Acts 8:1-8 The First Two of Four Men

My commentary calls the Gospel "God's dynamite for breaking down sin's barriers and setting the prisoners free."  With the persecution of the church beginning, it said, "the salt was now leaving the Jerusalem saltshaker to be spread over all Judea and Samaria, just as the Lord had commanded."

Acts 8 is centered around four men, it said, and the first two are mentioned in these verses:

Paul - the Zealous Persecutor:  "... a devoted Pharisee ... measured by the law, his life was blameless ... he was well on his way to becoming a great leader for the Jewish faith.  His zeal for the law was displayed most vividly in his persecution of the church.  He really thought that persecuting the believers was one way of serving God, so he did it with a clear conscience.  He obeyed the light that he had, and when God gave him more light, he obeyed that and became a Christian!"

Philip - A Faithful Preacher:  "Philip was chosen as a deacon but like Stephen, he grew in his ministry and became an effective evangelist.  God directed him to evangelize in Samaria:  an area that had been prohibited to the apostles ... Philip not only declared God's Word, but he also demonstrated God's power by performing miracles ... the emphasis here is on the Word of God:  the people gave heed to the Word because they saw the miracles, and by believing the Word, they were saved ... God in His grace had built a bridge between the Jews and the Samaritans and made the believers one in Christ, and soon He would extend that bridge to the Gentiles and include them as well."

Father, help me to build bridges that will allow people to come to You who may have thought they were excluded from Your love.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford