Acts 8:39

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. AND WHEN THEY WERE COME UP OUT OF THE WATER, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAUGHT AWAY PHILIP. To deny the supernatural character of this removal of Philip (as Olshausen, Meyer, Bloomfield, Hackett, and others do) is vain. It stands out on the face of the expressions, "caught away" [ harpasen (G726)], "saw him no more" [ eiden (G1492) auton (G846) ouketi (G3765)], "was found" [ heurethee (G2147)]. In fact, on comparing what is...

39._When they were come up. _To the end Luke may at length conclude his speech concerning the eunuch, he saith that Philip was caught away out of his sight. And that was of no small weight to confirm him, forasmuch as he saw that that man was sent unto him by God like to an angel, and that he vanished away before he could offer him any reward for all his pains; whence he might gather that it was no gainful insinuation, seeing that he was vanished away before he had one halfpenny given him. Whereas Philip had no reward at the eunuch’s hand, let the servants of Christ learn hereby to serve him freely, or rather let them so serve men for nothing that they hope for a reward from heaven. The Lord granteth leave, indeed, to the ministers of the gospel to receive a reward at their hands whom they teach, (1 Corinthians 9:9,) but he forbiddeth them therewithal to be hirelings which labor for l

26-40 Philip was directed to go to a desert. Sometimes God opens a door of opportunity to his ministers in very unlikely places. We should study to do good to those we come into company with by travelling. We should not be so shy of all strangers as some affect to be. As to those of whom we know nothing else, we know this, that they have souls. It is wisdom for men of business to redeem time for holy duties; to fill up every minute with something which will turn to a good account. In reading the word of God, we should often pause, to inquire of whom and of what the sacred writers spake; but especially our thoughts should be employed about the Redeemer. The Ethiopian was convinced by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, of the exact fulfilment of the Scripture, was made to understand the nature of the Messiah's kingdom and salvation, and desired to be numbered among the disciples of Christ....

Verse Acts 8:39. _THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAUGHT AWAY PHILIP_] Perhaps this means no more than that the Holy Spirit suggested to the mind of Philip that he should _withdraw abruptly_ from the eunuch, and thus leave him to pursue his journey, reflecting on the important incidents which had taken place. Some suppose that the _angel of_ _the Lord_, and the _Spirit of the Lord_, are the same person throughout this chapter. There is a remarkable reading in the _Codex Alexandrinus_ which exists thus in two lines:- πνααγιονεπεπεχενεπιτονευνουξον _The Spirit of the Lord fell upon the eunuch:_ αγγελοχδεκυηρπαχεντονφιλιππον....

OUT OF THE WATER - ἐκ ek. This preposition stands opposed to εἰς eis, “into”; and as that may mean to, so this may mean From; if that means into, this means here out of. THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD - See Acts 8:29. The Spirit had suggested to Philip to go to meet the eunuch, and the same Spirit, now that he had fulfilled the design of his going there, directed his departure. CAUGHT AWAY - This phrase has been usually understood of a forcible or miraculous removal of Philip to some other place. Some have even supposed that he was borne through the air by an angel (see even Doddridge). To such foolish interpretations have many expositors been led. The meaning is, clearly, that th

EXPOSITION ACTS 8:1 _There arose on that day _for _at that time there was, _A.V._; in _for _at, _A.V. SAUL WAS CONSENTING TO HIS DEATH. St. Paul's repeated reference to this sad episode in his life is very touching (see Acts 22:2,; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:13). (For the word συνευδοκεῖν_, _to consent, see Acts 22:20; Luke 11:48; Rom 1:32;...

AND WHEN THEY WERE COME UP OUT OF THE WATER,.... Which is another circumstance, showing that baptism was then performed by immersion; with this compare Matthew 3:16 and so it is said of the high priest, when he washed himself on the day of atonement, ירד וטבל עלה, "he went down and dipped, and came up" m; and so any other person that was obliged to dipping on any account, ירד וטבל ועלה, "went down and dipped, and came up" n. And again it is said o, it happened to a servant maid of Rabbi, שטבלה ועלתה, "that she dipped herself and came up". THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAUGHT AWAY PHILIP; as soon as the ordinance was over; so that the eunuch had no opportunity of rewarding him for his instructions and labour; and this might be done on purpose to show that he had no mercenary end in joining himself to his chariot; and this sudden rapture and d

Stephen had been stoned to death; but with his latest breath he prayed for his murderers. Then this chapter begins: Acts 8:1. _And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles._ Saul, having tasted blood in the murder of Stephen, became more and more furious in his persecution of the Church of Christ at Jerusalem, and the brethren had to escape for their lives. They all did so, except the apostles, who were specially cared for by divine providence. Acts 8:2. _And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentations over him._ As well they might, for his death was a serious loss

ACTS 8:39 pneu/ma {A} Instead of pneu/ma kuri,ou several witnesses, including A (correction by the first hand) 36a 94 103 307 322 323 385 467 1739 1765 2298 itp vgmss syrh with * arm Ephraem Jerome Augustine (D is defective here), read pneu/ma a[gion evpe,pesen evpi. to.n euvnou/con( a;ggeloj de, (“the _Holy_ Spirit _fell on the eunuch, and an angel_ of the Lord caught up Philip”). Some scholars, holding the longer reading to be original, have explained its absence in the other witnesses as due either to accidental omission or to deliberate excision because of its variance with the account in verses Acts 8:15-...

PART II The Witness to Samaria. Saul's Conversion and Peter's Witness in Caesarea. Chapter s 8-12 CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The first great persecution (Acts 8:1)._ 2. The preaching of the scattered believers. Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:4). 3. Events in Samaria (Acts 8:9). 4. The Gospel in many villages of Samaria (Acts 8:25). 5. Philip and the Eunuch (Acts 8:26). The final testimony to the rulers of the people had been given. It was rejected, and the Spirit filled messenger killed. The last offer had therefore been completely rejected