﻿Acts.
Chapter 8.
Saul approved of his killing. On that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. 
Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 
But Saul was ravaging the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and handed them over to prison. 
Those who had been scattered went from place to place proclaiming the good news of the word. 
Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. 
The crowds paid attention with one accord to what Philip said, as they heard him and saw the signs he was doing. 
For unclean spirits came out of many who had them, crying out with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 
So there was great joy in that city. 
Now a man named Simon had been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 
They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God called Great.” 
They paid attention to him because he had astonished them for a long time with his magic. 
But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 
Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized he stayed close to Philip. He was astonished as he saw signs and great miracles being done. 
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 
They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit, 
for he had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 
Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 
saying, “Give me this authority too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money! 
You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 
Repent, then, of this wickedness of yours, and plead with the Lord that perhaps you may be forgiven for the intent of your heart. 
For I see that you are in bitter gall and in the bond of unrighteousness.” 
Simon answered, “You yourselves pray to the Lord for me, so that none of what you have said may happen to me.” 
After bearing solemn witness and speaking the word of the Lord, they made their way back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news in many Samaritan villages. 
Then an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a wilderness road. 
He got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 
and was returning, seated in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah. 
The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and stay beside this chariot.” 
Philip ran up and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 
He said, “How could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 
The passage of Scripture he was reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 
In humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can tell of his descendants? For his life is taken from the earth.” 
The eunuch asked Philip, “Please tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself or about someone else?” 
Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. 
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 
Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” He answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 
He ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 
But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through, he proclaimed the good news in all the towns until he came to Caesarea. 
