Acts 8:26-40 - Philip first Evangelist to the Gentiles?

[Semper Fidelis]

Acts 8:26-40

26And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

It dawned on me today that the Ethiopian Eunuch as well as Philip being taken to Azotus makes him the first Evangelist to the Gentiles.

I found myself wondering if there has been any speculation that Luke recorded this portion out of historical sequence. It seems odd that Peter would get so much slack for being at the home of a Gentile (Cornelius) if the conversion of some Gentiles was already known within the Church.

Thoughts?

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Bueller?

 

[Herald]

Could it be that this was a personal encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian, whereas Peter's visit to Cornelius in Acts 10 was on the heels of the dream he received from God? Peter's visit seems more to do with God's command that the gentiles were no longer to be considered unclean.

Thoughts?

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Could it be that this was a personal encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian, whereas Peter's visit to Cornelius in Acts 10 was on the heels of the dream he received from God? Peter's visit seems more to do with God's command that the gentiles were no longer to be considered unclean.

Thoughts?

Not really. Phillip was directed by the Spirit to both locations and Gentile converts resulted. I don't know why I just noticed it but I can't be the first to notice it and I wonder about it. Given the way history is presented in the Scriptures, it's not at all unusual for events to be presented non-sequentially and I wonder if it's possible that Phillip happened after Peter's visit to Cornelius or, I suppose, it's possible that Peter's visit occurred simultaneously and the word hadn't gotten back yet.

One note of interest is that there is no mention of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Eunuch.

 

[Pergamum]

Perhaps it was meant to show the reluctance of the official church "pillars" to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles.

This story does seem to break the flow of the narrative. Perhaps also Luke, recounting the general Westward expansion of the Gospel (i.e. from Jerusalem to Rome, towards the ends of the earth) did not want to leave out Africa. Luke wanted to trace a general path of the Gospel but perhaps this African story was just too good to leave out.


My personal hunch (please check and critique):

My view is that the whole Bible always focuses on man's stupidity and sin and God's initiative in his mission. It is the mission of God and not driven by men.

Therefore, the NT highlights the reluctance of the Jerusalem church to reach out in cross-cultural witness - they even had to debate the issue first.

So, Acts 8 is added to show that it was not the Jewish "pillars" but a Greek-speaking Jewish Christain (a "Hellenist", if you will allow the term) that got the first recorded Gentile convert.



Also, Luke is interested in fulfilled prophecy and so Acts 8 fulfills Is. 56:3-8 and is added to Luke's narrative due to this.


It is possible that though the first Gentile was converted under Philip that Philip was not mainly focused on the Gentiles but on the Jewish beleivers in Samaria and the cities of the coastal plain.

I see no indications that this narrative is non-chronological. Does Luke use non-chronology in other places to support the proposition here that this narative is out of chronology?


In Acts 8:40 it states that Philip found himself in Azotus and he passed through the region and proclaimed the Gospel to all the towns until he came to Caeseria. In Acts 9:32,36,38 the people who were converted in Lyda and Joppa, whom Peter met and stayed with, heard the Gospel through Philip (speculation only). Also there were conversions probably in Ceasarea where Paul stayed a few years later (Acts 21:8). So, it appears highly probably that Philip's work came before both Peter's and Paul's.

But this evangelizing by Philip does not seem to be the beginning of the GENTILE MISSION. This is KEY!

Gentiles were only gathered in as Philip tried to reach the Jews in the area (incidental converts, so to speak). Of course, it appears that Philip did not limit his preaching to Jews, but Gentiles were NOT his main focus and so his story, while great, is a departure from the main thrust of the Lukan narrative.

 

[Pergamum]

Rich: Are you implying that the Ethiopian was not saved or converted then?

Or merely that the Spirit as a stamp of approval of the advancing church did not reach the Ethiopian?

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Pergamum,

The text doesn't have to be non-chronological, per se, but there's no reason why Acts 8-10 couldn't all be occuring at the same time. I don't know. I guess it's not important but it does seem odd that the Church would be oblivious to conversions of Gentiles and I have a hard time buying the prejudice issue if Philip came back with a report of being directed by the Spirit to convert and baptize some Gentiles.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Rich: Are you implying that the Ethiopian was not saved or converted then?

Or merely that the Spirit as a stamp of approval of the advancing church did not reach the Ethiopian?

The issue of the receipt of the Spirit is that, in Acts, the outpouring of the Spirit is used as confirmation that certain groups have been included into the people of God. Peter points to this fact and the rest concur that the receipt of the Spirit means that God has given them the same gift he gave us.

It could be an innocuous but this fact is omitted in the account of the Eunuch's baptism. The fact that a Eunuch is baptized, though, does have some inclusive aspects because such people would have been cut off from the nation in the OC.

 

[Pergamum]

okay, I see the issues you are wrestling with.

I do still favor a chronological reading.

As far as prejudice in the Jerusalem church, Paul was evangelizing and winning Gentiles for a fair amount of time before the Acts 15 council occurred. The prejudice seems to have been stirred up by certain teachers after it became a regular occurrence for Gentiles to profess faith, i.e a purposeful and concerted effort by these Judaizers. I am sure the church was not oblivious to these happenings, but they had no theological grid yet to process these strange new occurrences.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

okay, I see the issues you are wrestling with.

I do still favor a chronological reading.

As far as prejudice in the Jerusalem church, Paul was evangelizing and winning Gentiles for a fair amount of time before the Acts 15 council occurred. The prejudice seems to have been stirred up by certain teachers after it became a regular occurrence for Gentiles to profess faith, i.e a purposeful and concerted effort by these Judaizers. I am sure the church was not oblivious to these happenings, but they had no theological grid yet to process these strange new occurrences.

The issue of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 was a Judaizing one. Certainly there were some "prejudices" and ignorant back-sliding in theology that cause Judaizers to despise their Gentile Brothers and insist on circumcision but the theological grid for accepting the Gentiles was clearly established with Peter:

Acts 10

47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Acts 11

1And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

2And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,

3Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

4But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,

5I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:

6Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

7And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.

8But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.

9But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

10And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

12And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

13And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;

14Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

15And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

16Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

17Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.