Chapter VI

THE EARLY MINISTRY OF PHILIP THE DEACON, THE CONVERSION OF THE SAMARITANS, THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH.

1 [8:4]Being scattered abroad, therefore, they went everywhere preaching the good news of the word; [8:5]and Philip going down to a city of Samaria preached Christ to them. [8:6]And the multitudes attended with one accord to the things said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the miracles which he performed. [8:7]For impure spirits came out of many who had them, crying with a loud voice; and many paralytics and lame persons were cured; [8:8]and there was great joy in that city.

2 [8:9]And there was a man by the name of Simon who formerly practised magic in that city, and astonished the nation of Samaria, saying that he was some great person, [8:10]to whom all from the least to the greatest attended, saying, This is the power of God which is called great. [8:11]And they attended to him because for a long time he had astonished them with his magic arts. [8:12]But because they believed Philip preaching the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. [8:13]And Simon also himself believed, and being baptized attended constantly on Philip; and beholding the mighty works and miracles that were performed, he was astonished.

3 [8:14]And the apostles at Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John, [8:15]who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; [8:16]for it had not yet fallen on any of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [8:17] Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. [8:18]And Simon seeing that the Holy Spirit was given by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, offered them money, [8:19]saying, Give me this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hand he may receive the Holy Spirit. [8:20]But Peter said to him, Your money go to perdition with you; because you have thought to purchase the gift of God with money. [8:21]You have no part nor inheritance in this work; for your heart is not right before God. [8:22]Turn your mind therefore from this your wickedness, and pray the Lord if perhaps the thought of your mind may be forgiven you; [8:23]for I see you are in the gall of bitterness and bond of wickedness. [8:24]And Simon answered and said, Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have said may come upon me.

4 [8:25]They then having fully testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the good news to many villages of the Samaritans. [8:26]And an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go to the south, by the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza; this is a wilderness. [8:27]And he arose and went. And behold a man, an Ethiopian eunuch, an officer of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, [8:28]and he was returning and sitting in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah.

5 [8:29]And the Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to his chariot. [8:30]And Philip running forward heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and he said, Do you really understand what you read? [8:31]And he said [No]; for how can I unless some one teaches me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. [8:32]And the passage of Scripture which he was reading, was this; As a sheep is led to slaughter, and as a lamb before one that shears him is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. [8:33]In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; and who will tell of his generation? for his life was taken from the earth.

6 [8:34]And the eunuch answered and said to Philip, Of whom I pray you does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other one? [8:35]And Philip opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him the good news of Jesus. [8:36]And as they went on the way they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said, Behold water; what hinders me from being baptized? [8:38]And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. [8:39]And when they went up from the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more; for he went his way rejoicing. [8:40]But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he preached the good news to all the cities till he came to Caesarea.