Acts
Chapter 8
1 Saul agreed to his death. There was a big persecution against the church in Jerusalem; and everyone was scattered across Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 Faithful people took Stephen to bury him and cried a lot for him.
3 Saul caused great trouble for the church, going into houses and dragging out men and women to put them in jail.
4 So those who were spread out went all around telling God’s message.
5 Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people about Christ.
6 The people unanimously paid attention to what Philip said, listening and watching the miracles he performed.
7 Many people with evil spirits shouted loudly as the spirits left them. And many who could not move or walk were healed.
8 The city was filled with great happiness.
9 A man named Simon lived in that city before. He practiced magic, amazing the people of Samaria, and claimed to be someone important.
10 Everyone listened to him closely, from the least important to the most important, saying, “This man has great power from God.”
11 They respected him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
12 When people believed what Philip was saying about God’s kingdom and Jesus Christ, they got baptized, both men and women.
13 Simon also believed and after his baptism, he stayed with Philip, amazed by the miracles and signs he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem learned that Samaria had accepted God’s word, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 When they arrived, they prayed for them so they could receive the Holy Spirit.
16 Because none of them had received the Holy Spirit yet; they had only been baptized in the name of Jesus.
17 They placed their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon noticed that the Holy Spirit was given after the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money.
19 Give me this power too, so anyone I touch can receive the Holy Spirit.
20 Peter told him, “May your money be lost with you, because you believed that God’s gift can be bought with money.”
21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right with God.
22 Turn away from your evil ways and ask God to forgive the thoughts of your heart.
23 I see that you are full of bitterness and trapped in sin.
24 Simon answered, “Please pray to God for me so that none of the things you talked about will happen to me.”
25 After they told about God and shared his message, they went back to Jerusalem and spoke about Jesus in many Samaritan towns.
26 God’s messenger spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up and go south on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is in the desert.”
27 He got up and went, and there was a man from Ethiopia, a high-ranking official under Queen Candace of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her wealth and had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28 He was coming back, sitting in his chariot, and reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit told Philip, “Go close and join this chariot.”
30 Philip ran to him, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 He asked, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit beside him.
32 The part of the scripture he read said, “He was led like a sheep to be killed, and like a quiet lamb before someone cutting its wool, he did not open his mouth.”
33 In his low state, he was denied justice: and who can speak of his descendants? For his life is taken from the earth.
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Please, who is the prophet talking about? Himself or someone else?”
35 Then Philip started speaking and, using that part of the Bible, told him about Jesus.
36 As they traveled, they found some water. The eunuch said, “Look, here’s water. What’s stopping me from getting baptized?”
37 Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you can.” And he replied, “I believe Jesus Christ is God’s Son.”
38 He told the chariot to stop. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 After they came up from the water, God’s Spirit took Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him again but continued on his journey happily.
40 Philip appeared in Azotus, and as he traveled, he shared the message in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.