A Man from Ethiopia becomes a believer

After Stephen was killed, the other believers were also attacked and treated badly. One of the worst attackers was Saul. He went from house to house to find the believers and arrest them. Many of the believers left Jerusalem and went to other towns. Now they could tell even more people about Jesus. The apostle Philip went to a city in the area of Samaria. Many people listened to him and saw the miracles he did. Philip healed many people, and people began to believe in Jesus. The city was full of joy. Then an angel told Philip to go south and to walk on the road through the desert between Jerusalem and Gaza. Philip obeyed the angel. On the way he met a man travelling in a chariot. He was an important man from Ethiopia. He worked for the queen of that country, and he had gone to Jerusalem to worship in the temple. He was now on his way back to Ethiopia. Philip saw that the man was reading. Then he heard the Holy Spirit speaking to him. “Go to that chariot. Stay near it,” he heard. Philip ran to the chariot. He heard the man reading aloud from the prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you’re reading?” Philip asked. “No!” the man said. “I wish someone could explain it to me.” He asked Philip to sit with him in the chariot.

The man was reading about a man who was treated badly and then killed. He did not know that he was reading about Jesus. The important man asked Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about?”

Philip explained that part of scripture to him and told him that it was about Jesus. Then he told him that Jesus had died on the cross and that his heavenly Father had raised him from the dead. As Philip spoke and the man listened, he became very happy. He wanted to become a follower of Jesus. Then they came to some water and the man said, “Look! Here is water! Why don’t you baptize me right here?” They stopped, and Philip and the official went down into the water. Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official did not see him again. But he went on his way full of joy. He had become a believer. And Philip? He was seen next at a place called Azotus. From there he travelled all around the area, telling people about Jesus. More and more people were hearing the good news and becoming believers. Acts 8:26-40