by sabastious 79 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Acts 8 29-31: 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
^ Why did the Ethiopian feel completely inadequate to understand Isaiah without help?
-Sab
My initial response would be, maybe cuz he's an Ethiopian from Ethiopia, and was trying make sense of non-Ethiopian writings from ancient Israel.
Since he was a foreigner . . . maybe he only had a partial understanding of the language? After all he was asked "Do you understand what you are reading" . . . not "do you understand how those words are fulfilled?"
Because he had not received the promised holy spirit, by which he would have been led into "all truth", dear Sab (peace to you!). He was reading a prophecy of Isaiah regarding my Lord and didn't know if the writer was writing about himself... or someone else. So, an angel was sent to direct Philip to the road to Gaza where he encountered the eunuch (who was a natural JEW, NOT a convert, as the WTBTS and others erroneously state! The Jews had been scattered to all "distance parts" but many had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost - Acts 2:5, 9-11). At some point, the spirit IN Philip, HOLY SPIRIT... "told" him to join the eunuch.
When he did, the eunuch asked his question and Philip was able to help him see that Isaiah was speaking of Christ. However, PHILIP DIDN'T USE THE SCRIPTURES TO DO IT... but RELIED on the holy spirit that was IN him... and ORALLY told the eunuch about Christ... starting WITH the particular scripture the eunuch had been reading. It was the EUNUCH who "needed" the scriptures... not Philip.
Once the eunuch GOT it, though... and realized that he needed to get baptized* and repent in order to receive holy spirit HIMSELF... he did so. And he RECEIVED that spirit (which is why he went away "rejoicing" - joy... is a FRUIT of God's holy spirit!).
*[NOTE: Water baptism is a requirement for Jews/Israelites ONLY... NOT non-Israelites. This is because Israel, including the Jews... were under the Law Covenant... and had to (1) repent their transgressions against that Law, and (2) "die" as to the provisions of that Law. Some would have you believe that water baptism was ALSO required for non-Israelites... as shown by the baptism of Cornelius and his household. This is inaccurate: Cornelius was an ISRAELITE. He was a "Samaritan"... which is the label for the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel - Jews/Benjamin make up the 2-tribe kingdom of Judah. He was an army officer in Caesarea... a city in SAMARIA. Thus, a "Samaritan". He was IN Samaria... because THAT is where the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel was EXILED... LONG before the 2-tribe kingdom of Judah was exiled to Babylon. I digress.]
Since HE (the eunuch) now had holy spirit... he no longer needed PHILIP to "teach" him. And so, they parted ways... with that spirit leading them BOTH... in the respective directions they needed to go.
But, to answer your question, again: the Ethiopian had not yet received the promised holy spirit... which WOULD have taught him and led him into the truth regarding the scripture. Once he receive it... no more questions... so that he could go HIS way... rejoicing.
I hope that helps and, again, peace to you!
A slave of Christ,
SA
Because he had not received the promised holy spirit, by which he would have been led into "all truth", dear Sab (peace to you!). He was reading a prophecy of Isaiah regarding my Lord and didn't know if the writer was writing about himself... or someone else. So, an angel was sent to direct Philip to the road to Gaza where he encountered the eunuch (who was a natural JEW, NOT a convert, as the WTBTS and others erroneously state! The Jews had been scattered to all "distance parts" but many had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost - Acts 2:5, 9-11). At some point, the spirit IN Philip, HOLY SPIRIT... "told" him to join the eunuch.
When he did, the eunuch asked his question and Philip was able to help him see that Isaiah was speaking of Christ. However, PHILIP DIDN'T USE THE SCRIPTURES TO DO IT... but RELIED on the holy spirit that was IN him... and ORALLY told the eunuch about Christ... starting WITH the particular scripture the eunuch had been reading. It was the EUNUCH who "needed" the scriptures... not Philip.
Once the eunuch GOT it, though... and realized that he needed to get baptized* and repent in order to receive holy spirit HIMSELF... he did so. And he RECEIVED that spirit (which is why he went away "rejoicing" - joy... is a FRUIT of God's holy spirit!).
*[NOTE: Water baptism is a requirement for Jews/Israelites ONLY... NOT non-Israelites. This is because Israel, including the Jews... were under the Law Covenant... and had to (1) repent their transgressions against that Law, and (2) "die" as to the provisions of that Law. Some would have you believe that water baptism was ALSO required for non-Israelites... as shown by the baptism of Cornelius and his household. This is inaccurate: Cornelius was an ISRAELITE. He was a "Samaritan"... which is the label for the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel - Jews/Benjamin make up the 2-tribe kingdom of Judah. He was an army officer in Caesarea... a city in SAMARIA. Thus, a "Samaritan". He was IN Samaria... because THAT is where the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel was EXILED... LONG before the 2-tribe kingdom of Judah was exiled to Babylon. I digress.]
Since HE (the eunuch) now had holy spirit... he no longer needed PHILIP to "teach" him. And so, they parted ways... with that spirit leading them BOTH... in the respective directions they needed to go.
But, to answer your question, again: the Ethiopian had not yet received the promised holy spirit... which WOULD have taught him and led him into the truth regarding the scripture. Once he receive it... no more questions... so that he could go HIS way... rejoicing.
I hope that helps and, again, peace to you!
A slave of Christ,
SA
Yeah right, says who? You?
I studied this scripture in detail, heard a sermon, and Crossan discusses it in one of his books. Many Gentile were called God-fearers. They were drawn to Judaism and attended services but did not want to be snipped. So he is running up to a regular Ethiopian. This man has studied Isaiah for probably quite some time. Another obvious answer is that it is a narrative device For Philip to explain the Good News. Jesus' death and resurrection are the fulfillment of scripture. Scripture that you already believe. I assume that the other message is that you have been attending Jewish services. You no longer need Judaism. Come to our Christian Jewish sect and find out more.
I always found it strange that you are running along minding your own business on a highway in the dessert and voila-someone to convert. Acts opens with bringing the gospel to gentiles. The Acts scripture reads so nonchalant. Many synchronous things have happened to me so I'm not saying impossible but mostly, when I take a subway, people are reading The Daily News, not Isaish just as I want to preach.
LOL Band on the Run . . . all of a sudden I got this picture in my head . . .
Of a well-to-do black dude being chauffered down the street in a caddy convertible reading his Bible aloud from the back seat with some homeless guy running next to him.
Precisely!
LOL Size and Band!
Yeah right, says who? You?
Of course not me, RoosterMan (peace to you!). I wasn't there; how the heck would I know? Seriously...
Many Gentile were called God-fearers. They were drawn to Judaism and attended services but did not want to be snipped. So he is running up to a regular Ethiopian.
Ummmm... a Gentile couldn't "attend services" in Jerusalem, dear BOTR... unless they were circumcised. And indeed, some were: a "gentile" is one who is not a Jew. Which would also include anyone... from the 10-tribe kingdom of Israel. These not only also knew the Law... but were also IN THE COVENANT... and so, were also circumcised (Moses wasn't a Jew; he was a Levite!).
Had this man been a "regular" Ethiopian (i.e., uncircumcised), he would not have been PERMITTED to attend services in Jerusalem. Indeed, no one would have been able to even associate with him!
The error is thinking that there were no JEWS... in Ethiopia. Which is ridiculous: there were JEWS... dwelling in Jerusalem at the time (the festival of Pentecost)... "from EVERY nation... under heaven":
"Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jewsfrom every nation under heaven. ... Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs..." Acts 2:5, 9-11
If every nation, then certainly Ethiopia was among them. But notice, the only "converts"... were from ROME.
I didn't make up what I shared; I shared it just as I received it... from the very One who sent the angel to Philip... and Philip to the eunuch: the Holy One of Israel and Holy Spirit, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH... the Son and Christ of the MOST Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies. You don't have to take my word for it... or even what the Bible states. You can simply ask him, too. All it takes is faith... the size of a mustard seed.
Again, peace to you, both!
A slave of Christ,
SA
