Bullet Point Bible

Saul Persecutes the Church

² Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.³ But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.⁴ Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word.

Saul (later Paul) actively consented to Stephen's martyrdom, marking his initial opposition to Christianity (Acts 8:1).
The persecution following Stephen's death was severe ("great persecution") and specifically targeted the church in Jerusalem.
This persecution ironically fulfilled Jesus' commission (Acts 1:8) by forcing believers out of Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria.
The apostles remained in Jerusalem, perhaps providing a stable center or facing the danger directly.
Devout men, likely Jewish sympathizers or believers, risked association with Stephen by giving him a proper burial and mourning publicly.
Saul's persecution was systematic and brutal ("trying to destroy," "entering house after house," "dragged off men and women").
The scattering ("diaspora") of believers became the catalyst for the gospel's geographic expansion.
Those scattered did not hide their faith but actively preached ("evangelized") the word wherever they went (Acts 8:4).
This demonstrates how God can use opposition and suffering to advance His purposes.
The focus shifts from the central leadership (apostles) to ordinary believers spreading the message.

Philip's Ministry in Samaria

⁵ Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them.⁶ The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing.⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed.⁸ So there was great joy in that city.

Philip, one of the seven chosen in Acts 6 (distinct from the Apostle Philip), becomes a key figure in evangelism.
Taking the gospel to Samaria was a significant step, crossing a major ethnic and religious barrier between Jews and Samaritans.
Philip proclaimed "the Christ" (the Messiah), the central message of the early church.
His preaching was accompanied by powerful miraculous signs (exorcisms, healings), confirming the message's divine origin.
The Samaritans responded positively and unifiedly ("with one mind") to Philip's ministry.
The specific mention of unclean spirits, paralysis, and lameness highlights the dramatic nature of the healings.
The result of the gospel message and the accompanying signs was widespread joy in the city, contrasting with the persecution in Jerusalem.
This fulfills the "Samaria" part of Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8.
Philip's actions demonstrate that the gospel message was not limited to Jewish people.

Simon the Sorcerer

⁹ Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.¹⁰ All the people, from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called 'Great.'"¹¹ And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.¹² But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.¹³ Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed.

Simon practiced magic (Greek *mageuō*), likely involving illusions, occult practices, or claims of supernatural power.
He had significant influence ("amazed the people," "all... paid close attention") and promoted himself ("claiming to be someone great").
The Samaritans attributed divine power to him, calling him "the power of God that is called 'Great'," indicating their spiritual confusion.
Philip's message focused on the "kingdom of God" and the "name of Jesus Christ," contrasting with Simon's self-aggrandizement.
Genuine belief in Philip's message led to baptism, a public declaration of faith in Jesus.
Simon also "believed" and was baptized, but subsequent events reveal the superficial or misguided nature of his faith.
Simon was drawn to the *power* associated with Philip's ministry ("amazed... observed the signs and great miracles"), rather than the person of Christ or the message of repentance.
This introduces a theme of discerning true faith from superficial or self-serving responses to the gospel.
Simon's previous influence highlights the spiritual darkness Philip encountered in Samaria.

The Apostles Confirm the Samaritan Believers

¹⁴ Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.¹⁵ These two went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit.¹⁶ (For the Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)¹⁷ Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit.¹⁸ Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, offered them money,¹⁹ saying, "Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."²⁰ But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God's gift with money!²¹ You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God!²² Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart.²³ For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin."²⁴ But Simon replied, "You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me."²⁵ So after Peter and John had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages as they went.

