The believers are being scattered by persecution. In today's passage we find Philip preaching the gospel in Samaria, the city which was once the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel when the nation split during the days of King Solomon's son Rehoboam.
The Jews and the Samaritans were not friends. The Samaritans had intermarried with foreigners, bringing pagan customs into their religion, and they built their own temple on Mount Gerizim rather than worshiping at Jerusalem as instructed by God. They accepted the five books written by Moses but rejected the prophetic writings, while believers in Judea accepted both the law and the prophets. In addition, there was enmity between the Samaritans and the Jews because the Samaritans had vigorously opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls in the time of Nehemiah when the captives of the southern kingdom were set free from Babylon. On top of all this, Samaria was a sanctuary city for those who had committed crimes in Judea and for those who had broken Jewish laws to the point of being excommunicated from the temple. It was considered a city of lawlessness and uncleanness. In general, the Jews looked down on the Samaritans more than they looked down on the Gentiles. Gentiles could be excused up to a point for their ignorance of God's laws but the Samaritans had no such excuse. A Jew in Philip's day would have gone out of his way to avoid passing through Samaria but, following Jesus' example in John 4:1-42, Philip willingly goes to the Samaritans with the good news of Jesus Christ.
"Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city." (Acts 8:4-8) Some scholars believe this is the Apostle Philip who had previously been a disciple of John the Baptist whom Jesus called to be His own disciple. A greater number of scholars believe he is the Philip who is one of the seven trustworthy men chosen to oversee the distribution to the needy widows, the group that once included the now-martyred Stephen. I agree firmly with the second opinion. Luke has already told us that the apostles did not leave Jerusalem when persecution broke out. If this were the Apostle Philip, Luke would be contradicting himself. This is the Philip commonly known as Philip the Evangelist, not the Apostle Philip. Philip's good friend and fellow worker Stephen has been put to death, so naturally it seems like a good time to get out of Jerusalem, but it also seems like an opportunity to tell the gospel to people he feels desperately need to hear it.
Samaria is the city where Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, the city where many became believers according to the Apostle John, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did.' So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of His words many more became believers. They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.'" (John 4:39-42) The woman's testimony itself convinced a number of people, but they also believed because of what they heard with their ears and because of what they saw with their eyes. I would be willing to bet they haven't stopped talking about Jesus since His visit, so Samaria is fertile ground to receive the seed of the gospel. Yesterday we talked about the Greek word "diaspora" (meaning "to scatter seed") which Luke used when he said the believers were "scattered" because of the persecution in Jerusalem. Philip goes to Samaria to scatter seed on ground that is more than ready to receive it.
Philip's preaching is accompanied by miracles as proof that the gospel is true. He performs the same type of miracles that Jesus performed. Even the evil spirits obey him when he commands them to depart in the name of Jesus. These signs are necessary to prove the truth of the message Philip is preaching, as the Apostle Paul will later say, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." (1 Corinthians 4:20) The gospel message is not mere words. Christianity is not simply one more religion of the world. It is the power of God. It has the power to change lives. It has the power to save souls.
God still does miracles today in the name of Christ. Consider the marriages He's put back together. Consider the prodigal children who have returned home. Consider the lives that have been completely transformed. Consider the broken hearts that have been mended, the hopelessness that has been turned into joy, the heavy burden of guilt that has been lifted, the addictions that have been laid down, the chains of repetitive sins that have been broken. The kingdom of God is power! Our song link below speaks of the only One who is able to be everything we need Him to be.
Chain Breaker
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