To Africa

While revival was breaking out in Samaria, Philip the Evangelist was instructed by an angel of the Lord to go to a little-travelled road by a deserted city. There he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch riding home from Jerusalem, a powerful official from an exotic and distant land south of Egypt. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Philip ran up to the eunuch’s chariot, where he was given the opportunity to explain the scriptures and proclaim the good news about Jesus. His obedience resulted in the baptism of a man who would serve as an indigenous witness to his own culture, a people regarded by Greek writers as the "farthest of men"—the most remote known peoples.

Read Acts 8:26-40 and then consider:

1. From a worldly perspective, the initial command to leave the crowds in Samaria and go to a desert place with few opportunities to preach would have seemed absurd. Why might God choose to lead Philip in this way? How would you have responded in Philip’s position?
2. As a eunuch, the man would never have been accepted as a full convert to Judaism. After hearing the good news he exclaimed in verse 36, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" What does this highlight about the gospel? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any prejudice you might be carrying that could act as a barrier to sharing the gospel effectively.
3. After his brief but powerful encounter with Philip, the eunuch continued on his journey with great joy. Imagine him sharing about his experience in the royal court of the queen. What was the significance of his witness?
4. Luke assigned nearly as much space to the conversion of a single foreigner as to the account of mass conversion in Samaria (Acts 8:1-25). What is so significant about this encounter? How might early readers of Acts interpret it in light of Jesus’ great commission?