The Spirit, A Preacher And A Man

The Spirit, a preacher and a man!

Acts 8:26-40

Acts 8:26 …an angle of the Lord…

1. angle of the Lord… The word angle literally means messenger. In this scripture you could easily read, “Now a messenger of the Lord” and be correct in you reading. The messenger here meant was the Spirit of the Lord or the Holy Spirit. In verse 29 we read, “Then the Spirit said to Phillip” telling us who the messenger was. This is not the only place in the Bible where the Spirit gets involved with preaching of the Gospel. We find in

Acts 16:6-7, the Spirit’s influence stopped Paul and Timothy from preaching in Asia and Bithynia for the “Spirit did not permit them.” Does the Spirit speak to us today? Does He influence our lives? We read in I Thes. 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit. Have you ever felt like you should have spoke to someone about Jesus and didn’t. Could you be quenching the Spirit?

Act 8:27-29 …a man from Ethiopia… and the Spirit said, “Go near and overtake…

Here was a man who had been to Jerusalem to worship and was reading Scripture. By what verse 31, he did not understand what he was reading. There is no doubt the Spirit knew he was searching for knowledge and understanding and sent Phillip to help him to understand and to become a Christian. Often when we teach baptism we find lots of “what if” questions. What if some one is in the desert and wants to be baptized? What if some one never heard the Scripture “Arise and be baptized and wash away you sins, calling on the name of the Lord”? What if there is no water? This is the perfect example to answer those “what if” questions. The Holy Spirit knows if some one is seeking the Lord. The Holy Spirit knows if some one does not understand the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit sent Phillip to the eunuch and the Holy Spirit will send others!!! To say the Good Lord would let some one die with out giving them a chance is to say the Holy Spirit is limited and He is not limited!

Acts 8:30-31 … Do you understand what you are reading? .... How can I unless some one guides me?

There are those who have a hard time understanding the Scriptures. There are those who have a hard time accepting the Scriptures. And there are others who understand the Scriptures and are told by the Bible to teach others also. (II Tim 2:2). What is the greatest hindrance in understanding the Scriptures? I believe it is a lack of faith. In James 1:5 the Bible tells us that God will give us wisdom (wisdom is understanding) if we ask in faith. What if we ask God for wisdom and then we say within ourselves, “I’ll never understand the Bible!” We must ask in faith and then diligently seek after that wisdom. God gives wisdom with out reproach!

Acts 8:32-35…who is this slaughtered lamb…….Jesus is the Lamb of God! Jesus life was taken from this earth! Jesus never opened His mouth when He went to the cross for us!

Acts 8:35-36 …Phillip opened his mouth and taught him Jesus. …, “See here is water, what hinders me from be baptized?”

The greatest lesson in these two verses is the fact that you can not teach Jesus and not teach baptism. Baptism is a part of Jesus ministry. When one is baptized they are baptized into Jesus death. (Romans 6:3) Jesus Himself said, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16) Ananias to Saul of Tarsus (Paul), “Arise and be baptized and was your sins away.” (Acts 22:16) You cannot teach Jesus without teaching baptism!

Acts 8:37… “If you believe with all your heart you man.” …. “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ….

Baptism is necessary for salvation but baptism is worthless if you do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God with all your heart. There must be a believing heart before baptism, in order for baptism to be for salvation. That is why baptizing babies is unnecessary for babies do not know enough to believe. Belief comes before baptism, not that one is saved before baptism but belief is necessary for salvation. After a person believes, repents, confesses belief and is baptized, then and only then is a person in a saved state. Then one must live faithfully until death or Jesus returns.

Acts 8:38 …And both Phillip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him…..

The word baptize in the original text is immerse. It means to completely cover. That is why they both went down into the water. To here the words “Baptized Believer” means that one is saved!