THE EUNUCH of Acts 8
By Bob Thompson
Great Example of Jewish Conversion —Without Water!
The eunuch of acts 8, whether Jew "by nature," or proselyte, was most
certainly Jewish in re-/1 ligion, for he had come "to Jerusalem for to
worship" (vs. 27). Returning to his native ___ country of Ethiopia, he
was found searching the book of Isaiah when Philip joined himself to the
chariot. "Understandest thou what thou readest?" asked Philip.
The eunuch was puzzled as he read the account of One being "led as a
sheep to the slaughter," and how "in His humiliation His judgment was
taken away . . . for His life was taken from the earth."
"Of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or some other man?" he
asked. "Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture,
and preached unto him Jesus."
"And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the
eunuch said. See here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And
Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest."
(Now hear the eunuch's confession of faith in Christ!)
"And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And . . . Philip . . . baptized him."
The following references will unmistakably prove that the eunuch's baptism in water followed, not proceeded, his conversion!
1 John 4:15—"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God
dwelleth IN Him, and He IN GOD." The eunuch made a confession to Philip
that was acceptable to God only because he was in Christ at the time he
made it.
1 John 5:1—"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ IS horn of God .
. ." The eunuch believeth it and was therefore "born of God" before
water baptism. Millions have gone to hell professing to believe the
same thing only because they did not believe "with the heart" (Romans
10:10.) God, who can not be mocked, knows the difference!
1 John 5:5—"Who is he that overcometh the -world, but he that believeth
that Jesus is the Son of God?" The eunuch believed, and was therefore an
"overcomer" before water baptism. Multitudes have professedly believed
this too but have remained lost because the gospel was mere religious
dogma intellectually accepted, not a fact believed "with the heart."
Matt. 10:32—"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, [the
eunuch confessed before men] him will I confess also before my Father
which is in heaven. The eunuch was therefore confessed before the
"Father which is in heaven" before water baptism!
John 5:24—"He that heareth my word [the eunuch heard] and believeth on
him that sent me [the eunuch believed] hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation, hut is passed from death unto life." Thus,
the eunuch had everlasting life before he was baptized in water.
Think on this great passage of scripture! Ponder over it and believe the
gospel! Cease working for the salvation that the finished and
sufficient work of Christ has already purchased for you, and accept it.
Prayerfully read 1 Cor. 15:1-5 with John 6:29; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5;
Romans 4:5; 11:6; 2 Tim. 1:9.
"For by one man's odedience [Christ's perfect physical and spiritual
obedience to the Father] many were made righteous."—Rom. 5:19. (Note:
"By ONE man's obedience," not two or two million") A penitent work of
the heart of accepting the substitutionary work of Christ for Us is the
only obedience God will accept from us, until we have been saved. To
accept His work is to "obey from the heart that form of doctrine" found
in 1 Cor. 15:1-5 (Romans 6:17)! This is why the Apostle Peter in Acts
3:19 gave but one condition to salvation, "Repent and be converted!"
5000 souls believed what Peter said, repented, and were saved. (Acts
4:4)
Why Was the Eunuch Baptized in Water?
People sometimes demand to know why the eunuch was baptized in water, if
it was not for salvation. The eunuch was baptized in water for the
sufficient reason that Philip preached unto him "Jesus," and he believed
it!
It is inconceivable to an honest student of the scriptures that Philip
could have preached Christ to this Ethiopian Jew (or Jewish proselyte)
without presenting Christ as Israel's Redeemer-King, prophesied and
prefigured by Isaiah and all the prophets. (See Luke 24:25-27, 44-47; 1
Peter 1:10-11). It is equally inconceivable that Philip could have
failed to mention the Messiah's forerunner, John the Baptist, whose
burning message was "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand" and who promptly
baptized all who came to him, "confessing their sins."
Christ Himself, who came to "fulfill the law and the prophets," (Matt.
5:17) fulfilled the prophet John by being baptized of him, though He had
no sins to confess. We further read that John's baptism was "the
counsel of God" against Israel. (See Luke 7:29-30)
In view of these undeniable facts, what else would a believing Jew or
proselyte, like the eunuch, do but humbly submit himself to John's
baptism? And the eunuch did!
The completely reckless and irresponsible position taken by some that
John's baptism was revealed as having been nailed to the cross before
the apostle Paul wrote his prison epistles (Ephesians and Colossians—
penned some 30 years later), and that therefore John's baptism was
superseded by another water baptism, is utterly fictitious and without
scriptural foundation whatsoever!
The eunuch, having submitted to "the counsel of God" against Israel by
receiving John's baptism, "went on his way rejoicing." And no wonder!
Les Feldick Ministries
30706 W. Lona Valley Rd.
Kinta, OK 74552
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
E-mail this BIBLE UDY to all your friends
No comments:
Post a Comment