Acts 8:35
Let us also be careful to note what we learn about preaching Jesus from Philip’s qualification, the necessity of faith. We will examine the qualification of faith, heartiness and repentance in the second part of this lesson. We also learn of the immediacy of baptism. The Ethiopian was anxious to obey; Philip was willing to accommodate him - Ac 8:38 “And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” Why the urgency? Why not wait until they got to town, or to a church? Others were baptized immediately, even after midnight - Ac 16:30-33 “Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.” The reason for such urgency is clearly taught elsewhere. Baptism is for the remission of sins - Ac 2:38 “And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”; 22:16 “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'” We experience the working of God, and put on Christ - Co 2:12-13 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,”; Ga 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” -- Preaching Jesus therefore calls upon people to be baptized quickly! From The Eunuch’s Question, the importance and immediacy of baptism, clearly taught elsewhere is implied.
Let us also be careful to note what we learn about preaching Jesus from Philip’s qualification, the necessity of faith. Philip’s response to the eunuch’s question qualified who should be baptized - Ac 8:37, “If you believe...you may”. Faith is a necessary prerequisite to baptism, which precludes infant baptism. Indeed faith is necessary to salvation - Jn 8:24 “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."’ Through faith we can have life in His name - Jn 20:30-31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Baptism is a working of God when our faith is present - Co 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” -- Preaching Jesus therefore demands faith in Jesus before baptism!
Let us also be careful to note the necessity of heartiness. Philip required a wholehearted faith - Ac 8:37 “If you believe with all your heart, you may” Baptism without such faith renders one simply wet! The sort of hearty sincerity God has always required. By the children of Israel under the Law - Mt 22:37 “And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” By the partakers of Christ today - He 3:12-14 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” -- Preaching Jesus therefore requires more than just mental assent before baptism!
Preaching Jesus certainly involves more, including:
1). Preaching repentance, though such is not mentioned in our text - Lk 24:45-47 “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
2). Preaching the resurrection of Christ, though such is not mentioned in our text - Ac 17:30-31 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."’
Yet from the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, preaching Jesus must include:
1.) Preaching about the suffering and exaltation of Christ.
2.) Preaching the necessity and immediacy of baptism by a sincere believer.
Today, many do not preach Jesus as Philip and the apostles did.... They ignore baptism altogether, or render it insignificant. They call upon people to pray, when apostolic preaching called for people to be baptized. Has Jesus truly been preached to you, as Philip preached Jesus to the Eunuch? - Ac 2:36-38 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”; 22:16 “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'”
