Missionary: Philip, Location: All of Ethiopia
“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then 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 suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”
Acts 8:30–36, 38–40 NIV Read More
Philip ran.
He wanted to share the Gospel of Jesus.
The Ethiopian asked.
He was seeking to know the truth about the prophet, the prophet’s shame, and God.
The beautiful thing about the scriptures is that the Holy Spirit is always working through them to connect us to God. Whatever verses or passages you read today, ask God to show you what it means, AND for someone else to talk about it with.
Just as this Ethiopian Eunuch was one of the most unlikely people in one of the most unlikely of places to talk about the prophet Isaiah and Jesus, we too are around unlikely people every day. Pray for the boldness and insight from the Holy Spirit to run after every one of these people.
The treasure that he was in charge of was not just the queen’s money. He returned to Ethiopia as an evangelist in authority.