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Acts 8:5
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3 As for Saul, ahe made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.  

Christ Is Preached in Samaria

4 Therefore athose who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.  
5 Then aPhilip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.  
6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For aunclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.  
8 And there was great joy in that city.

The Sorcerer’s Profession of Faith

9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously apracticed sorcery in the city and bastonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,  
10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”
11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his1 sorceries for a long time.  
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things aconcerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.  
13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

The Sorcerer’s Sin

14 Now when the aapostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,  
15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them athat they might receive the Holy Spirit.  
16 For aas yet He had fallen upon none of them. bThey had only been baptized in cthe name of the Lord Jesus.  
17 Then athey laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.  
18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
<< Acts 8:4   Acts 8:6 >>


Acts 8:5

Then Philip - One of the seven deacons, Acts 6:5. He is afterward called the "evangelist," Acts 21:8.

The city of Samaria - This does not mean a city whose "name" was Samaria, for no such city at that time existed. Samaria was a "region," Matthew 2:22. The ancient city Samaria, the capital of that region, had been destroyed by Hyrcanus, so completely as to leave no vestige of it remaining; and he "took away," says Josephus, "the very marks that there had ever been such a city there" ( Antiq. , book 13, chapter 10, section 3). Herod the Great afterward built a city on this site, and called it "Sebaste" ; that is, "Augusta," in honor of the Emperor Augustus (Josephus, Antiq. , book 15, chapter 8, section 5). Perhaps this city is intended, as being the principal city of Samaria; or possibly "Sychar," another city where the gospel had been before preached by the Saviour himself, John 4.

And preached Christ - Preached that the Messiah had come, and made known his doctrines. The same truths had been before stated in Samaria by the Saviour himself John 4; and this was doubtless one of the reasons why they so gladly now received the Word of God. The field had been prepared by the Lord Jesus. He had said that it was white for the harvest John 4:35, and into that field Philip now entered, and was signally blessed. His coming was attended with a remarkable "revival of religion." The word translated "preach" here is not what is used in the previous verse. This denotes to "proclaim as a crier," and is commonly employed to denote the preaching of the gospel, so called, Mark 5:20; Mark 7:36; Luke 8:39; Matthew 24:14; Acts 10:42; Romans 10:15; I Corinthians 9:27; I Corinthians 15:12; II Timothy 4:2. It has been argued that because "Philip" is said thus to have preached to the Samaritans, that "therefore" all "deacons" have a right to preach, or that they are, under the New Testament economy, an "order" of ministers. But this is by no means clear. For:

(1)It is not evident, nor can it be shown, that the "other" deacons Acts 6:1-15 ever preached. There is no record of their doing so; and the narrative would lead us to suppose that they did not.

(2)They were "appointed" for a very different purpose Acts 6:1-5; and it is fair to suppose that, as "deacons," they confined themselves to the design of their appointment.

(3)It is not said that "Philip" preached in virtue of his being a "deacon." From anything in "this" place, it would seem that he preached as the other Christians did - wherever he was.

(4)But "elsewhere" an express distinction is made between Philip and the others. A new appellation is given him, and he is expressly called the "evangelist," Acts 21:8. From this, it seems that he preached, not "because" he was a "deacon," but because he had received a special "appointment" to this business as an evangelist.

(5)This same office, or rank of Christian teachers, is expressly recognized elsewhere, Ephesians 4:11. All these considerations show that there is "not" in the sacred Scriptures an order of ministers appointed to preach "as deacons."


 
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