The Acts of the Apostles 76

Subtitle: Resurrection at Troas

Acts 20:1-12.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on August 18, 2024.

Following the riotous mob in Ephesus, lead by Demetrius the silversmith, Paul then journeys to Macedonia (northern Greece). 

If it takes a mob to do what you want to do, then it is probably not the right thing, and it is definitely not the right way to go about it. 

Yet, Paul had already purposed in the Spirit to leave Ephesus, travel to Greece and then travel to Jerusalem.  Everything from this point on has the sense that Paul may not see these people again.  It isn’t known for sure by him, but it is his working premise.  What he knows for sure is that persecutions and tribulations await him in Jerusalem.

Let’s look at our passage.

Paul ministers in Greece (v. 1-6)

As Luke has already told us in the previous chapter, Paul follows Timothy and Erastus, whom he had sent ahead in Acts 19:22.  This previous preparation, along with verse one of this chapter, shows us that Paul was not fleeing Ephesus.  Rather, he takes the time to gather with the disciples there and say goodbye.

Nothing is said of Paul’s journey through Asia and the ship ride from Troas to Philippi in Macedonia, but this would have happened.  Similarly, we are not told how Paul reconnects with Timothy and Erastus, or who left with him from Ephesus.

Verse two mentions that he goes to Greece after “he had gone over that region.”  Of course, we tend to think of Macedonia as Greece, but this is due to the conquering of Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.  We should not see this as a mistake, but as the language of someone who knows how the people of southern Greece viewed themselves in relation to the area of Macedonia.

By the way, some believe that this is probably the best time for Paul to have preached in Illyricum, which is only mentioned in Romans 15:19.  This is what we would call Albania today.

So, Paul connects with churches in that area and then travels south into Achaia.  Luke does not mention any particular city, but the mention of sailing to Syria from there was most likely a reference to Corinth.  We also know that Paul had written 1 Corinthians from Ephesus, which said that he was working to come to them.  Paul ends up staying for three months.

As Paul plans to sail to Syria (most likely Antioch), a plot against him is discovered.  It is believed that the plan may have involved attacking Paul while on the ship because it would be impossible for him to get away. 

Of course, this doesn’t happen, but the root of these disturbances are not the people involved.  The root is found in those evil spirits in league with the devil.  Synagogue leaders and silversmiths are not Paul’s enemies.  They are simply captive to the devil’s schemes and manipulated by him.  We need to understand this about our own land.  You can look at politicians, political parties and individuals, and see that they are leading against the ways of Jesus Christ.  This does make them an enemy to the Gospel.  Yet, Christ doesn’t tell us to fight against these people.  We are to fight against the spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6) that are in the heavenlies.  They are the ones that manipulate these people to operate against Christ.  We are called to interpose ourselves between the manipulated person and the enemy of their soul. We work for the purposes of Christ, which is to set them free from the devil’s lies.

Having discovered the plot, Paul changes his plan.  He does not sail from their to Syria, but rather, he goes back through Macedonia, believing that he will run into less resistance there.

Luke lists seven companions of Paul on this part of the journey.  Sopater of Berea (some manuscripts add that he is the son of Pyrrhus), Aristarchus and Secundus (this is a common slave name) of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy (whom we know to be from Lystra, which is near Derbe), and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.  These last two could  be from Ephesus, but they also may be from one of the seven churches of Revelation.  I would also point out that the pronoun “we” crops up again in verse 5.  Luke also has joined the group, although he does not name himself.  This gives eight guys, nine counting Paul who traveled together.  Paul then sends most of the men ahead to wait for them at Troas.

This large group of men may have been traveling with Paul due to funds he was carrying for Jerusalem.  In his letters, Paul asked the churches to have money ready for him to pick up when he came through in order to bless the hurting churches of Judea.  Their numbers would dissuade any highwaymen from trying to assail them.  We should also notice the variety of places they are from.  They also would serve as witnesses that the money was not pilfered, but indeed, made it to Jerusalem.

