The Conversion Of The Ethiopian -- After Philip's
successful ministry in Samaria, an angel of the Lord spoke to the
evangelist and instructed him to proceed southward, towards the
road (a paved Roman highway -- McGarvey, 1892, I.151) that
runs from Jerusalem to Gaza (a city near the Mediterranean coast in
the old territory of Philistia); a distance of some fifty
miles. The region was relatively deserted (not
waterless). And so the obedient Philip went.
It is interesting to note that though angels were used by God
in audible and visible ways in the first century, they did not
directly instruct candidates for the Gospel in the way of
salvation. God had committed that responsibility to
"earthen vessels" (2 Corinthians
4:7). The angel here seems to have been an instrument
of the Holy Spirit (cf. vss. 29, 39).
In the heavenly scheme of things, as Philip traveled, he
encountered a man from Ethiopia who was returning from
Jerusalem back to his native land. The geographical reference
is not to modern Ethiopia, but to the ancient kingdom of Cush,
lying south of Egypt, the capital of which was Meroe. The
Greeks and Romans considered it to be the "southern
edge" of the earth (Larkin, 131).
The Ethiopian gentleman was a "eunuch" in the
service of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians (a dark-skinned
people). The term "eunuch" generally (though not
always) is used of "physically castrated men....They
served, especially in the orient, as keepers of the harem
(Esther 2:14) and not infrequently rose to high
positions of state" (Arndt, 323). Cadbury has shown how
very accurate Luke's record is. For example, eunuchs
were highly prized as servants because of their trustworthiness,
and they were "usually selected for treasurers."
Moreover, queens ruled in Ethiopia more than kings and their title
was "Candace," the designation of an office, not a
personal name (16-17).
"Archaeological light on the group of queens called
Candace was found by McIver in his excavations in Nubia,
1908-1909. In the Christian period these Nubians still called
their queen Candace; they gave her milk to drink, regarding obesity
an attribute of royalty....In the British Museum there is a
large relief showing one of these queens named Candace,"
(Free & Vos, 263).
The Ethiopian had traveled several hundred miles to worship
at the temple in Jerusalem. This suggests that he was a
dedicated proselyte (a prime candidate for the Gospel), though, as
a eunuch, he would not be able to enter the temple
(Deuteronomy 32:1). However, as Marshall (162)
observes, the Old Testament had promised an eventual "better
deal" (cf. Isaiah 56:3-8).
[Note: The fact that he had been to the holy city
"to worship" demonstrates that worship may be expressed
in definite acts, and is not a mere "disposition" that
is characteristic of the devout continuously.]
The official was riding in a chariot. Archaeological
discoveries indicate that chariots were manned by one, two, or even
three men. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (1980,
Tyndale, I.261) has a picture of a miniature chariot from the Oxus
treasure. It has two wheels and is drawn by four horses; it
had a driver, one passenger, and room for at least one other on the
seat. The eunuch probably had a driver in his employ.
It is also possible that the "chariot" may have been
more like a wagon, with four wheels and a covering. As the
vehicle made its way through the lonely countryside, suddenly, at
the most precise time, the two parties met. O, the mysterious
ways of Providence!
The treasurer was reading from the Greek translation of the
Old Testament (as verses 32-33 reveal). He had
a scroll of Isaiah, and the particular context was
chapter 53. Even though modern critics assert
that the material in Isaiah, from chapter
40 onward, was authored by unknown scribes, Luke is to be
trusted more.
The Spirit spoke to Philip and instructed him to approach the
chariot. How can anyone read this and not know that the Holy
Spirit is a Person, and not an abstract force of some sort as
alleged by certain cults (e.g., the Watchtower)? As Philip
ran near, he heard the eunuch reading the text aloud. In
commenting upon the accuracy of this narrative, Cadbury argued that
it was the "universal practice" in the ancient world to
read aloud, even when one was alone (18). Details of this
nature, which often seem curious to the modern mind, are actually a
mark of authenticity.
Philip then inquired: "Do you understand what you
are reading?" The eunuch humbly confessed that he
needed someone to guide him. His attitude is admirable.
He knew what so many today do not; there is a difference between
simply reading something, and truly understanding the
message. Philip was invited into the chariot and attention
was focused upon Isaiah 53:7-8. The entirety of
this great Old Testament account is messianic, containing some two
dozen prophetic particulars. Jesus clearly affirmed that this
context spoke of Him (Luke 22:37).
The text cited in Acts 8 embodies several
significant theological truths: 1) The Lamb of God
would be put to death as a sacrifice for others. 2)
This Victim would make no attempt to defend Himself; rather, He
willingly would approach death. 3) As a consequence of
His humble submission, His "judgment" (of innocence)
would be taken away, and He would be murdered as a felon. The
trial of Jesus was riddled with irregularities....4) No
one would be able to "declare" His generation.
This is very ambiguous. It may be an idiomatic expression for
an abrupt death; or, it may suggest that His
"generation" (spiritual offspring) would be
numberless. 5) If this latter view is correct, the next
clause could be explanatory: His spiritual progeny will be
many because His life was "taken from the earth" (into
heaven by the Father) as He was exalted following His resurrection
(cf. Kistermaker, 316). The Lord's victory thus becomes
the basis for the phenomenal growth of the Christian
movement.
After the reading of the Isaiah text, the eunuch inquired as
to whether or not the prophet spoke regarding himself, or did he
have someone else in view. Beginning with this Scripture (and
presumably appealing to others -- Luke 24:27,
45), Philip proclaimed (euangelizo -- to tell
the Good News) unto him Jesus.
The evangelist did not hesitate to apply Isaiah
53 to Jesus Christ, even as the Lord Himself had done
(Luke 22:37). Many modern Jews, of course,
contend that Isaiah had reference to the perils of the Jewish
nation. Such a view will never meet the demands of the
original context, and for the following reasons: 1) The
language speaks of an individual person (Isaiah
53:2-4), not a nation. In fact, the Victim
("He") is set in contrast to the nation ("My
people") in [Isaiah] 53:8.
2) The Victim portrayed in the ancient text is
innocent; the Hebrew nation was anything but. 3)
Isaiah's suffering Servant passively endures the abuse
heaped upon Him; the Jews fought for their survival to the bitter
end. 4) The nature of the Servant's death was
vicarious, i.e., the benefits were passed on to
others. How could it ever be said that the destruction of the
Jewish nation accomplished that? No, the language applies
only to Christ. It is baffling how one who regards himself as
a Christian scholar can suggest that the messianic view of
Isaiah 53 must remain "tentative"
(Willis, 417).
