Acts 8

Saul Ravages the Church


Saul approved of the execution of Stephen and there was great persecution of the church. Devout men buried Stephen, but Saul ravaged the church and threw many people in prison.

Saul is a jerk


Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria


Those who were scattered went around preaching the word and Philip wound up in Samaria. He did the normal miracles such as healing and much joy was had in the city.

More healing going on. It seems that people in the bible believed the teachings after they saw miracles happen. I feel like if this was the reality of the world today it would be a lot easier to convert people to Christianity. Why do those people get proof and we only get "you gotta have faith"?


Simon the Magician Believes


Simon was a magician who people believed was somebody great who had the power of God. When Philip came even Simon believed that he was the real deal. When the apostles heard of this they sent Peter and John. They prayed that the holy spirit would come down into these people as so far they had only been baptized in the name of Jesus. They then laid their hands on them and they received the holy spirit. Simon say this and offered money to the apostles to get this gift as well. They say he should perish along with his silver. They say his heart is not right before God. He asks them to pray that this doesn't happen to him.

Do the actions of the apostles seem incredibly harsh to anyone else here? Simon's sin here is that he wanted to help spread the holy spirit isn't it? It is an incredibly valuable skill, why is it so wrong that he thought it would be appropriate to pay the apostles to share it with him?


Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch


Philip was commanded by a spirit of the lord to go into a desert and he met with a Eunuch. The eunuch was reading scripture and asked Philip to help him understand. He explained that the story was referring to Jesus and he told him all about it. Then they stopped and Philip baptized him and then was carried away by the holy spirit.