Bible Studies

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BY COMMENTING
  Leave Comment   Message Writer
  Hire Writer
Report Article
  Track Writer
  Add to Favorites
Acts 8:14-17 – Scattered for a Purpose

by Gary Sims
01/05/04
Not For Sale
Author requests article critique

  Mail
 

The Letters
Acts 8:14-17 – Scattered for a Purpose

Background:

Acts 8:2,4-5 – “2That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 4Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word. 5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.”

Key Verses: (NRSV)
  • 14: “Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.” – Even though they had been told to spread the Gospel throughout the world, the apostles were still uncertain if the message was truly for Gentiles such as the Samaritans.

  • 15: “The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.” – This was an important moment for the early Christian church. Peter and John, through this prayer and through their recognition of Philip’s ministry to Samaria, opened the doors of the Gospel to the world.

  • 16: “(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)” – Why the Holy Spirit had not entered them at their baptisms is an issue of debate and speculation. However, there are two important issues being presented with these verses: 1) the importance of spreading the Gospel to the world, and 2) the acceptance of all people into the body of Christ. Perhaps the Holy Spirit held back in order that Peter and John would accept what had transpired.

  • 17: “Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” – The “Laying of Hands” is modeled for us in these verses in order to understand the important role that the community of faith plays in the lives of new believers.
Points to Contemplate:
  • Are you spreading the word of the Gospel? Philip, a person of minor importance in the early church, took it upon himself to teach the Gospel wherever he was led. Do you see that God is relying on you to reach out and teach wherever you find yourself in life? Do you recognize that huddling inside the walls of our churches much like the apostles were huddled in Jerusalem is not what Christ is calling us to do?

  • Are you being scattered? The early church was “scattered throughout the countryside” in order to escape persecution. Is it possible that God created this scattering to insure that His message would be spread to the world? Where are you being scattered? Where is God leading you and who is it that He is sending to you? Are you focused and sensitive to the needs of those He sends? Are you ready?

  • Who are the Samaritans in your life? In the early Christian church there could have been arguments that the Gospel was for everyone except Samaritans. The Jewish community avoided and disliked their Samaritan cousins. What walls or barriers between people is God asking you to tear down? Are they walls of color? Culture? Wealth? Language? What is He asking you to do about the walls in your life and in your faith community?

  • Do you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? Peter and John sensed that the conversion of these Samaritans was not complete, that, in a sense, they had only accepted Christ partially, or intellectually. Is there some aspect of your life that you have not opened fully to Christ? Is it possible, even today, to be a Christian yet not fully experience the power of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of your life? If so, does Peter and John’s example of “laying of hands” provide a model for overcoming this deficiency of Spirit?
Promises of the Gospel:

Christ has come into the world. We celebrate, this week, His baptism. Our own baptisms link us in common bond with His. But the question remains, what do we do next? Philip’s life teaches us that our commonality with Christ, our link to His Spirit, is not to be held in secret and confined. Instead, we are to scatter. We are to take the message of the Gospel to the far corners of the world, breaking down the barriers of differentiation, and opening pathways to the Holy Spirit to everyone we meet.

FUMC Devotionals
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.

This article has been read 1507 times    < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Gary Sims or search for other articles by topic below.
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:
Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You

...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19

Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38

LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE

FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.