The Jerusalem apostles validated the Samaritan mission by sending Peter and John, demonstrating church unity.
The Samaritans had believed and been baptized but had not yet received the Holy Spirit in the same manifest way as the believers at Pentecost. This sequence is unusual in Acts.
The apostles prayed specifically for the Samaritans to receive the Spirit, indicating this was a necessary step for their full inclusion.
The laying on of hands by the apostles was the means through which the Spirit was conferred in this instance, possibly to link the Samaritan believers visibly to the apostolic authority.
Simon's reaction reveals his fundamental misunderstanding: he saw the Spirit as a power to be bought and controlled, not a divine gift received through faith and repentance.
The term "simony" (attempting to buy spiritual office or power) originates from this incident.
Peter's rebuke was severe ("May your silver perish with you!"), condemning Simon's attempt to commercialize God's grace.
Peter diagnosed Simon's core problem: his heart was "not right before God," indicating a lack of genuine repentance.
Peter called Simon to personal repentance and prayer for forgiveness, emphasizing individual responsibility.
Peter perceived Simon was motivated by bitter envy (gall of bitterness) and trapped by sin ("bondage to sin").
Simon's response ("You pray... for me") shows fear of consequences but perhaps not genuine repentance, as he asks Peter to intercede rather than repenting himself.
Peter and John continued evangelizing in other Samaritan villages on their return, confirming the success of the outreach.

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

²⁶ Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)²⁷ So he got up and went. There he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship,²⁸ and was returning home, sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah.²⁹ Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot."³⁰ So Philip ran up to it and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, "Do you understand what you're reading?"³¹ The man replied, "How in the world can I, unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.³² Now the passage of scripture the man was reading was this:³² " He was led like a sheep to slaughter,³² and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,³² so he did not open his mouth .³³ In humiliation justice was taken from him .³³ Who can describe his posterity?³³ For his life was taken away from the earth ."³⁴ Then the eunuch said to Philip, "Please tell me, who is the prophet saying this about-himself or someone else?"³⁵ So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.

Divine guidance is explicit: an angel directs Philip to a specific, desolate road.
Philip's immediate obedience ("So he got up and went") is characteristic of his ministry.
The Ethiopian eunuch was a high-ranking official ("in charge of all her treasury") from the kingdom of Meroë (often called Ethiopia in ancient texts).
As a eunuch, and likely a Gentile "God-fearer," his status regarding full inclusion in Jewish worship was ambiguous under Old Testament law (Deut 23:1), yet he was devout enough to travel to Jerusalem to worship.
He possessed a scroll of Isaiah, indicating wealth and deep religious interest.
The Holy Spirit provides further specific guidance for Philip to approach the chariot.
Philip overheard the eunuch reading Isaiah aloud, a common practice in antiquity.
Philip's question, "Do you understand what you are reading?" opens the door for conversation.
The eunuch humbly acknowledged his need for interpretation ("How can I, unless someone guides me?").
The passage being read was Isaiah 53:7-8, a key text about the Suffering Servant.
The eunuch's question ("who is the prophet saying this about?") was the perfect entry point for Philip.
Philip used the Isaiah passage as a starting point ("beginning with this scripture") to preach Jesus, demonstrating how Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

The Eunuch's Baptism and Philip's Departure

³⁶ Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water! What is to stop me from being baptized?"³⁸ So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.³⁹ Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but went on his way rejoicing.⁴⁰ Philip, however, found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through the area, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

The eunuch's question ("What is to prevent me from being baptized?") shows his immediate faith response to Philip's message about Jesus.
The presence of water in a desert area suggests divine providence.
Verse 37, containing Philip's requirement for belief and the eunuch's confession, is bracketed in the NET Bible as it's missing from the earliest manuscripts, though it reflects early church practice.
The eunuch took the initiative ("ordered the chariot to stop"), demonstrating his eagerness.
Baptism by immersion is suggested by "went down into the water" and "came up out of the water."
Philip's sudden, miraculous removal by the Spirit ("snatched Philip away") emphasizes God's sovereign direction of his ministry.
The eunuch continued his journey "rejoicing," indicating the transformative impact of his conversion and baptism, despite Philip's abrupt departure.
This conversion is significant as it represents the gospel reaching a Gentile official from a distant land, foreshadowing the mission to the "ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Philip reappeared in Azotus (ancient Ashdod) and continued his evangelistic work along the coastal plain until reaching Caesarea, which became his base (cf. Acts 21:8).
The chapter highlights the diverse ways the gospel spread: through persecution, planned outreach (Samaria), and divinely orchestrated individual encounters.

The Bullet Point Bible

Acts 8