Devotional Acts 8: The Expansion of the Gospel and Philip in Samaria Reflection on Acts 8: Philip's preaching, the transformation of lives distant from God, and the importance of bringing the Bible to where there are no churches. Topics: Devotional, New Testament.

Devotional Acts 8: The Expansion of the Gospel and Philip in Samaria

My devotional today is found in the book of Acts, chapter 8, and this is what happened.

Synopsis: In this chapter, after the death of Stephen, all the new Christians were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Saul was one of the greatest persecutors of the church in Jerusalem, as his goal was to destroy churches and eliminate Christians. However, these were not God’s plans, as one of those scattered who went to Samaria was Philip. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Philip proclaimed the gospel of God, performed miracles (e.g., healed the lame, the demon-possessed, etc.), and baptized believers in the name of Jesus Christ. One of the converts was Simon, who previously practiced dark magic, but after being baptized by Philip became one of his disciples and companions. However, the new Christians in Samaria did not yet have the Holy Spirit inside them. So, the apostles sent Peter and John, who laid hands on the believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, Simon, who was envious of Peter and John for not having the same power as them, tried to bribe them to give him this power. But they told him that he should repent for the desire of his heart and pray to God to ask for forgiveness. Finally, Philip was sent by an angel of God south, between Jerusalem and Gaza, to spread the gospel because there was a void in this region. He ended up meeting, teaching the book of Isaiah to, and baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch, who was in charge of the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. After the baptism, Philip was caught away by the Holy Spirit.

Observations

These were my observations:

1. Nothing is impossible for God, and no one is a lost cause as long as they believe in God. In this chapter, we see two characters (Saul and Simon) who had lives completely opposed to God’s directives. Yet, by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, their transformations began. This is one of the greatest obstacles for people who have lived a life completely different from God’s precepts. Because they feel so far from holiness that they believe it might not be possible for them to reach it. But testimonies like those of Saul, Simon, and others prove that anyone, if they truly accept Christ, can be sanctified.
2. The gospel must be preached, especially in places where there are no ministries. Philip could have stayed comfortable in regions closer to existing ministries and continued preaching in God’s name there. But God and Jesus Christ were very clear when they said they wanted the gospel to be spread to the four corners of the world. That was why Philip was sent by the Angel of God to preach the gospel in the southern region between Jerusalem and Gaza. This is very important nowadays, as it explains and justifies the importance of evangelistic missions. But it also highlights the need to address the scarcity of God’s Word being shared through other media platforms (e.g., social networks, podcasts, radio, television, arts, etc.).