Thursday, June 27, 2013

Philip and the Eunich


Philip filled with the Holy Spirit, is led out into the desert to an Ethiopian Eunuch in need of help. 

Act 8:26  And 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.
Act 8:27  And 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,
Act 8:28  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Act 8:29  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Act 8:30  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Act 8:31  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32  The 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:
Act 8:33  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
Act 8:34  And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
Act 8:35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Act 8:36  And 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?
Act 8:37  And 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.
Act 8:38  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Act 8:39  And 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.
Act 8:40  But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
 
Philip preached to him Jesus from Isaiah 53. The eunich believed and desired to be baptized in the near bye water. After baptizing the eunich, the word of God says that he was caught away by the Spirit and was found in Azotus.
 
Strong's concordance defines "caught away" as to seize, carry off by force; to seize on, claim for oneself eagerly; to snatch out of the way. The phrase is also translated, catch up, pluck, take by force. It appears that Philip was in one place and was caught up by the Holy Spirit to another place.
 
The Ethiopian was full of joy, a fruit of the Holy Spirit. There was no separate receiving of the Holy Ghost, it appears that he received it all at his water baptism.
 
We are to be ready and willing to be led by the Spirit to someone who desires to know about Jesus and salvation. I witnessed on the Internet for a year before the Lord led me to Sarah. What a miracle of salvation she received, but that is another story.


 Hiding Place (by Sarah).

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