There is so much to be learned from the book of Acts about personal and corporate ministry. Philip sharing the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch is a great case study.
“But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza” (this is a desert road). So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of scripture in which was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open his mouth. In humiliation his judgment was taken away; who will relate his generation? For his life is removed from the earth?” The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And 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.” And he ordered his chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him but went on his way rejoicing.” (Acts 8:26-39 – NASB)
This is a very exciting passage of scripture to me. It is also chock full of things we can learn.
Let the Spirit lead all the way
Philip had no idea the eunuch even existed before the Spirit lead him. The Spirit gave him specific directions as to where to go and after he arrived, and the Spirit identified the chariot where the eunuch sat. The Spirit did not tell Philip why he was going; just told him to get up and go, and Philip obeyed with eagerness. Notice that he ran to get to the chariot when he arrived.
When sharing the gospel with others, we must allow the Spirit to lead us fully. It is not our will we are trying to accomplish, but God’s. Therefore, listening to the Spirit about the appropriate recipients, the appropriate time, the appropriate words and the appropriate manner of communicating is vitally important.
Everyone hungers for the gospel
The Ethiopian eunuch was a well-to-do individual of that day. He was a court official to the queen of Ethiopia and in charge of all of her treasures. We also see that he has his own chariot (or perhaps one supplied by the queen). Yet even with all of that exposure to wealth, he was thirsty for the gospel.
It is not good for us to ever assume that because someone is well-off, that person has heard the gospel or is in no need of it being shared. Likewise, we should also extend our knowledge to the poor and those in-between. There is not amount of gain on this earth that can equal the riches of Jesus.
Teachers are necessary
The eunuch was no-doubt a well-educated person. He had probably known of the scriptures, but when he picked the prophecy up to read it, he did not know what he was taking in. He even acknowledged that he didn’t know to Philip, which must have taken some humility. As a result, Philip was able to explain it to him.
Another dangerous assumption for us is that people who have the Bible in front of them know what it means. It’s one thing to read the word of God; it’s another to develop understanding, which Proverbs commands us to do. We need to be patient and explain it to those who lack understanding.
Preach Jesus
Philip did not hem and haw around about the gospel or wait on the eunuch’s approval of what he was saying. It says very clearly that he preached Jesus.
This is really simple, yet it is a massive undertaking. As the apostle Paul said, we preach Christ and Christ crucified.
The word of God has power
Look at how the eunuch was hungry to know what God’s word said, and look at how he reacted so exuberantly when it was explained to him. Even though he did not understand what he was reading at first, he could not help but be moved by Isaiah’s prophecy foretelling Jesus being led to the slaughter for our sin.
As we use the word of God to teach others, know that the word in and of itself has immense power. Whether we are aware or not, the Spirit can fertilize the word in someone’s heart through the appropriate reading and recitation of scripture.
Hold nothing back
Philip explained Jesus in full to the eunuch, and then he helped him further when he wanted to become baptized. He told him the requirement for baptism and then baptized him. The eunuch wanted to be baptized immediately, but Philip was careful to ensure that his heart was prepared.
We don’t share the gospel with others as a social exercise. We don’t do it for our benefit at all. Therefore, it would be wrong of us to hold anything back or distort the truth. To be saved and enter the eternal kingdom, one must believe with all of his heart that he is a sinner who cannot save himself and put his complete faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who was sacrificed for the sin of mankind.
When it’s time to leave, go
Finally, Philip was not allowed by the Spirit to linger with the eunuch. He was “snatched” away after the baptism. Meanwhile, the eunuch was so filled that he went on his way rejoicing.
We need to share the gospel at the leading of the Spirit and then leave at the leading of the Spirit. Sometimes, the Lord will allow us to linger and other times he won’t. Sometimes our spreading of the word is just the cultivation of the soil of someone’s heart who another person eventually leads to Christ. We have to understand and accept our role as the Spirit guides and directs.
