INTRODUCTION
In our study of Acts we have examined Jesus’ instruction to the Apostles, their apostolic witnessing (preaching), and what some people did in response to that teaching.  In this lesson we will examine in some detail three responses to the apostolic witnessing. First, we will follow Philip, who though not an Apostle, was certainly an “apostolic” person in that he had heard the Apostles’ preaching, and had most likely been converted by one or more of the Apostles.  As a result of the persecution and martyrdom of Stephen, the disciples in Jerusalem were scattered abroad.  They took the Gospel message of Jesus with them and continued the “apostolic” witnessing.  In Acts 8 we find Philip in a city of Samaria (remember, Jesus had instructed the Apostles to begin witnessing in Jerusalem, then to go to Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth).

 
SIMON THE SORCERER (Acts 8:9-25)
It would be nice if we knew more about Simon!   What we know certainly makes and interesting story!  Apparently Simon was a former worker of magic.  However, Simon, along with many other citizens of the Samaritan town where Simon lived, was impressed with Philip’s preaching of the good news concerning the kingdom and Jesus.  He and others believed and were baptized.  However, things took a somewhat downward turn when Simon, impressed by the power that was associated with the laying on of the Apostles’ hands, desired the same power of laying on hands and imparting the Holy Spirit gifts.  Simon was challenged to examine his heart and to repent of his improper desires for power.  Apparently he did since he asked for prayers in his behalf.

PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH (Acts 8: 26-39)
The conversion and salvation of the Ethiopian eunuch is one of the most fascinating events of Acts.   The Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Queen Candace of Ethiopia, had made a journey to Jerusalem to worship.  We have no details regarding his background!  He was most likely a proselyte to Judaism, since he had been to Jerusalem to worship at the time of one of the Jewish festivals.  On his way home to Ethiopia, and while in the desert of Gaza, he was reading from the book of Isaiah.  Philip had been encouraged by an angel to go to a point on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.

Somewhere in the desert Philip encountered the Ethiopian.  Being encouraged by the Holy Spirit to join the Ethiopian in his chariot, he asked the Ethiopian whether he understood what he was reading.  The Ethiopian responded that he needed a guide to understand what he was reading.  Philip took advantage of the seeming invitation and beginning where the Ethiopian was reading he preached the good news of Jesus to the Ethiopian.  We are not informed just what he told the Ethiopian, but following the apostolic preaching of Acts, he must have preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus to the Ethiopian in such clarity that the Ethiopian believed the message.  When the came to some water hole or oasis in the desert the Ethiopian asked to be baptized.

The terms of the request are interesting!  Obviously, the Ethiopian understood that baptism was necessary and related to the preaching of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus!  Furthermore, he understood that baptism involved water, and more water than he would have obviously been carrying in his chariot!  Luke tells us that both Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water for the baptism, and then came up out of the water.  Obviously, New Testament, or Christian baptism was by immersion. 

But what was the purpose of this baptism?  Thus far in Acts we have learned that baptism is associated with forgiveness of sins (Acts 2: 38).  Shortly, we will learn from Acts 16:30-33 that it was associated with believing in Jesus and salvation.  In Acts 22:16 we will learn that it was associated with washing away ones sins.  Somehow and for some reason, people believing in Jesus were baptized!

THE CONVERSION OF SAUL OF TARSUS (Acts 9:1-31)
No conversion to Christ in all of Christendom compares to that of Saul of Tarsus!  In several of his epistles Paul recounts his heritage in Judaism. (Paul’s Hebrew name was Saul of Tarsus.  Saul is known by his Hebrew name through Acts 13:9.  In this passage Luke tells us that Saul is also called Paul.  After Acts 13:9, Saul is known by his Roman name, Paul.)  Born in Tarsus in the Roman province of Cilicia to a Jewish family who apparently were wealthy, having at some time purchased Roman citizenship, Saul must have been educated at the university of Tarsus, one of the major universities of the day.  Later he had studied under the most famous and highly respected Jewish scholars, Gamaliel, and had risen above all the countrymen of his age in the study of Judaism.  He was a Pharisee and member of the tribe of Benjamin.  He had been present at the murder (martyrdom) of Stephen (Acts 8:1) and had consented to the stoning of Stephen. Such was his success in Judaism that he had been chosen by the Jewish Sanhedrin as a special envoy to Damascus to persecute Jews in Damascus. 

With the legal papers in hand, he was on his way to Damascus when Jesus appeared to him, asking why Saul was persecuting him.  So shocked was Saul by the experience that he fell to the ground, struck blind.  He asked who the one speaking to him in such striking manner was, and upon being told the it was Jesus speaking, he was instructed to go to Damascus where he would be told what he must do.  In Damascus a man by the name of Ananias came to visit Saul.  After Ananias had spoken to Saul and restored his sight, Saul arose and was baptized.  Saul later in a defense argument before Jews when he was arrested in Jerusalem reports that he was instructed by Ananias to rise, be baptized, and wash away his sins, calling on the name of Jesus – a Hebraism for believing in Jesus (Acts 22:16).

One might ask why Saul was baptized!  We have learned already that belief, repentance, and baptism were fundamental to the apostolic witnessing in Acts.  There was some connection between believing the apostolic preaching of the good news, that is that Jesus had died, been buried, and raised, and belief in Jesus, repenting for ones sins, and being baptized.  We will later learn how Paul, the Apostle (Saul of Tarsus) explained this connection.

After being baptized, Saul took up the Apostles message and debated with the Jews over the good news relating to Jesus.  He argued that Jesus was the Son of God, the Christ (the Jewish Messiah king).  After this he returned to Jerusalem where at first the disciples were afraid of Saul, and reluctant to receive him.  After Barnabas’ intervention, Saul preached the message if Jesus, debating and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews (the Jews that were from a Greek speaking region) that Jesus was the Christ.  So effective was he that the Jews sought to kill Saul.  The disciples sent him home to Tarsus where he would have been much safer.

The major lesson we learn from Saul’s conversion in Acts 9 was that upon experiencing Jesus in a most unusual manner, Saul was instructed upon believing in Jesus to be baptized in order to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16).

 
SUMMARY
Acts 8, and 9 take the Apostolic witnessing into three interesting accounts of conversion.  The first relates to Simon, the sorcerer, in Samaria.  The second introduces us to the Ethiopian eunuch in the desert of Gaza.  The third recounts the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the arch-enemy of the early disciples in Jerusalem and Judea.  In each case, upon hearing the witness to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, they believed that Jesus was the Christ, and were immediately baptized.

Summary and Discussion
1)  What was new about Philip's preaching in Acts 9?  Where was he?  What kind of
     people was he preaching to?  How does this relate to Jesus' instruction to the
     apostles in Acts 1:8?  How does this fit into Luke's scheme and purpose in Acts?
2)  What was the message that Philip preached to Simon and what was Simon's
     response?
2)  Summarize in your own words the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch, what Philip
     preached to him, and what he did in response.
3)  Summarize in your own words Paul's conversion.  What triggered it, what did
     Jesus tell him, and what was it that Ananias told Paul to do, and for what purpose?