Regardless, Paul’s plans are changed.  It can sometimes feel like someone or something has messed up our plans, or even our lives.  I really do believe that God uses these situations to direct us.  Those who are seeking the leading of God’s Spirit do not need to fear these type of events.  It may change your plans, but God helps us and will be with us. 

Of course, sometimes God Himself changes our plans.  He may speak to us in prayer, or through another Godly person.  In this case, we have wicked people intent on doing evil.  Of course, God isn’t inspiring them to do this.  Yet, the Christian is never at the mercy of other people, or even the spiritual powers of wickedness.  What they intend for evil, God works to the good for us.  Like the story of Joseph, his brothers were brought to a place of repentance.  They had intended evil, but God worked it to the good of Joseph, and of them.  He brought them to a place of repentance over their evil deeds.  You can trust God!

It is here that Luke explains that they leave Philippi after the feast of Unleavened Bread (immediately follows Passover).  This means it is spring and would place the previous three months in Corinth during the winter months.  Sailors avoided traveling in winter months.  Paul decides to remain at Troas for 7 days.

Paul ministers in Troas (v. 7-12)

Having reunited with their group in Troas, they fellowship with the church there.  Verse 7 explains that the day before Paul left was the “first day of the week.”  This is the first clear mention that Christians gathered on the first day of the week, Sunday.  “To break bread” was a reference to eating a fellowship meal together, and was often connected to also celebrating communion, or the Lord’s Supper.  They gathered to eat together and then Paul preached to them.

There are several other places in the New Testament that allude to Christians gathering on the first day of the week, Sunday.  In 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul tells them this. “On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay something aside storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”  It is clear that they are giving the offering when the group is gathered.  Though it is not said that they do anything else, it is implicit that they typically gathered on that day.

There are some who try to make a big deal about what day you worship on, similar to what foods you eat.  Colossians 2:16-17 tells us, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”  It appears that Christians are free to worship on any day, even many days.  The day of rest (the sabbath was sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) is a shadow or lesser image of Jesus Christ).  We now dwell in the realities of what these things pointed to.

We are told that Paul preaches to midnight.  This is another one of those clues that gives us the sense that Paul knows he may not be coming back.  In fact, he isn’t stopping at midnight.  We typically take our church gatherings for granted.  However, when it may be your last one with these people, such a meeting would take on great significance.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow.  Thus, we should not take our gatherings lightly.  God teach us to love one another with all of our hearts.

Verses 7-8 set up a classic situation.  The description of a young man would place him between 20 and 40 years old.  I would lean to the younger side of this range.  Luke gives us several factors in a row that lead up to the young man falling out of a window.  First, Paul has preached up to midnight and does not seem to be stopping.  Second, there were “many lamps” in the upper room where they were gathered.  I would assume that these are oil lamps.  It would make the room warmer and mixed with exhaust.  They are on the third floor with a sleepy, young man sitting in a window.  It is at this point that Eutychus falls out the third-story window to the ground below.  Paul’s words may seem to contradict the next statement, but we should not ignore Luke’s  statement, “he was taken up [picked up] dead.”

This interrupts the service.  Of course, in any gathering of God’s people, there may be an series of things that we want to do together, such as: eating, worshipping and hearing the Word of God preached.  However, our ultimate purpose is to glorify Jesus and encourage one anther in the faith.

We are told that Paul rushes down and falls upon the young man.  I don’t believe this means he tripped and fell upon the lad.  This is reminiscent of 1 Kings 17, where Elijah lays on the dead boy, praying for God to bring him back to life.

Paul’s statement that the boy is not dead, i.e., “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him,” can be seen a contradiction to the earlier statement of death.  However,  it is even more likely that it is Paul’s statement after he knew that God had heard him and touched the young man.  Regardless, faith and the will of God are both involved here.  Paul has been preaching about the resurrection of Jesus, no doubt.  Here is fresh proof of God’s power over life.  This would powerfully impact the group.  Essentially Paul is saying that everything will be alright.  In fact, Paul goes back to preaching.

