Acts 8:26-39
The Ethiopian’s Conversion
Spiritual Connections –
(Matthew 28:19 Jesus said-‘Go and make disciples.’)
Have you had/taken any opportunities lately, in words or deeds, to point someone to God?
Thanking God -What do we have to praise/thank God for today?
Hearing from God – The Bible – Read Acts 8:26-39
Note- The Ethiopian in this story is either a convert to Judaism or what was known as a ‘God-fearer’, of which there were many in Northern Africa at the time.
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‘26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road – the desert road – that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked.
31 ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.’
34 The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they travelled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptised?’ [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptised him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.’
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- What things stand out to you in this passage?
2. How did Philip come to be in that place?
3. What do we know about the Eunuch?
4. How might we spot a ‘Eunuch’ in our day-to-day life?
5. Verse 31 points to a particular gift God gives some people in the church. What is it and why is it important? (See Ephes. 4:11,12)
6. What does this passage tell us about Philip, and what can we learn
from him in terms of fruitful ministry?
7. What is the Eunuch’s response to what he hears? Is it ours?
8. What have you learned/re-learned from, this study?
9. Who might we talk to about this?
Talking with God – What should we pray for?
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