The lynching of Stephen was the end of the line for the Jews. It was now time to begin taking the gospel message to the Gentiles, for "God's People" was a term applying to a heavenly nation rooted in the Spirit, not in any human attributes. Moving the community of faith out of the city was no easy task, but moving them to reach out to Gentiles was hard to imagine. As long as they were happily growing in the City, and in the shadow of the Temple, there was no reason to do anything differently. God's way to change this was not easy.
First, let's understand something of this Saul. He was from Cilicia, so it is quite likely he was acquainted with the Freedmen Synagogue, since it included many from Cilicia. Indeed, it would seem Paul's primary interest was Greek-speaking Jews, because we see the persecution allowed the native Hebrew apostles to stay safely in the city. Beyond the initial growth of the congregation, most of the later converts were raised elsewhere. The nature of the conflict was between Greek-speaking Jews, so we should see here the emphasis of Luke's narrative on them. The Greek-speaking Christians driven out of the city would naturally tend to go "home" -- back where they grew up, and the place they knew best. Paul wastes little time with the native Christians because they aren't causing much trouble; they weren't the ones who suggested the drastic changes in understanding Stephen was teaching.
Step by step, the Early Church fulfilled the command of Jesus to carry the gospel first to the Jews in Judea, then Samaria, then the rest of the world. Philip, one of the seven Greek-speaking Jews appointed to help oversee the charity operations, was among those driven out of Jerusalem. The old Samaritan capital had been destroyed, but Herod rebuilt it and called it Sebaste. Still, many Jews called it by its old name. Unlike the Jews, the Samaritans had less trouble embracing this message. The miracles of healing and deliverance carried a lot of weight with them. The city was in a very celebratory mood.
However, the ease with which they accepted the testimony of miracles also made the Samaritans easy marks for fake conjurers. A fellow there named Simon had been advertising himself as the best miracle worker of Jehovah. Luke chooses Greek terms here typically understood to refer to the God of the Jews, whom the Samaritans also claimed -- the "Great God." While we don't doubt men consorting with demons can display unusual powers, most conjurers had purchased the secret knowledge of their tricks from others. It was a commercial investment for future profit; Simon was simply a showman, not a real shaman. Seeing the miracles of Philip, he realized it was no trickery. He was touched by the gospel message, too, but had a long way to go leaving his old life behind.
Peter was the man Jesus gave the keys of the Kingdom. A spiritual kingdom operates on spiritual principles, not in human political methods. It was necessary for Peter to come and investigate this revival in Samaria, as he had been commanded by Christ to lead the Twelve in spreading the gospel message to the world. Implied in Christ's command was the spread of the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, and this was a part of Peter's commission. Finding the Samaritans had received the gospel, but not the Gift, Peter had to do something. While physical contact was not necessary, as if the Spirit is transferred by mumbo-jumbo magic such as Simon's, it was necessary for the apostles to cross the barrier in their own hearts. The symbolic act of laying hands on the Samaritans burst open the expectations of God's own personal Presence inside human hearts. But to Simon, it looked the same as any other trick he purchased, and he wanted it for himself. He didn't understand, and Peter's rebuke pointed out the stark difference between human ways and Kingdom ways. Whether or not Simon could have gained such a power was not the point. The Spirit was not for sale at a price in gold or silver, but at the cost of full commitment of the self. Simon was repentant, as much proof as we can have his conversion was genuine. Meanwhile, the two apostles then followed Philip's example preaching in the surrounding Samaritan region.
At the height of his success, Philip was commissioned to a special task. An angel ordered him to take the roads southward, and follow specifically the route between Jerusalem and Gaza. Most of it ran through dry terrain. On that road he met up with a very powerful man in a chariot. He was the Royal Treasurer for a nation we now associate with Nubia, northern Sudan. As a eunuch, this man would not be permitted full conversion to Judaism, but was faithful. Heading home from a worship trip, the man was reading Isaiah aloud. The chariot would have been rather slow moving, with a large entourage on foot for such an official. Philip would have been able to hear what the man was reading, and could simply walk fast to keep pace. Led by the Spirit, Philip did so, and asked if the man understood what he read. They would have conversed in Greek, and Luke quotes the official reading from the Septuagint (Isaiah 53:7-8). The man seized the opportunity for teaching at his own convenience.
The passage was known even then as a puzzling text about the Messiah. Philip pointed out it was fulfilled in Jesus. For a eunuch who had struggled to find a path to embrace the God of Israel to hear he was welcomed as a full member of Christ was clearly joy beyond words to him. Philip's message would have clearly been a call to repent and embrace Jesus as the final offering for all sins. The eunuch signaled his readiness to be baptized, showing he understood the meaning of the Jewish ritual of repentance. Once the act was complete, the eunuch was free to serve Christ, and Philip was snatched away to a city some 20 miles (32km) north, called Azotus. Preaching all the way, Philip simply continued up the coastal highway through Joppa, as far as Caesarea.
Thus Luke shows the command of Christ was fulfilled by stages. Once the Jewish leaders had made their final rejection of the Messiah, it was time to carry the Word farther. First came the Samaritans. Jesus had already preached among them, but now it was no longer mere repentance, but the power and presence of God Himself in every man who repents. The final stage of carrying the Word out to the larger world of Gentiles required a two-pronged approach. It needed the one man best fitted for the task, which was none of the Twelve, yet the senior Apostle must be the first to cross the barrier and bring the Spirit among Gentiles.
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By Ed Hurst
20 June 2008
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