They return to the upper room, where Paul preaches until morning.  It then mentions that the young man was brought in alive.  This makes the most sense if the young man was still unconscious and being looked over since Paul’s prayers.  To say his life is in him does not mean that he was dancing in the street.  In fact, he may have still been unconscious.  By morning, however, he is well enough to come join the group.  What a demonstration of God’s miraculous grace to this young man.  This is a true resurrection.

When we think about the resurrection, we can think of it as only a future promise that seems disconnected from our present.  However, the message of the resurrection speaks to our present.  It shows us that we don’t have to fear threats in the present, whether they physically threaten our life or metaphorically threaten it. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:32, Paul talked about fighting with wild beast in Ephesus.  I don’t think he is talking about literal beasts.  The mob and Demetrius were as offspring of the beast empire that Rome represented.  Of course, Paul did not fight with them in the natural.  Rather, he fought the intimidating spiritual powers through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

We don’t have to fear these spiritual power, or the natural powers.  Everything about the cross and death says that we have lost; it didn’t work; God doesn’t love you or care about you; He is not keeping His promise.  It says all those things that the devil tempts us to believe, at least that is what our flesh hears.  Yet, three days later, when Jesus is resurrected, we see that we shouldn’t listen to the enemy in our hearts and mind.  We must not look at the things of this world and extrapolate from what we see a conclusion about God’s care for us.

The resistance and difficulty that we experience in this world, even from our own flesh, says nothing about God’s love for us.  God is greater than everything that we may face.  We don’t deny the reality of those difficulties, but instead, we recognize the greater reality of God’s power over them.  May God help us to walk in faith, our eyes upon Him and not upon what we see down here!

Resurrection at Troas

The Acts of the Apostles 53

Subtitle: Far from Home

Acts 13:13-32.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on August 27, 2023.

Today, we are looking at Paul's first missionary journey into Gentile lands.  Of course, there were others with him, but he is the common thread throughout them all.

The very act of leaving the safe place of home and going to unfamiliar places to share Jesus is an act of faith, boldness, and courage.  The disciple Peter before the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a courageous talker.  Yet, he failed when it really mattered.  His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak. 

How do you deal with that?  In truth, this is a picture of every single one of us.  We deal with it by seeing our weakness, accepting it, and then turning to Jesus in faith.  He then fills us with His Holy Spirit, and we partner with the Holy Spirit by being a person of prayer (something Peter failed to do the night of the betrayal of Jesus), being a person of the word, and letting the Spirit show us how to walk out the righteousness of Christ in our life.

After the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it wasn't impossible for Peter to make a mistake, but he was a different man.  He had become a man of faith, courage, and boldness in the Lord.

We may not do all of the things that we see written in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, but may we be filled with the faith, boldness, and courage that comes from the Spirit of God.

We should always be thankful for the blessing of home, especially if you had a home that honored Jesus.  When I was a kid, I remember being homesick.  My mother was having a baby, and I stayed at my cousin Terry's house.  We always played together and had a blast, so it was perfect.  Yet, after a certain number of days, I began to be homesick.  The silly thing is that my house was 1 block away at the time.  I am thankful for the home I grew up in.  Christians should be home makers.  No matter what you are starting with, the Lord Jesus will help you to create a safe place for your children, teach them the truth of Jesus, and to do so in love, with loving discipline.  Let your home become a place where there is a sense of belonging, being cared for, and helped in every way.

All of that said, there is a sense in which we are not at home in this world (it is not Jesus enough), and yet we are always at home, no matter where we are, because Jesus is always with us by His Holy Spirit.  Christ is with us, and we will always find brothers and sisters of like precious faith when we reach out.

There is a certain class of great truths in which two seemingly polar opposite realities must be embraced at the same time.  It appears paradoxical to say that we should remember that this world is not our home, and yet, we are always home, no matter where we are in this world.  Another example of this is called the Stockdale Paradox. [Note: in the audio, I was unsure of the name of the paradox, and I surmised it might be called Stockwell.]  Stockdale was a POW during the Vietnam war, and spent years being tortured and held captive.  After he was returned following a treaty, he pointed to this paradox that helped him to survive.  He had to be brutally honest about his true circumstances, but also, never lose hope that he would prevail in the end.  Further, he emphasized that we could confuse these two things, and needed to keep them separate, yet held firmly.

