DAY #192: Acts 8:4-25

The persecution caused the believers who had fled Jerusalem to scatter into other nations. As they went, they were preaching the Good News about Jesus. The gospel message was spreading like wildfire! Satan had attempted to defeat the young church, but all he did was encourage the spread of the gospel.

Israel had been divided into three main regions—Galilee in the north, Samaria in the middle, and Judea in the south. The city of Samaria (in the region of Samaria) had been the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel in the days of the divided kingdom, before it was conquered by Sargon of Assyria in 722 b.c.

During that war, Sargon had taken many captives, leaving only the poorest people in the land and resettling it with foreigners. These foreigners had intermarried with the Jews who were left, and the mixed race became known as Samaritans. The Samaritans were considered half-breeds and religious apostates by the “pure” Jews in the southern kingdom of Judah, and the two groups hated each other. But Jesus went into Samaria (John 4), and he commanded his followers to spread the gospel there.

The balance of this chapter reports two significant experiences of Philip as he faithfully spread the gospel. The first incident involved a sorcerer named Simon. Evidently, Simon had quite a following in the region and was using his magic to draw crowds of his own. In the days of the early church, sorcerers and magicians were numerous and influential. They worked wonders, performed healings and exorcisms, and practiced astrology, but they utilized the power of Satan.

In sharp contrast to Simon and his magic is Philip and the message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God. People believed in Jesus Christ and were baptized. Even the sorcerer himself appeared to believe and was baptized. So now the man who had previously had a large and diverse following was following Philip wherever he went, himself being amazed by the great miracles and signs that Philip, in the power of Christ, was performing.

This was a crucial moment for the spread of the gospel and for the growth of the church. Peter and John had to go to Samaria to help keep this new group of believers from becoming separated from other believers. There was deep-seated hostility between Jews and Samaritans that went back centuries. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans for not being pure Jews; the Samaritans resented the Jews for their arrogance. However, Samaritans were coming to faith in Christ through Philip’s preaching, and there could be no denying that they should be included among the believers.

With the verification by Peter and John that the Samaritans’ faith was genuine, these new believers were incorporated into the church. When the Samaritans were converted, they received the Spirit, as was essential for regeneration, but their participation in the church was needed for the full expression of the gifts of the Spirit.



SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Oh Lord, give me a greater heart than ever for evangelism. Give me a heart to see people come to Christ. Give me a heart to share the Good News. Give me eyes to see the destiny of all who reject You. Break my heart with the reality of hell.

Lord, make COV into a place where people are getting saved every week. Make COV into a lighthouse. Make COV into life-saving station.

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30 (NIV)