Act 8:1 ¶ And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was A GREAT PERSECUTION against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the Apostles. COMMENT: Once the Sanhedrin of seventy rulers over the people devoured Stephen, the war between them and the Saints of God in Jerusalem for the people came out into the open where they no longer felt constrained to do violence to the participants of the Holy Revolution taking place there.

Act 8:2 And devout men carried Stephen [to his burial], and made great lamentation over him.

Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed [them] to prison. COMMENT: Saul who later became the Apostle Paul went about the business of arresting believers in Christ. He fully intended to destroy the movement which he must have thought was a cult who got their power from Satan even as Pharoah's magicians worked comparative miracles by his power in Mose's time.

Act 8:4 ¶ Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. COMMENT: As you may know, the Lord taught his disciples when persecuted in one city to move on to another; and that is exactly what the Church at Jerusalem did until there were few of them remaining there.

Act 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. COMMENT: Philip was a powerhouse preacher in the anointing of Christ, so when the Scripture says he preached Christ unto them; the deeper meaning is that he not only preached Christ to them in Word but it was Christ preaching in him!

Act 8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. COMMENT: Philip was a miracle working preacher, not a bad actor like Benny Hinn. So "the people with one accord" followed those things Philip spoke. And although we do not know what miracles Philip worked, we do know the people both heard and saw them which means they were multi-dimensional miracles like we might expect to experience were we there when Moses parted the Red Sea where the Israelites most likely heard a great roaring while the waters visibly rolled back to make a way for them to cross over to the other side.

Act 8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed [with them]: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. COMMENT: But Philip's miracles involved the casting out of unclean spirits who cried out with a loud voice when they came out of many that were possessed. So when a wolf in sheep's clothes in your church presumes to cast out demons, you might wonder why you cannot hear them crying out in a loud voice, and if you are of a discerning spirit; you will come to the right conclustion that they are not casting out demons. For the casting out of demons was both audible and visible to the people in that they saw the people return to a right mind.

Act 8:8 And there was great joy in that city. COMMENT: The Physician had come who cured and healed them and set them on the right spiritual path without charging them for his services.

Act 8:9 ¶ But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: COMMENT: Simon was their enemy before Philip the Evangelist came in the power of God, and he wished to retain his former prestige with them by this new power they were all witnessing.

Act 8:10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. COMMENT: The people had thought Simon was "the great power of God," but now it was becoming apparent one greater than him had come.

Act 8:11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. COMMENT: The people had literally been brought under Simon's spell.

Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. COMMENT: Philip came to destroy the works of the Devil, and to cast down the stronghold of Simon; and this he did in breaking the spell cast over their minds, and when they received his preaching, he baptised them in the name of Jesus Christ.

Act 8:13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. COMMENT: Simon believed also, but was not yet schooled in the Word of God to guard him from sinning against God. So he continued with Philip, and wondered, while watching the miracles and signs which were done.

Act 8:14 ¶ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: COMMENT: Two of the greater Apostles were sent to Samaria as reinforcements lest Philip lose the momentum of the work; and to graduate the saved there to the next spiritual rung on the ladder of sanctification after receiving Christ as their Saviour.

Act 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: COMMENT: Now this is the receiving of the Holy Ghost which the churches in America are proudly confusing with the baptism of the Holy Ghost given to the 120 of the Lord's followers after the Ascension. Those were all babes spiritually in Samaria. Their lives were not set apart unto God neither were they schooled in the things of the Spirit as the 120 who broke out in tongues on Pentecost. Neither class of believers were Spirit filled all of the time, but only Saints like those 120 including the Apostles know how to die daily to become filled with the Spirit.

Act 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) COMMENT: The Apostles Peter and John brought the work of God in the lives of the Samaritans to the next level of the faith that is to be built up in Christ.

