Acts 8:31

And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him.

'HOW. CAN, EXCEPT SOME ONE SHALL GUIDE ME?'-'shall show me the way' (Mon) 'The humility and thirst for instruction of this great courtier are very remarkable..' (P.P. Comm. p. 254) 'he acknowledges his ignorance freely and frankly' (in contrast to). person who is swollen-headed with confidence in his own abilities.' (Stott p. 160)

Point to Note:

The eunuch will end up finding the truth, not because he is smarter than the rest of men, but because he refuses to allow his "pride" to get in the way of finding out what God would have him to do (James 1:21). In order to make it to heaven you must be "teachable", which means that in order to find the way--you must first admit that you don't know the way.

'GUIDE'-3594. hodegeo hod-ayg-eh'-o; from 3595; to show the way (literally or figuratively [teach]): -guide, lead.

Point to Note:

'This is one of the verses used by the Roman Church to prove that the only infallible interpreter of Scripture is the church (and the Roman hierarchy in particular). Further, it is said that the average man cannot read and understand the Scriptures for himself.' (Reese p. 335) In response we could say: (a) Many Scriptures assert that the Bible is within the understanding of the common man (Acts 17:11; Ephesians 5:17; Ephesians 3:3; 1 Peter 2:2). (b) Philip wasn't. Roman Catholic priest and neither did he teach the eunuch Catholic doctrine. (c) The Bible is filled with "unprofessional" teachers who got it right (2 Timothy 1:5). (d) Teachers simply help the student put two and two together that much quicker (Matthew 28:20; 2 Timothy 2:2). (e) And in view of doctrines invented by Catholicism (1 Timothy 4:1), we must say that if anyone is unqualified to teach the Bible, it is the defender of Roman dogma. The only bearing this verse has on Catholicism is that. Catholic priest needs to be taught by. Christian.

'AND HE BESOUGHT PHILIP TO COME UP AND SIT WITH HIM'-'earnestly invited' (Wey). People who are hungry for the truth act like it. 'So we are to picture the Ethiopian with the scroll of Isaiah 2:1 spread out on his lap, and with Philip now sitting beside him, as the carriage jolted its way further south.' (Stott p. 161)