1And Saul had agreed with the Sanhedrin that Stephen should die. On that day the church in Jerusalem began to be attacked and treated badly. All except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.2Godly Jews buried Stephen. They mourned deeply for him.3But Saul began to destroy the church. He went from house to house. He dragged away men and women and put them in prison.
Philip goes to Samaria
4The believers who had been scattered preached the word everywhere they went.5Philip went down to a city in Samaria. There he preached about the Messiah.6The crowds listened to Philip and saw the signs he did. All of them paid close attention to what he said.7Evil spirits screamed and came out of many people. Many people who were disabled or who couldn’t walk were healed.8So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the evil magician
9A man named Simon lived in the city. For quite a while he had practised evil magic there. He amazed all the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great.10And all the people listened to him, from the least important of them to the most important. They exclaimed, ‘It is right to call this man the Great Power of God!’11He had amazed them for a long time with his evil magic. So they followed him.12But Philip announced the good news of God’s kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ. So men and women believed and were baptised.13Simon himself believed and was baptised. He followed Philip everywhere. He was amazed by the great signs and miracles he saw.14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that people in Samaria had accepted God’s word. So they sent Peter and John to Samaria.15When they arrived there, they prayed for the new believers. They prayed that they would receive the Holy Spirit.16The Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. They had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them. And they received the Holy Spirit.18Simon watched as the apostles placed their hands on them. He saw that the Spirit was given to them. So he offered money to Peter and John.19He said, ‘Give me this power too. Then everyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.’20Peter answered, ‘May your money be destroyed with you! Do you think you can buy God’s gift with money?21You have no part or share in this holy work. Your heart is not right with God.22Turn away from this evil sin of yours. Pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.23I see that you are very bitter. You are a prisoner of sin.’24Then Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me. Pray that nothing you have said will happen to me.’25Peter and John continued to preach the word of the Lord and tell people about Jesus. Then they returned to Jerusalem. On the way they preached the good news in many villages in Samaria.
Philip and the man from Ethiopia
26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. ‘Go south to the desert road,’ he said. ‘It’s the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’27So Philip started out. On his way he met an Ethiopian official. The man had an important position in charge of all the wealth of the Kandake. Kandake means queen of Ethiopia. This official had gone to Jerusalem to worship.28On his way home he was sitting in his chariot. He was reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.29The Holy Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot. Stay near it.’30So Philip ran up to the chariot. He heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you’re reading?’ Philip asked.31‘How can I?’ he said. ‘I need someone to explain it to me.’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.32Here is the part of Scripture the official was reading. It says, ‘He was led like a sheep to be killed. Just as lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off, he did not open his mouth.33When he was treated badly, he was refused a fair trial. Who can say anything about his children? His life was cut off from the earth.’ (Isa 53:7; Isa 53:8)34The official said to Philip, ‘Tell me, please. Who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?’35Then Philip began with that same part of Scripture. He told him the good news about Jesus.36-37As they travelled along the road, they came to some water. The official said, ‘Look! Here is water! What can stop me from being baptised?’38He gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the official went down into the water. Philip baptised him.39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official did not see him again. He went on his way full of joy.40Philip was seen next at Azotus. From there he travelled all around. He preached the good news in all the towns. Finally he arrived in Caesarea.
Acts 8
English Standard Version
Saul Ravages the Church
1And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Mt 10:23; Ac 7:58; Ac 11:19; Ac 22:20; Ro 1:32)2Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.3But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Ac 9:1; Ac 9:13; Ac 9:21; Ac 22:4; Ac 22:19; Ac 26:10; 1Co 15:9; Ga 1:13; Php 3:6; 1Ti 1:13; Jas 2:6)
Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria
4Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (Ac 8:1)5Philip went down to the city[1] of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. (Ac 6:5)6And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. (Joh 2:23; Joh 4:39)7For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. (Mr 16:17)8So there was much joy in that city. (Joh 16:22; Ac 8:39)
Simon the Magician Believes
9But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. (Ac 5:36; Ac 8:11; Ac 13:6)10They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” (Ac 14:11; Ac 19:27; Ac 28:6)11And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. (Ac 8:9; Ac 8:13; Ga 3:1)12But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Mr 16:16; Ac 1:3; Ac 16:33; Ac 18:8)13Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles[2] performed, he was amazed. (Ac 8:6; Ac 8:9; Ac 19:11)14Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, (Ac 1:8; Ac 8:1)15who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, (Ac 2:38)16for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Mt 28:19; Ac 2:38; Ac 10:44; Ac 10:47; Ac 11:15; Ac 19:2; Ac 19:5; 1Co 1:13; 1Co 1:15; Ga 3:27)17Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (Ac 2:4; Ac 6:6; Ac 9:17; Ac 19:6; Heb 6:2)18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,19saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”20But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! (2Ki 5:16; Isa 55:1; Da 5:17)21You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. (2Ki 10:15; Ps 78:37)22Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. (Da 4:27; 2Ti 2:25)23For I see that you are in the gall[3] of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” (De 29:18; De 32:32; Isa 58:6; Eph 4:3; Col 3:14; Heb 12:15)24And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” (Ex 8:8; Ex 9:28; Ex 10:17)25Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. (Joh 4:39; Ac 8:6)
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[4] to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. (Jud 6:12; Jud 13:3; Ac 5:19; Ac 10:3; Ac 11:13; Ac 12:7; Ac 12:23; Ac 27:23)27And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship (1Ki 8:41; Ezr 7:21; Ps 68:31; Ps 87:4; Jer 38:7; Zep 3:10; Joh 12:20)28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”31And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. (1Ki 20:33; 2Ki 10:15; Joh 16:13; Ro 10:14)32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. (Isa 53:7)33In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” (Php 2:8)34And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. (Lu 24:27; Ac 5:42; Ac 17:2; Ac 18:28)36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[5] (Ac 10:47)38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. (1Ki 18:12; 2Ki 2:16; Eze 3:12; Eze 3:14; Eze 8:3; Eze 11:1; Eze 11:24; Eze 43:5; 2Co 12:2)40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.