Act 8:17 Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. COMMENT: Those who have received Christ as their Saviour ought to be moved on to the next rung in the ladder of spiritual sanctification as soon as possible, for in the receiving of the Holy Ghost there is a better appetite for the Word of God and the things of the Spirit. If there is faith, it is not necessary to be inside a church building to lay hands on someone who has received Christ as Saviour, so they might receive the Holy Ghost. You will find no evidence of the Apostles Peter and John working inside religious buildings. They laid their hands on them for the receiving of the Holy Ghost whereever they found them ready.

Act 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, COMMENT: As a Sorcerer Simon was not a practicioner of morality and virtue nor did he know of the spiritual kingdom within that the Apostles and Philip walked in which was Christ in them the hope of glory.

Act 8:19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Act 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Your money perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. COMMENT: This is a strong rebuke, for Peter is calling death upon Simon in the realization that although he supposedly received Christ as Saviour; he could overthrow the work God was miraculously doing there in Samaria were he to return to his former ways.

Act 8:21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right in the sight of God. COMMENT: In this part of the rebuke, Saint Peter makes it clear Simon is excluded from any participation in the ongoing work of God.

Act 8:22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven you.

Act 8:23 For I perceive that you in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity. COMMENT: Saint Peter had the spiritual x-ray vision of the Spirit being full of the Word which is "A DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART." Hebrew 4:12

Act 8:24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray you to the Lord for me, that none of these things which you have spoken come upon me. COMMENT: Simon was truly saved, and did not perceive his wickedness until it was brought into the Light by Saint Peter who was ready for him, knowing how it was eating at Philip that he had lost the preimminence with the people; and with the gift of laying on of hands he might become equal to the Apostles and regain them as his audience and benefactors.

Act 8:25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Act 8:26 ¶ And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. COMMENT: The head of the spiritual Church, Christ the Lord, spoke unto Philip to go toward Gaza which is where the Palistinians live today who hate the Israelites with a bloody hatred.

Act 8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, COMMENT: The Ethiopians are of black skin, all and thin and handsome to the eyes of most white Americans because they look like white men with black skin, and are generally a dignified people.

Act 8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Isaiah the prophet.

Act 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. COMMENT: The Lord spoke to Philip the second time, this time to confirm to him that the Ethiopian eunuch in the chariot was the man.

Act 8:30 And Philip ran over to [him], and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you are reading? COMMENT: Esaias is Isaiah the Prophet in the text. The King James 1611 needs revisions to make it understandable to you, so some of the obsolute language has been corrected on this website for your benefit.

Act 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. COMMENT: The Ethiopian Eunuch perceived what kind of man Philip must be, and he invited him to come up and sit with him in the royal chariot.

Act 8:32 The place of the Scripture which he read was this, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: COMMENT: The Eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53:7 where the Prophet is foretelling the death of Christ for the sins of mankind.

Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

Act 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray you, of whom speaks the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Act 8:36 And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what does hinder me to be baptized? COMMENT: And while this conversation was taking place, the chariot of the Eunuch was apparently driven by his driver; and they came across water sufficient to be baptized in.

Act 8:37 And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, thou may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. COMMENT: There is the central belief to salvation. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Anyone believing otherwise is of an antichrist spirit.

Act 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. COMMENT: Up to now it was not mentioned that there was a driver, but now on command the driver brought the chariot to a stand still. The water was deep enough for immersion and they both went down into the water where Philip baptized the Eunuch.

Act 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. COMMENT: You may have heard of Enoch the Prophet who was caught away from the earth, and of Elijah who rode into heaven in the chariot of the Lord, now Philip is caught away by the Spirit of the Lord; and the Eunuch has experienced a miracle he will never forget.

Act 8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. COMMENT: Where Azotus was, is of little concern; for the Spirit of the Lord can carry a man bodily as far as he chooses to carry him. But whereever Philip landed on his feet he preached in every city, for he knew his calling; and how to enter into the power of God through preaching the Word. Philip came to Caesarea, a city built by Herod the Great in honor of Caesar Augustus in A.D. 10 about twenty three or twenty four years earlier.