Acts 8

1AndG1161 SaulG4569 was thereG1510, giving approvalG4909 toG3588 Stephen’s deathG336.

OnG1722 thatG1565 dayG2250 a greatG3173 persecutionG1375 broke outG1096 againstG1909 theG3588 churchG1577 inG1722 JerusalemG2414, andG1161 allG3956 exceptG4133 theG3588 apostlesG652 were scatteredG1289 throughoutG2596G3588G5561 JudeaG2449 andG2532 SamariaG4540. 2God-fearingG2126 menG435 buriedG4792 StephenG4736 andG2532 mourned deeplyG4160G3173G2870 overG1909 himG846. 3ButG1161 SaulG4569 began to destroyG3075 theG3588 churchG1577. GoingG1531 from house to houseG2596G3588G3624, he dragged offG4951 menG435 andG2532 womenG1135 and putG3860 them inG1519 prisonG5438.

4

Philip in Samaria

Those whoG3588 had been scatteredG1289 preachedG2097 theG3588 wordG3056 wherever they wentG1330. 5PhilipG5376 went downG2718 toG1519 a cityG4172 in SamariaG4540 and proclaimedG2784 theG3588 ChristG5547 to themG846. 6TheG3588 crowdsG3793 allG3661 paid close attentionG4337 to Philip’sG5259G3588G5376 messageG3004G191G846 andG2532 to theG3588 signsG4592 they sawG991 him performG4160. 7With loud shrieksG994G3173G5456, uncleanG169 spiritsG4151 came out ofG1831 manyG4183 whoG3588 were possessedG2192, andG1161 manyG4183 of the paralyzedG3886 andG2532 lameG5560 were healedG2323. 8SoG1161 there wasG1096 greatG4183 joyG5479 inG1722 thatG1565 cityG4172.

9

Simon the Sorcerer

(Deuteronomy 18:9–14)

Prior to that timeG4391, aG5100 manG435 namedG3686 SimonG4613 had practiced sorceryG3096 inG1722 theG3588 cityG4172 andG2532 astoundedG1839 theG3588 peopleG1484 of SamariaG4540. He claimedG3004G1438 to beG1510 someoneG5100 greatG3173, 10and allG3956 the people, fromG575 the leastG3398 toG2193 the greatestG3173, heededG4337G3739 his words and saidG3004, “ThisG3778 man isG1510 theG3588 divineG2316 powerG1411 calledG2564 the GreatG3173 Power.” 11They paid close attentionG4337 to himG846 becauseG1223 he had astoundedG1839 themG846 for aG3588 longG2425 timeG5550 withG3588 his sorceryG3095.

12ButG1161 whenG3753 they believedG4100 PhilipG5376 as he preached the gospelG2097 ofG4012 theG3588 kingdomG932 of GodG2316 andG2532 theG3588 nameG3686 of JesusG2424 ChristG5547, they were baptizedG907, bothG5037 menG435 andG2532 womenG1135. 13EvenG2532 SimonG4613 himselfG846 believedG4100 andG2532 was baptizedG907. He followedG1510G4342 Philip closelyG5376 andG5037 was astoundedG1839 by the greatG3173 signsG4592 andG2532 miraclesG1411 he observedG2334G1096.

14When theG3588 apostlesG652 inG1722 JerusalemG2414 heardG191 thatG3754 SamariaG4540 had receivedG1209 theG3588 wordG3056 of GodG2316, they sentG649 PeterG4074 andG2532 JohnG2491 toG4314 themG846. 15On their arrivalG3748G2597, they prayedG4336 forG4012 themG846 toG3704 receiveG2983 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151. 16ForG1063 the Holy Spirit hadG1510 not yetG3764 fallenG1968 uponG1909 anyG3762 of themG846; they had simply beenG5225G3440 baptizedG907 intoG1519 theG3588 nameG3686 of theG3588 LordG2962 JesusG2424. 17ThenG5119 Peter and John laidG2007 their handsG5495 onG1909 themG846, andG2532 they receivedG2983 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151.

18When SimonG4613 sawG3708 thatG3754 theG3588 SpiritG4151 was givenG1325 throughG1223 theG3588 laying onG1936 of theG3588 apostlesG652’ handsG5495, he offeredG4374 themG846 moneyG5536. 19“Give meG1325 thisG3778 powerG1849 as wellG2504,” he saidG3004, “so thatG2443 everyone on whomG3739G1437 I layG2007 my handsG5495 may receiveG2983 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151.”

