
south
to
the
desert
road
that
goes down
from
Jerusalem
to
Gaza.”
So
he started out,
and
on his way
he met
an Ethiopian
eunuch,
a court official
in charge of
the entire
treasury
of Candace,
queen
of the Ethiopians.
He
had gone
to
Jerusalem
to worship,
So
Philip
ran up
and heard
the man
reading
Isaiah
the
prophet.
“Do you understand
what
you are reading?”
Philip asked.
“How
can I,”
he said,
“unless
someone
guides
me?”
And
he invited
Philip
to come up
and sit
with
him.
The eunuch was reading
this
passage
of
Scripture:
“He was led
like
a sheep
to
the slaughter,
and
as
a lamb
before
the
shearer
is silent,
so
He did not open
His
mouth.
In
His
humiliation
He
was deprived
of justice.
Who
can recount
His
descendants?
For
His
life
was removed
from
the
earth.”
As
they traveled
along
the
road
and came
to
some
water,
the
eunuch
said,
“Look,
here is water!
What
is to prevent
me
from being baptized?”
And
Philip
said,
If
you believe
from
all
the
heart,
it is lawful.
He answered
and
he said,
I believe
the
Son
of God
to be
Jesus
Christ.
And
he gave orders
to stop
the
chariot.
Then
both
Philip
and
the
eunuch
went down
into
the
water,
and
Philip baptized
him.
When
they came up
out of
the
water,
the Spirit
of the Lord
carried
Philip away,
and
the
eunuch
saw
him
no more,
but
went
on his
way
rejoicing.
But
Philip
appeared
at
Azotus
and
traveled through that region,
preaching the gospel
in all
the
towns
until
he
came
to
Caesarea.