Elder Goh Kee Tai

                                                                                                           Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8)

The first local Christian church was born in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the 12 apostles and 120 disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:4). On hearing Peter’s preaching delivered at Pentecost on Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Messiah whom the Jews had crucified and God resurrected Him from the dead, about 3,000 were convicted, repented of their sins and confessed Him as their Lord and Saviour (Acts 2:41). More souls were added daily (Ac 2:47) with about 5,000 men saved following Peter’s second sermon after he had healed a paralytic man at the gate of the Temple (Acts 4:4). The believers greatly rejoiced in their new-found faith in Christ and fellowship with one another, and assembled regularly for worship, which included preaching of God’s word, partaking of the Lord’s supper and prayers (Acts 2:42). The financial need of the infant church was provided from a common fund contributed by believers who sold their possessions and goods to cater for the welfare of the poor and needy (Acts 2:45).

An administrative problem which was overlooked by the Apostles soon arose. Many destitute Greek-speaking Jewish Christian widows were unhappy as their financial support had been neglected (Acts 6:1). The Apostles quickly resolved this problem by proposing to the great multitudes of disciples to nominate seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to attend to the financial and social needs of these widows, while they continued to concentrate on pastoral duties in the teaching and preaching of the Word, prayers, water baptism and the Lord’s supper (Acts 3,4).

By God’s grace and providence, Philip was one of the seven Greek-speaking Jews chosen by consensus and ordained by the Apostles. With peace, unity and harmony maintained, the number of disciples multiplied and a great company of priests also believed (Acts 6:7).

The Jewish religious leaders were furious that increasing multitudes were converted from Judaism to Christianity and resolved to destroy the infant church by imprisoning Peter and John and persecuting the followers of Christ. The most cruel and brutal persecutor was Saul who ‘made havock of the church’ before his conversion (Acts 8:3). Following the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7:60), the disciples were scattered abroad and went everywhere preaching the gospel of Christ (Acts 8:4).

Ministry of Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:5-25)

With the social problem in the Jerusalem church resolved, Philip was called by the Holy Spirit to travel north to Samaria to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, baptising believers with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Mt 28:20).

The Samaritans were despised and treated as heretics by the Jews who had no political and spiritual dealings with them (Jn 4:9). They were descendents of mixed Gentile blood after the idolatrous Northern Kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC (2 Ki 17:24). Instead of worshipping at Jerusalem, they built a temple at Mt Gerizim and worshipped there (Jn 4:20).They accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament and believed that God would send a Prophet like Moses to them (Deu 18:15). They observed the religious offerings and sacrifices as required under the Mosaic law.

Philip was aware that Samaria (located between the Roman province of Judaea and Galilee) was a hard ground for the sowing of gospel seeds and would expect great difficulty and hostility when commissioned to go there. Moreover, in the city of Samaria where Philip was sent, the superstitious citizens were bewitched by a renowned professional sorcerer, Simon, whom they mistook his sorceries done by the power of Satan as the divine power of God. But Philip derived confidence from an account of the successful ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ in Samaria. A woman at Sychar recognised Him as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, and many Samaritans in the city also believed on Him and the gospel preached during His 2-day sojourn there (Jn 4:39-42). Moreover, the resurrected Christ had promised His disciples that He would be with them alway, even until the end of the world (Mt 28:20).

The Lord was with Philip and mightily blessed his ministry at Samaria. His preaching of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God was authenticated by signs and miracles with unclean spirits coming out of many who were demon-possessed and the paralytics and the lame healed. Many Samaritans who had been held captive by Satan gave heed to the gospel of salvation preached, convicted of their sins, turned to the Lord, and were baptised, including Simon the sorcerer, who was amazed by the signs and miracles and continued to follow Philip. There was ‘great joy in that city’ (Acts 8:8).

When the mother church at Jerusalem heard of the success of the gospel outreach, Peter and John travelled to Samaria to encourage and strengthen the hands of Philip, and more importantly, to investigate whether or not the Samaritan believers were truly saved. They found that even though the Samaritans had believed in Jesus Christ and were baptised with water, the Holy Spirit was withheld from them. This was exceptional. When a believer repents of his sins and confesses his faith in Jesus Christ, he receives the Holy Spirit and his salvation sealed (Eph 1:13,14). It was only after the Apostles had prayed and laid their hands on the Samaritan believers that they received the Holy Spirit. This convinced the Apostles that God had accepted these Samaritans into the church on an equal basis with Jewish believers. Here was Peter using the authority, ‘the keys of the kingdom of heaven’, entrusted to him by the Lord (Mt 16:18,19) to officially open the gospel doors of salvation for the Samaritans just as he did for the Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and subsequently, other Gentiles in the residence of Cornelius, a Roman centurion in Caesarea (Acts 10:43-48).

As the coming of the Holy Spirit was withheld from the Samaritan believers until the Apostles had arrived to authenticate their salvation and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, these believers were convinced that ‘salvation is of the Jews’ (Jn 4:22), and the evangelistic work of Philip must be united with that of the Apostles. Moreover, the Samaritan believers had to identify themselves with, and submitted to the authority and teachings of the Apostles of the mother church in Jerusalem. Otherwise, the historical animosity and schism that plagued the Jews and the Samaritans would continue for generations with two versions of Christianity. The Jewish Christians would then have no dealings with the Samaritan Christians.

Although Simon professed to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and was baptised with water, he was not saved. On witnessing the Samaritan believers receiving the Holy Spirit when the Apostles had prayed and laid their hands on them, he thought this was another form of sorcery and wanted to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit to enhance his practice. He was severely rebuked and condemned by Peter. Simon’s heart was not right with God. He was a hypocrite and a blasphemer.

Philip could have accompanied and assisted Peter and John in spreading the gospel to many villages in Samaria before their return to Jerusalem.

Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39)

At the height of Philip’s highly successful ministry in Samaria, God’s angel directed him to go south by taking the desert road to Gaza, an old Philistine city near the Mediterranean coast. Travelling on that road was a high-ranking eunuch in charge of all the treasures of the queen of Ethiopia, returning home in his caravan from his pilgrimage in Jerusalem. He might been a half Jew half Gentile like the Samaritans but had embraced the Jewish faith. He was sitting in his chariot reading a scroll of the Old Testament which he probably obtained in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit instructed Philip to go near the chariot where he heard him reading aloud Isaiah 53:7,8: ‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth’(Ac 8:32,33 ). Philip asked the eunuch whether or not he could understand what he was reading. Despite his power, position and possessions, the eunuch humbled himself and acknowledged: ‘How can I, except some man should guide me? (Ac 8:31). He then invited Philip to go up the chariot and sit with him to explain this portion of the Scriptures. Philip taught him that the Suffering Servant was not referring to Israel nor the prophet himself, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to this world to offer Himself as a sacrificial Lamb to deliver sinners from condemnation in hell’s fire.

The Holy Spirit opened the spiritual eyesight of the eunuch. He understood the scriptures, believed in the gospel of salvation, repented of his sins and confessed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. As they passed by a pool of water, he requested Philip to baptise him. Philip readily consented as the eunuch had truly believed with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah. The eunuch was filled with joy and gladness of his new-found faith in the Lord. This work of evangelism is an excellent illustration of Paul’s description of the steps involved in soul winning (Rm 10: 14-17).

Philip in Azotus

The Spirit of the Lord ‘caught away’ Philip suddenly and miraculously from the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:39), and commissioned him to evangelise in Azotus or Ashdod, another ancient Philistine city midway between Gaza and Joppa (Ac 8:40). He preached in the cities of this coastal region where there was a large Gentile population, until he reached the port of Caesarea.

Philip in Caesarea

Philip finally settled down in Caesarea (Acts 8:40), and did not return to Jerusalem, probably because of the severe persecution of believers there. But the Lord used him mightily to evangelise in this capital city of the Roman province of Judaea for His glory.

About 23 years after Philip left Jerusalem, he was delighted to host Apostle Paul and his entourage, including Luke (Acts 20:4;21:8). They were on their way to Jerusalem to deliver offerings collected from the churches in Europe and Asia during Paul’s third missionary journey (Ac 24:17). Philip was very generous and hospitable by accommodating all of them in his residence for many days (Acts 21:10). There must have been a blessed time of fellowship and mutual encouragement among these fervent and zealous church leaders, missionaries and evangelists in the home.

A prophet from Jerusalem, named Agabus, came to Philip’s home to warn Paul that the Jews in Jerusalem would bind and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles (Acts21:11). All others in the fellowship group, including Philip’s four virgin daughters who were prophetesses (Ac 21:9), wept and persuaded him not to go (Acts 21:12,13). But Paul was undeterred as he was willing not only to be arrested, but also to die for Christ. Some disciples in Caesarea accompanied Paul to Jerusalem, but Philip remained behind (Acts 21:16).

When Paul was under military confinement at Caesarea for two years, he was given the liberty to receive friends and visitors (Acts 24:23,27). Philip and many other believers could have made frequent visits to encourage and fellowship with him, and more importantly, to be instructed by him.

Conclusion

Philip was a godly man of high moral integrity and ability, virtuous, honest, trustworthy, discreet in financial management of public fund, and highly regarded by fellow believers. He was endowed with much spiritual gifts and wisdom and performed ‘miracles and signs’ in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:13). He was a profitable and mighty co-labourer of the Apostles in promoting Christian unity and harmony and growth of the infant church and subsequently, in gospel evangelism beyond Jerusalem. When the Lord instructed him: ‘Arise and go’ (Acts 8:26) for the advancement of the gospel, even in the most difficult situation, he readily obeyed without questioning.

It was the Holy Spirit that empowered Philip to play a key role in early church growth and in a new phase in the extension of gospel outreaches to the Samaritans and other Gentiles as commissioned by the resurrected Christ: ‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth’ ( Acts 1:8 ). As the soul-winner of the high-ranking Ethiopian official, he could have made a special contribution to the spread of Christianity in the African continent.

May we emulate Philip in his faithfulness, courage and diligence in the discharge of all his responsibilities, his sound knowledge of the scriptures and ability to teach, his generosities and hospitability, and his fervency in the services of the Lord, as we witness for Christ before His imminent return. Amen.