20ButG1161 PeterG4074 repliedG2036, “May yourG4771 silverG694 perishG1510G1519G684 withG4862 youG4771, becauseG3754 you thoughtG3543 you could buyG2932 theG3588 giftG1431 of GodG2316 withG1223 moneyG5536! 21YouG4771 haveG1510 noG3756 partG3310 or shareG2819 inG1722 our ministryG3056, becauseG1063 yourG4771 heartG2588 isG1510 notG3756 rightG2117 beforeG1725 GodG2316. 22RepentG3340, thereforeG3767, ofG575 yourG4771 wickednessG2549, andG2532 pray toG1189 theG3588 LordG2962. PerhapsG1487G687 He will forgiveG863 youG4771 for theG3588 intentG1963 ofG3588 yourG4771 heartG2588. 23ForG1063 I see thatG3708 youG4771 areG1510 poisonedG5521 by bitternessG4088 andG2532 captiveG4886 to iniquityG93.”

24ThenG1161 SimonG4613 answeredG611G2036, “PrayG1189 toG4314 theG3588 LordG2962 forG5228 meG1473, so thatG3704 nothingG3367 you have saidG2046 may happenG1904 toG1909 meG1473.”

25And afterG3767 Peter and John had testifiedG1263 andG2532 spokenG2980 theG3588 wordG3056 of theG3588 LordG2962, they returnedG5290 toG1519 JerusalemG2414, preaching the gospelG2097 in manyG4183 of theG3588 SamaritanG4541 villagesG2968.

Philip and the Ethiopian

(Isaiah 53:1–8)

26NowG1161 an angelG32 of the LordG2962 saidG2980 toG4314 PhilipG5376, “Get upG450 andG2532 goG4198 southG3314 toG1909 theG3588 desertG2048 roadG3598 thatG3588 goes downG2597 fromG575 JerusalemG2419 toG1519 GazaG1048.” 27So he started outG450, andG2532 on his wayG4198 he met an EthiopianG435G128 eunuchG2135, a court officialG1413 in charge ofG1909 the entireG3956 treasuryG1047 of CandaceG2582,1 queenG938 of the EthiopiansG128. He had goneG2064 toG1519 JerusalemG2419 to worshipG4352, 28andG5037 on his returnG5290 wasG1510 sittingG2521 inG1909 hisG846 chariotG716 readingG314 IsaiahG2268 theG3588 prophetG4396.

29

TheG3588 SpiritG4151 saidG2036 to PhilipG5376, “Go overG4334 toG3778 that chariotG716 andG2532 stay byG2853 it.”

30So PhilipG5376 ran upG4370 and heardG191 the man readingG314 IsaiahG2268 theG3588 prophetG4396. “Do you understandG1097 whatG3739 you are readingG314?” Philip askedG2036.

31“HowG4459 can IG302G1410,” he saidG2036, “unlessG1437G3361 someoneG5100 guidesG3594 meG1473?” AndG5037 he invitedG3870 PhilipG5376 to come upG305 and sitG2523 withG4862 himG846.

32

The eunuch was readingG314G1510 thisG3778 passageG4042 ofG3588 ScriptureG1124:

34“Tell meG1189G4771,” saidG2036 theG3588 eunuchG2135, “whoG5101 is theG3588 prophetG4396 talkingG3004G3778 aboutG4012, himselfG1438 orG2228 someoneG5100 elseG2087?”

35ThenG1161 PhilipG5376 beganG455G756 withG575 this veryG3778 ScriptureG1124 andG2532 told him the good news aboutG2097G846 JesusG2424.

36

AsG5613 they traveledG4198 alongG2596 theG3588 roadG3598 and cameG2064 toG1909 someG5100 waterG5204, theG3588 eunuchG2135 saidG5346, “LookG2400, here is waterG5204! WhatG5101 is there to preventG2967 meG1473 from being baptizedG907?”3 38AndG2532 he gave ordersG2753 to stopG2476 theG3588 chariotG716. ThenG2532 bothG297 PhilipG5376 andG2532 theG3588 eunuchG2135 went downG2597 intoG1519 theG3588 waterG5204, andG2532 Philip baptizedG907 himG846.

39

WhenG3753 they came upG305 out ofG1537 theG3588 waterG5204, the SpiritG4151 of the LordG2962 carriedG726 Philip awayG5376, andG2532 theG3588 eunuchG2135 sawG3708 himG846 no moreG3756G3765, but wentG4198 on hisG846 wayG3598 rejoicingG5463. 40ButG1161 PhilipG5376 appearedG2147 atG1519 AzotusG108 andG2532 traveled throughG1330 that region, preaching the gospelG2097 in allG3956 theG3588 townsG4172 untilG2193 heG846 cameG2064 toG1519 CaesareaG2542.