Board for Evangelism Series

Acts 8:30-31 Opportunity/Agency

Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”  So Philip followed the man in the chariot as he was reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  And he said, “How can I unless someone guides me?”  And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. (Acts 8: 29-31)

As you read this account of the conversion of the Ethiopian man “of great authority under Candice, the queen of Ethiopia,” it is interesting to see what is in the text and what is not in the text. In a miraculous way the Holy Spirit places Philip next to this man as he is traveling home. Yet the miracle that follows is even greater. The Holy Spirit opens the man’s eyes to the Savior through Philip’s witness.

If you read the text carefully, you see that the command from the Holy Spirit is simply to put Philip in the vicinity of the man. There is no direct command in the text to tell the man about Jesus. There is no direct command to open the Bible to a certain page or to preach a certain sermon. Philip “automatically” shares his faith with the man based on his call as an Evangelist or deacon, or possibly even just as a personal testimony of his faith.

Yet the Holy Spirit working through Philip does much with that witness. He creates faith in the man and gives him the certainty of eternal life in Jesus. The man asks to be baptized in some water that happens to be nearby. None of these things occurs by accident, yet for some reason it is easy to focus on the miraculous whisking away of Philip to the area, or perhaps on his ability to keep up with the chariot.  Yet the greater miracles are baptism and the creation of faith in Jesus in this man’s heart.

How awesome was this series of miracles recorded for us in the Bible?  How many of us realize that Ethiopia is the most Christian country in the world today?  We might be tempted to think of the United States as the most Christian country, but it’s not!  Over 66%, more than 2/3 of Ethiopia, professes to be Coptic Christians today.  How many generations of believers have benefited from Ethiopia’s contact with professing believers in the Bible!

What does this mean for us today?  So many times we are embarrassed to share our faith because we might be seen as weird, intolerant, or some other politically incorrect term in today’s world.  Yet the Bible reminds us that this is natural for us as Christians, to share our faith and hope in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

There are two strong lessons for us in the text.  First, God reminds us that evangelism is the natural outpouring of Jesus’ love that lives within the Christian. Philip didn’t have to be given the right words to say. He didn’t go up to the man with a speech or prepared lesson. He just met with the man and shared his faith in the Lord Jesus. The love of Jesus, the same love that Jesus showed for Philip by coming to earth and dying for him on the cross, compelled Philip to share the love of Jesus with others.

The second lesson for us is a reminder to study God’s Word in our own lives so that we can “always be prepared to give an account for the hope of eternal life that is in us” (1 Peter 3:15). Not only does that Word prepare us for witnessing, it creates the faith and desire for witnessing in the first place. Remind us, Lord, how much Your love overflows in our lives so that we have plenty to share with others, and give us the will to share it.

Cory D. Hahnke is pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Cold Springs, Minnesota.