The Call
Led by the Spirit....Philip was, as we heard last week, busy sharing the Gospel in Samaria, north of Jerusalem. God's angel sent Philip to head south, beyond Jerusalem to the road southbound, desert road towards Gaza. (v. 26). Luke is building up the story, stressing the strangeness of the instruction, to lead us to the point when he says “Look, surprise, surprise; a chariot.” The angel of God is not an idiot. The Holy Spirit is no fool. He may call us to step out in ways that don't immediately seem to make sense – but he never sends us out to waste our time. At the start on this occasion it is an angel who sent him: we need the strongest and clearest guidance when we are called upon to take the boldest steps of faith. Next, the Spirit – v 29 – would tell Philip to join that chariot; and then – v 30 – Philip had to work out for himself what to do next! That's a good picture of how guidance works!
So whatever else we may want to say about this ministry in the desert, it was clearly God's idea. God took the initiative. Evangelism was Philip's passion; he was a pioneer – before Paul – in taking the Gospel to all nations. But the passionate, pioneering Spirit of God was behind this, not just the enthusiasm of Philip the Evangelist.
In all our struggles to become truly “missional” as a Church, let us hear this. The initiative is not just yours, or mine. The driver is not just the enthusiasm of a Pastor, or one or two in the Church who are always on about reaching the lost. The passion, the initiative, the driving force is none other than the Holy Spirit of God.
And the Spirit leads us, in particular, to men of peace.... The character of the Convert
The man in the chariot was a Sudanese official. v. 27. He was a eunuch – he had been castrated – so he was safe to be left in charge of the King's harem of wives. He had become a significant royal official. Eunuch could get promotion from just looking after the harem. In fact he was n charge of the entire royal treasury. Candace was apparently the title of the “Queen (mother)” who ran the country possibly on behalf of the King who was considered “too holy” to actually do anything!) So we have again a somewhat questionable cultural background! Although he had travelled to Jerusalem to lean more about God (as people did when they got fed up of the Greek and Roman gods). Having been mutilated, he couldn't become a “proselyte” (the word used for Gentile who were fully accepted the Jewish faith. He was what the Jews called a “God-fearer”. So he was a gentile; he was an outsider, and could never be fully accepted under the Old Covenant. Certainly he was a worshipper and searcher. Jesus said we should find the “men of peace” – and they can come in all shapes and sizes. This guy, who was I reckon the first Gentile convert was a black guy. The first Gentile church was in East Africa. For those of us who have been tempted to think that the United Kingdom is the centre of the universe, wake up and smell the coffee! Those of us who feel the church exists to look after its own, wake up and realise we have a God welcomes the outcasts.
The conversation
Listening. Philip listens not only to God; he listens to this Sudanese official. What is he reading? In Biblical times, it was customary to read out loud; and it was also common for the wealthy to have an educated slave read to you. The idea of talking books is not a new idea! So Philip listens. Hey, I recognise that; it's Isaiah 53!. We need to ask firstly, “What are people reading? What are they watching on TV; where are they going on the internet? What are they talking about during tea-breaks at work?” It is in the stuff people are picking up from their culture, that we need to find the openings for the good News of Jesus.
The listening is not over. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asks. He is not going to push his way in. The official might say “go away, I'm busy”; he might say “yes I understand it well; I speak fluent Hebrew.” he might call on his bodyguard, “Get rid of this guy for me” All are possibilities. The official has the space to shake Philip off if he wants to. We need to ask open questions. “Do you want to talk?” “Does it make sense?”
Philip has asked a good, open kind of question. The Ethiopian feels confident to answer with a question: “Who is Isaiah talking about, himself or somebody else?” What a perfect opportunity! There's a third question, we need to ask inside our heads: “What is the real issue here?”
Then, beginning with precisely the question the African was asking, Philip “Told him the good news about Jesus.” Now, to “tell someone the good news about Jesus.” is a technical term. The AV says “Preached”. The Greek is εὐηγγελίσατο. I imagine the Ethiopian, sitting on a pew at the back of the chariot (there must have been pews in this chariot!); Philip, of course, is standing up at the other end of the chariot, on a platform, with a pulpit in front of him. He is holding the scroll now... or is he?
That's obviously absurd. You can be a preacher, and operate from the comfort of a settee, or across a café table or beside a hospital bed. I don't imagine for one moment, that at that point, Philip said “Right, here we go” and launched into a monologue. The conversation continued. As it did, Philip unfolded the story of Jesus, showing how he fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy – so that took them into Jesus begin the Messiah; that took them to think about the Kingdom of God; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter – so that took them to the Cross and resurrection... Somewhere in there they talked about Jesus.' baptism; they talked about the great commission to Go and make disciples, baptising them and teaching them...” But it began with the question “Who is Isaiah talking about?”
Good evangelism listens before talking . It starts where the person is at intellectually and spiritually, answers the questions they are really asking, and introduces the truth about Jesus.
The Commitment
At some point in the conversation, the Ethiopian has reached a point of readiness to commit. He takes the initiative as they are passing a stream or pool. v. 36-38 “Why can't I be baptised?” Why not indeed? The conversation Philip and the Ethiopian have had, that has led to his reaching this place of preparedness to be baptised, is broad in its scope. The story of Jesus contains all the theology the Sudanese official needs. He knows that baptism is about repentance, turning to Jesus in faith and surrender, being part of this disciple-making community... He's ready. Who's ready for baptism today? If you believe in Jesus Christ as saviour; if you are able to say “Jesus. is Lord” today, and you are ready, live for the Kingdom today, to throw your lot in with the people of god today, why not?
to be Continued...
As soon as the African has been baptised, Philip disappears. Now, generally, that is not good practise. We shouldn’t baptise people then disappear! If we can be there to support people, we should. But the Spirit had other things for Philip to do; the Spirit whisks him away. He's next seen preaching in the seaside town of Azotus; where next?
With no input, no follow-up; no discipleship course; no apostles to teach him; nobody to email... the Ethiopian goes on his way. All he has is:
- His knowledge of the Word from his scroll of Isaiah, and what Philip has just taught him.
- His baptism in water and the assurance that he is fully incorporated in Christ and his body
- The Spirit in his heart. “He went on his way rejoicing.” When Luke refers to “joy”, he knows it's the fruit of the Spirit; it's a way of referring to the active presence of the Spirit in someone's life.
Sometimes, we are able to bring people into a local Church, teach them, see them grow and use their gifts. Sometimes. But sometimes, we will have to accept that we “do our bit” with people, and then we have to simply let them go. Pam and I spent a day in Dundee learning about chaplaincy work a couple of weeks ago, and that's what it's like when you visit in a school or hospital of factory. You share Jesus with people, and leave them to it. As Vincent Donovan says, when we “give” someone the Gospel, it becomes “theirs” to do with as they see right. How will he get on, in his dark, superstitious culture, among people who believe their king is a god? Who knows? Scholars tell us the official planted the first gentile church. Luke doesn't tell us what happened. It's “to be continued...”
© Gilmour Lilly September 2013
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