“Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch” Adult Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson

For Sunday October 28, 2012

Purpose: To affirm that the gospel bridges all human boundaries and Christian community is inclusive of all

Scripture Text: Acts 8:26-39

Acts 8: 26-39 (CEB)
(26) An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, “At noon, take[a] the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) (27) So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.) (28) He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. (29) The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage and stay with it.”
(30) Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?”

(31) The man replied, “Without someone to guide me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. (32) This was the passage of scripture he was reading:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent
so he didn’t open his mouth.

(33) In his humiliation justice was taken away from him.
Who can tell the story of his descendants
because his life was taken from the earth?[b]

(34) The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about himself or someone else?” (35) Starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. (36) As they went down the road, they came to some water.

The eunuch said, “Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?”[c] (38) He ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, where Philip baptized him. (39) When they came up out of the water, the Lord’s Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

I think we first need to define the work “eunuch” as it is used in both the Old and New Testament of the Bible. Jesus used it in Matthew 19:12 as follows: For there are eunuchs who have been eunuchs from birth. And there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by other people. And there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of heaven. Those who can accept it should accept it.” In the Old Testament eunuchs were forbidden to enter a Jewish house of worship as recorded in Deuteronomy 23:1 “No man whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off can belong to the Lord’s assembly.” So you can see there are different circumstances that are interpreted as eunuchs. Several times it simply means a servant to nobility.

As for the eunuch mentioned in our lesson text, we can assume he was a well educated servant that had become the treasurer for the queen of Ethiopia. He no doubt was black, being from Ethiopia, and he was a Jewish proselyte, that is he had converted to Judaism. He is returning from Jerusalem where he had come on a pilgrimage to learn more about the Jewish religion.

Tradition has the Queen of Sheba's (Nigeria) Son was supposedly fathered by Solomon on the Queen's visit, returning to Jerusalem to study the Jewish law and so there was eventually a large Jewish settlement in Nigeria.They supposedly came to Jerusalem and took back to Nigeria the original “Ark of the Covenant,” which they claim is still housed in a special “Coptic” church in Nigeria. The Ark is not mentioned after Solomon.

Because this eunuch was not allowed in the inner temple, his visit was limited to the outer court, he probably found it hard to receive the help he sought in understanding the writings of the prophets while in Jerusalem, and he was no doubt aware of this new Jewish movement of Jesus followers.

Because baptism was a part of the ritual for proselytes converting to Judaism, he did not hesitate to be baptized into this new movement of “Jesus” followers. Jews considered baptism a symbol of those that passed through the Red Sea, while fleeing from Egypt or crossing the Jordan to enter the Promised Land.
Our lesson is about how God worked in those early believers lives to spread the Good News throughout the world, and make certain everyone was included in receiving the Gospel. This Man had several things against him, he was black, he was a eunuch, he was a foreigner, or an alien, and he spoke a different language. But the Spirit of God wanted Philip to talk to him and help him see that the coming of Jesus was foretold in the writings of the prophets.

Philips work was not finished; he continued to preach the Good News throughout the land and eventually ends up in the Roman city of Caesarea. The lesson for us to make certain we are inclusive in our message, which is what the Lord's Spirit, wants us to do.