Acts 8:31-36

Just  B.E.L.I.E.V.E.

Acts 8:31-36

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;

And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away,

And who will declare His generation?

For His life is taken from the earth.”

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

His humbleness and willingness to seek answers creates an opportunity for Philip to guide him into the knowledge of Jesus’ identity as the promised Messiah. The eunuch was reading Isa 53:7–8 in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the ot). This passage is about Yahweh’s Suffering Servant; it is one of the key Messianic passages in the ot. This passage about the Suffering Servant relates his death to Israel’s sacrificial system. The voluntary submission of the Suffering Servant to death would atone for sin and vindicate his innocence.

Isaiah proclaims that the Messiah was grossly mistreated, and His death was unjust. Through this injustice, the one without guilt would bear the punishment for His guilty people. Philip used the fourth Suffering Servant song (Isa 52:13–53:12) to explain the gospel of Jesus’ sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and the significance of Jesus’ actions for all people. In answer to the eunuch’s question, Philip would have explained that the prophet is speaking about an individual suffering servant, who takes on the sin of all of humanity. He would have then connected the suffering servant prophecy to Jesus. 

Not long after this passage in Isaiah is the proclamation that eunuchs will be able to join God’s people (Isa 56:3–5). Isaiah reverses Deut 23:1, which excludes eunuchs from gathering with the assembly of Israel. Philip may have also made this connection.  After Philip’s message, the necessary element (water) is presented for the eunuch to demonstrate his allegiance to Christ. Faithlife Bible.

First-century Jews did not speak much about a suffering Messiah. The Jewish people, facing the yoke of Roman rule, believed that the Messiah would come as the Lion of Judah, a delivering King, not a weak lamb. They believed and taught that the suffering One spoken of by Isaiah was the suffering nation of Israel. Most likely this eunuch had heard the “official” teaching of this passage in Jerusalem but still had some questions. Philip showed him that suffering One was Jesus. He had to suffer on the Cross for the sins of all of humanity. Having heard the message of Christ’s sacrifice for sin, the eunuch responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Irenaeus, an early church father who lived between a.d. 130 and 202, wrote that the eunuch returned to Ethiopia and became a missionary to his own people. NKJ Bible.

The Ethiopian was convinced by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, of the exact fulfilment of the Scripture, was made to understand the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom and salvation, and desired to be numbered among the disciples of Christ. Those who seek the truth, and employ their time in searching the Scriptures, will be sure to reap advantages. The avowal of the Ethiopian must be understood as expressing simple reliance on Christ for salvation, and unreserved devotion to Him. Let us not be satisfied till we get faith, as the Ethiopian did, by diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, and the teaching of the Spirit of God; let us not be satisfied till we get it fixed as a principle in our hearts. As soon as he was baptized, the Spirit of God took Philip from him, so that he saw him no more; but this tended to confirm his faith.  Though baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with water, it is not enough without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Lord, grant this to every one of us; then shall we go on our way rejoicing. Matthew Henry Commentary.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

Acts 18:28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.