Acts 8:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

NIV: Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

NASB: But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

CSB: Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

NLT: Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

KJV: But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

NKJV: But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Philip fulfills this mandate. He started his ministry in Jerusalem, when he was selected as one of the first deacons (Acts 6:5). From there, he went north and saw many Samaritans come to Christ (Acts 8:4–8). The Holy Spirit then told him to travel south, back into Judea, where he met an Ethiopian court official who accepted Christ (Acts 8:26–39).

Now, the Holy Spirit takes Philip to Azotus, known today and in the Old Testament as Ashdod. This is the city the Philistines took the ark of the covenant to after they captured it in a battle in the time of Samuel, before Saul was king. It's also the city where they put the ark with their statue of their god Dagon. One morning, the people awoke to see Dagon on its face in front of the ark; the next morning, Dagon had again fallen, but his head and hands were cut off (1 Samuel 5:1–5).

From Ashdod, Philip makes his way to Caesarea Maritima, about 58 miles north. He most likely travels through Lydda, where Peter was when other Jesus-followers called him to nearby Joppa to heal the devout Jesus-follower Dorcas (Acts 9:36–42). Philip likely also passed through Joppa, where Peter was when he was called on to go to Caesarea and meet the Gentile centurion Cornelius. It was in this situation with Cornelius that Peter realized that Gentiles can follow Christ, as well (Acts 10). Although we don't know the exact chronology of Philip's movements through Judea, it's possible he started the church in Lydda.

Philip's travels started with the persecution of the church led by a young, Pharisee-trained Jew named Saul. Saul terrorized the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem so badly they fled to Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1–4). Eventually, Saul will expand his scope and go far north to Damascus where he will meet Jesus and a man named Ananias who will help him realize the man he hates is the promised Messiah of the Jews (Acts 9:1–19).

Acts 8:26–40 completes the story of Philip's early ministry. Driven out of Jerusalem by persecution, he first travels north into Samaria and spreads the gospel to a people Jews had believed accursed (Acts 8:5–13). Now, an angel tells him to go south where he meets an official of the Ethiopian court who is reading from the book of Isaiah. Philip's ministry shows that God doesn't care if someone is born into His chosen people, or are ethnically and theologically confused, or are even a foreign eunuch. He loves equally and desires that everyone will repent and come to Him.

Jesus told the apostles they would spread the gospel (Acts 1:8) and persecution makes that happen. Upon the death of the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:54–60), a young Pharisee named Saul builds on the momentum to arrest and, if possible, execute Jesus followers (Acts 8:1–3; 26:10). The apostles mostly stay in Jerusalem, but the church members flee, spreading the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Important encounters in this passage include a magician named Simon and the conversion of an Ethiopian court official.

Acts 1:8 gives the outline of the book of Acts; Acts 1—7 describes the spread of the gospel through Jerusalem; Acts 8:1—11:18 shows the gospel spreading in Judea and Samaria; Acts 11:19—28:31 sees the gospel spread to the ''end of the earth,'' finalizing in Rome. Ironically, although Paul is the central figure in spreading Jesus' good news to the ends of the earth, his early persecution of the church in Jerusalem is instrumental in spreading the gospel through Judea and Samaria.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.