Philip: Model Evangelist
Acts 8:4-17, 26-40
Jesus seemed to like a good party. Some of his critics complained that he was a party-animal. Some of his most famous stories ended up with people at a party. He even suggested that angels occasionally partied: As he concluded the story of the woman who celebrated after she found her precious coin, he said, “Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.” (Luke 15:10 The Message) Keep that in mind as we look at the story of Philip.
*********
The Greek word translated “evangelist” refers to a messenger who brings good news. The evangelist brings welcome news, news of liberation and relief. In secular Greek it referred to the messenger who brought the joyous news of victory back to a city threatened by hostile forces. In the New Testament and the early church, an evangelist was one who brought the good news of the gospel. In fact, the words are related: the gospel (euangelion) is brought by the evangelist (euangelistes).
The first person to be given the title “Evangelist” in the New Testament was Philip. We hear about him many years after the events described in this text. Luke tells of a visit Paul, Luke, and some other paid to him: “On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.” Acts 21:8 (ESV)
Philip earned that title “the evangelist” after years of ministry such as that described in this story. With that in mind, let’s look closer at the story to discover why Philip was such a model evangelist.
We see…
PHILIP THE PUBLIC EVANGELIST
The attacks on the church had intensified, especially against Christians who had Grecian roots. Stephen had been killed and others imprisoned. Many Grecian Christians wisely fled the city to other areas of temporary safety. [For centuries, the church advised Christians to avoid martyrdom if they could without betraying the faith. “Courting martyrdom” was considered foolish.]
That’s how Philip found himself in Samaria. Keep in mind that Samaritans were regarded with great hostility by most Jews and most Samaritans had little regard for the Jews. The animosity was several centuries old. Most Jews considered Samaritans as half-breeds who were not worthy to be considered Jews. This led the Samaritans to build their own temple, to deny all the Old Testament except the Pentateuch, and to embrace a modified notion of the coming Messiah.
When Philip went to Samaria to preach, he was blazing a new trail for the gospel, but not one which Jesus hadn’t predicted. Just before his Ascension Jesus told the disciples they would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria…” Apparently it took a while for someone, Philip specifically, to take him seriously.
The proper reading of the text is not clear. Some mss say “a city in Samaria” and some say “the city of Samaria.” It makes little difference, the important note is that Philip went to the outcasts who would not have been welcome in the temple. The subject of his proclamation was Christ.
The crowds both heard remarkable words and saw remarkable acts. No doubt there was much more said than Luke implies in the simple phrase “proclaimed the Christ.” We can be sure he used appropriate Old Testament scriptures and then told of the resurrection.
The Samaritan prejudices about the Scripture (rejecting all but the Pentateuch) and their history of bad relations with the Jews would have made it difficult for them to believe. It seems reasonable to assume that Philip began with the Pentateuch’s testimony about the prophet “like Moses” who would come. Commentators agree that the Samaritans had a notion of a coming deliverer, the taheb, so Philip may have used that as a starting point.
In any case, Philip’s words were confirmed by “miraculous signs.” The nature of these signs is implied in verse 7: there were dramatic exorcisms and healings of those who were clearly ill. Why are these mentioned? The persecution of the church, which had seen the death of Stephen and the imprisonment of other believers (and possibly their deaths) may have caused some to believe that Satan was gaining ground; the exorcisms demonstrated otherwise. Dr. Luke may have been particularly interested in the healings of the paralytics because he knew it was so difficult to treat these cases. Their cures would be hard to deny. The result of the preaching and the miracles was “great joy.” Good news should bring joy.
People responded to Philip’s preaching with faith:
“But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of
the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both
men and women.”
When the gospel is preached with clarity and power there is occasion for great joy because people’s needs are being met.
In time the word of what was happening in Samaria reached Jerusalem.
What brought Peter and John to Samaria? Was it an effort to check up on Philip? Perhaps, but that seems to imply an assumption that he might have been doing something wrong, this man who has already been singled out as one possessing the Spirit and wisdom. More likely they came to see for themselves what exciting things were happening. Only a few years before John and James had suggested calling fire down on a Samaritan village because they would not receive Jesus who was on his way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:50) Jesus rebuked them. Luke’s gospel demonstrates a particular interest in Samaria. Later, in John’s own gospel he will report on Jesus willingness to step over social boundaries to reach the Samaritans (John 4).
Somehow the disciples realized that the Samaritan believers had not received the Spirit. Just how they knew is not mentioned but they knew. The usual pattern in the New Testament seems to have been that the believer received the Spirit at conversion. Here there was somehow a delay which was evident to the observers. The delay, no doubt, had a purpose.
There seems to be no reason to believe Philip’s preaching was inadequate, after all, he was said to be full of the Spirit. More likely, the delay allowed continuity to be established with the Jerusalem church. The coming of the Spirit upon the Samaritans signified their full incorporation into the Church. The Spirit was manifested in a special way to mark the beginning of a new phase of the ministry. The hated, half-breed Samaritans were as much part of the church as those born into Judaism. It would happen again. This was a step toward the gentiles.
At this point we see
Philip as a Personal Evangelist
Obedient to the Spirit, Philip goes out to the wilderness to wait for someone who was on his appointment calendar, someone he had never met, someone he had probably never heard of. Imagine the protest he could have made, “Lord, I’m having such success here; I can’t leave.” But, he was obedient.
The Ethiopian Eunuch was a high ranking official of a kingdom which would have lain along the upper Nile. He was either a Jewish convert or the offspring of Jewish converts. He would have been a black African who had somehow come under the influence of the Torah. Because he was a eunuch he might have been barred from full participation in worship.
The very fact that he had his own copy of Isaiah, a book which was hard to secure, points to his wealth: it was expensive. That he owned his own copy suggests how committed he was to learn. Yet, he had questions. By God’s providence, Philip was there to help.
The question the eunuch had was often asked about this passage. He never had heard the answer Philip gave.
Philip seems just as eager to engage in a one-on-one discussion of theology as he was to preache a sermon before a great crowd. Witnessing wasn’t a ego-trip for him.
After a period of discussion the eunuch asks for baptism. He wasn’t pushed into a premature act. Philip was patient enough to let the Spirit do his work.
We like to say that baptism is a public declaration of faith. There doesn’t seem to have been much public present. Just Philip and the eunuch’s driver. Still, you can bet that once he got back home, the driver would tell the story of the weird episode in the wilderness. And he would watch his master to see what difference this made in his life. We’re already told the eunuch “went on his way rejoicing.” Maybe that joy would make him curious enough to ask.
As for Philip, he goes on to further opportunities to share the gospel.
How was Philip A Model Evangelist?
1. Philip was a model evangelist because he worked with an ear attuned to the voice of the Spirit.
—to be led to new ways of ministry.
—to go preach in a strange place, to witness to a strange person.
—to be led to new ways of ministry.
—to go preach in a strange place, to witness to a strange person.
2. Philip was a model evangelist because he did not allow social or ethnic prejudice to impede his efforts.
—He went to the social outcasts, the Samaritans.
—He did not hesitate to speak to the eunuch. He didn’t say, “That man is rich and powerful, I have nothing to say to him.”
–We need to be ready to offer the gospel to any.
—He went to the social outcasts, the Samaritans.
—He did not hesitate to speak to the eunuch. He didn’t say, “That man is rich and powerful, I have nothing to say to him.”
–We need to be ready to offer the gospel to any.
3. Philip was a model evangelist because he began where people were.
–He allowed the Ethiopian to choose the text. He was able to begin where he was.
–With the Samaritans he almost certainly had to draw from the Pentateuch. He couldn’t have used the Isaiah text with them. They wouldn’t have heard him.
—If we want to be effective, we’ll take the time to get to know those we want to reach.
–He allowed the Ethiopian to choose the text. He was able to begin where he was.
–With the Samaritans he almost certainly had to draw from the Pentateuch. He couldn’t have used the Isaiah text with them. They wouldn’t have heard him.
—If we want to be effective, we’ll take the time to get to know those we want to reach.
4. Philip was a model evangelist because he focused his witness on Jesus Christ.
–People need Christ.
—He called on those who heard to respond with faith and a demonstration of their commitment.
–People need Christ.
—He called on those who heard to respond with faith and a demonstration of their commitment.
5. Philip was a model evangelist because he passed his passion for ministry on to another generation.
—When we meet Philip again we’re told he “had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses.” I don’t know all that may mean but it seems clear they somehow were involved in using their gifts for the cause of Christ.
–We need to teach the next generation to take up the cause of Christ.
—When we meet Philip again we’re told he “had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses.” I don’t know all that may mean but it seems clear they somehow were involved in using their gifts for the cause of Christ.
–We need to teach the next generation to take up the cause of Christ.
Conclusion
I was struck by something as I read this story again. These were tough times, times when some might have advised Christians to just keep quiet and try to keep people from noticing them. Philip kept on doing the work of evangelism. He didn’t allow the circumstance to dampen his zeal.
We can’t all be like Philip, but we can seek to reach those the Spirit places before us, reach them because we can be sure they need Christ.
In both episodes, Philip’s work was accompanied with joy. Another Philip, Philip Yancey, reminds us that joy still accompanies the successful work of evangelism. Maybe in ways we don’t immediately realize. He asks us to picture a scene at a Billy Graham crusade, one we’re watching on television. The invitation has been made and people are beginning to come down out of the seats. Yancey goes on with the story.
The camera follows a young woman as she makes her way through the stands to an area set aside for repentance and conversion. But Jesus’ stories imply that far more may be going on out there: beyond that stadium scene, in a place concealed from all camera lenses, a great party has erupted, a gigantic celebration in the unseen world.
