THE CONVERSION & BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH
Before we go to our message, may I address some questions concerns.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ELDERS
1. Why don’t we have Elders? We do but we believe that Elders--the person
(presbuteros=presbyterian--rule of elders) and Overseers--the office
(episkopos=episcopalian--rule of a bishop) and Pastors--the task
(poimen=shepherd) are synonymous.
✴ Acts 20:28=“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,
which he bought with his own blood.” V.17=elders.
✴ 1 Peter 5:2=“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving
as overseers.” V.1=elders.
2. What is the task of Elders?
✴ 1 Tim. 5:17=“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are
worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and
teaching.” Acts 6:2-3=“So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together
and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of
God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among
you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this
responsibility over to them.”
QUESTIONS ABOUT DEACONS & DEACONESSES
1. Who are they? Deacons are men & Deaconesses are women, 1 Tim.
3:11=”women”, (Amplified & ASV); Rom. 16:1-2 “deaconess” (Amp. & Phillips).
2. What is their task?
✴ Acts 6:2-4, “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It
would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in
order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who
are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this
responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the
ministry of the word.’”
✴ Acts 6:7, “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in
Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became
obedient to the faith.” Acts 8:2-7, “That set off a terrific persecution of the
church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea
and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried
Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day! And
Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house
after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home
base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were
scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus.”
✴ The first deacon (cf. Acts 6:5) became the first martyr (Acts 7:59). The
second deacon, Philip (Acts 6:5), had a thriving ministry in the city of
Samaria (Acts 8:6-8).
THE CONVERSION AND BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH
1. The Unquestioning Obedience of Philip, Acts 8:26. He was diverted from his
successful ministry in Samaria to a “desert road” without any explanation and
Philip obeyed without delay or reservation.
2. Divine Appointment. When Philip started walking on the hot desert road, he met
the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch (v.27). The eunuch, a high and trusted
treasury official of the queen, came from Jerusalem to worship (v.28). Now,
Jerusalem is about 1,000 miles from Ethiopia! And Deuteronomy 23:1 says that
being a eunuch, he cannot be admitted inside the temple to worship. He must
worship outside the temple!
3. Ready & Willing. V.28=He was reading Isaiah 53 as his chariot passed by
Philip. The Holy Spirit told Philip to stay with the chariot. He asked a very
personal question (v.30) and the response of the eunuch (a respectable elite) to
Philip (a stranger) indicates he was a humble seeker of the truth (vs.31-34).
4. The Gospel. V.35=Beginning with the passage in Isaiah 53, Philip preached the
good news about Jesus (cf 1 Cor. 15:1-8). In short, Philip evangelized him.5. Baptism. Vs.36-38=Basically, what the eunuch said was, “What PREVENTS me
from getting baptized? (“hinders” ASV & Amplified). Amplified adds v.37, “And
Philip said, If you believe with all your heart [if you have a conviction, full of
joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah and accept Him as the Author of your
salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then] you may.
And he replied, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
6. Baptism is important. Romans 6:3-4 says that baptism is a picture of what
happens at salvation: the sinner died with Jesus Christ, the old nature was
buried with Jesus Christ, and he received the new life in His resurrection.
However, baptism is the other side of the coin: it shows repentance (Acts
2:37-38). It is as crucial to salvation as repentance! If one is sincere and
obedient, nothing should “delay” or “hinder” him from baptism. It is
IMPORTANT to one who believes and repents of his sin.
7. The Eunuch was so happy. V.39 says that he “went on his way rejoicing.” There
is no experience greater than salvation and there is exuberant joy in obedience!
Are you obedient? Isaiah 56:3-7, ”“Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves
to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.‘ And don’t let
the eunuchs say, ‘I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’ For this is
what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs who...choose to do what pleases
me and commit their lives to me. I will give them—within the walls of my house
—a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give. For
the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear! “I will also
bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and
love his name, who worship him..., and who hold fast to my covenant. I will
bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my
house of prayer” (NLT).
