Scripture
Philip Preaches in Samaria
5Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 6Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. 7Many evil[1] spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.
9A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” 11They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.
12But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Translation notes (1)
- 8:7 Greek unclean.
5Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.
When Jesus instructed His disciples to make disciples, He called them to go into “all” nations (Matthew 28:19). He did not say “some” or “the nations that you like.” Instead, Jesus said He wanted His followers to go worldwide to spread His message, even in difficult places. One of the people who understood this well was Philip, who went to a very unlikely place to spread the message of Jesus.
We saw in our Bible study yesterday that as a result of the persecution of the early church, many believers scattered. Then, we get an example of where a man named Philip went. He chose to go to Samaria. The interesting thing about Samaria is that Jews and Samaritans did not get along. We learned in the weekend sermon that Jews considered Samaritans to be “half-breeds” because they were only partly Jewish. Jews did not associate with Samaritans and even avoided them. Philip, a fully Jewish man, looked past the racism he had grown up observing and went straight to Samaria. When he went, he “told the people there about the Messiah” (verse 5). Not only did he go to Samaria, but he also told all of the Samaritans he encountered about Jesus. He knew that every person whom he encountered deserved to know about Jesus.
Philip set an incredible example for us. Sharing our faith is not just reserved for people we like and get along with. Christ calls us to share our faith with everyone, not just the people we get along with and who we feel comfortable around. So let’s follow this example set by Philip, sharing our faith with everyone, leaving no one out. After all, the willingness of Philip and many others to spread the message of Jesus beyond Jerusalem and Judea is how we know about Christ today.
Moving toward action
Take some time to answer the question, “Where is your Samaria?” Maybe it is a coworker who is challenging to work with. Maybe the parent on your child’s soccer team takes the game way too seriously. Maybe it is the student sitting next to you in class constantly arguing. Take time to determine who you have felt reluctant to share your faith with. Maybe it is someone you have even avoided. Acknowledge this reluctance to God, and ask Him for opportunities to share your faith with these people and the courage to act on opportunities when they come.
Going Deeper
Acts 8:5-17 (NLT)
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