So, we are not home yet, and we know it.  However, when I leave this world and my spirit goes to the Lord, it will not be a complete surprise because I have been at home with him for years now.  It will be more of a sense that says, "Wow!  It is even better than I imagined!"

Let's look at our passage.

The Gospel goes to Anatolia (v. 13-15)

Here's a good map for understanding the places that are talked about in this passage:  map.

Paul and Barnabas had gone from the coast of Syria to the island of Cyprus.  There they shared the Gospel and ended up on the western end of the island in Paphos, the seat of government for the island.

From there, they will sail northwest to what we call Turkey today.  It is sometimes referred to as Asia Minor, but the book of Acts also refers to a region called Asia, which is only a small part of this isthmus.  So these terms can be confused.  Another term used for this area is a name the Greeks gave to the place, Anatolia (Gk. for "east").

The coastal city called Perga is in the area called Pamphylia.  As you go north you quickly hit mountains.  At their divide, you enter a lesser region called Psidia.  At this time, Psidia is administered for Rome under the Galatian region.  Thus, Luke's story jumps pretty quickly to a city of Psidia called Antioch.

Yes, this is another city called Antioch (long story).  This city is either called Antioch of Pisidia, or Pisidian Antioch to distinguish it from other places with the same name.  By the way, Paul and Barnabas started this journey from Antioch of Syria, or Syrian Antioch.  This should help us get a feel for where these things are happening.

When they first land at Perga, there is no mention of preaching there.  They quickly head into the interior of Anatolia.  Some have speculated that Paul may have picked up a sickness like malaria (the area has mosquitos) because of Paul's statement in Galatians 4:13.  He says that he first preached the gospel to the Galatians due to sickness.  The city Pisidian Antioch is in the region of Galatia, and so are the towns that will mentioned later on in this missionary journey.  I take time to mention this particularly because of what happens next.

We are told that John Mark departed from them and went back to Jerusalem.  This wasn't on the agenda.  Mark was brought along to help them on the journey.  We are not told why.  However, we can be fairly certain that it wasn't for a good reason because, in Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas will argue about taking Mark with them on a second missionary journey.  We can talk about their discussions then.

For now, I will focus on John Mark.  He may have left simply out of homesickness.  Even adults can grow weary of being on the road and dealing with the stresses of new territories.  Of course, there could also be a sense of fear.  They had encountered spiritual opposition on the island of Cyprus through Elymas Barjesus, Paul was now sick, and they were headed into the interior of this Gentile place.  Mark may have just hit the end of what he was able to face.  Regardless, Mark finds himself far from home, and chooses to go back to Jerusalem where his mother and family were.  However, he is also quitting on the work that God had given to Paul and Barnabas.  This is important because, even today (more so then), it is important to have a strong group of guys when you travel foreign lands.  He is leaving them in a weaker position, at least, in the natural.

I will say that there is no sense that John Mark is departing from the Lord, and apostatizing.  However, he is quitting on the work that God had made him a part of.  He may be thinking that it was really Barnabas and Paul's calling and not his.  This may not be a salvation issue, but it is serious.  We are volunteers and not hirelings, but the Spirit of God is working in us to fit us for the work that He desires for us to do.

Am I fit for the work that God has for me?  In some ways, natural ways, I am not.  However, trust and faith in God helps us to be fit, and to become even more fit. 

All work sounds good in theory, but it entails a lot of sweat and sore muscles, which aren't so fun.  Imagine someone coming up with this amazing idea.  "I'm tired of foraging every day, but I noticed that grain will grow up out of the ground from places where we drop it.  Why don't we clear about 10 acres of land here and plant it all with grain.  Then, we can harvest it all right here close to home, and we won't have to forage!"  This is a brilliant idea, but it also involves long hours of blood, sweat, and tears, removing stumps, plowing virgin ground, protecting the young plants and then harvest.  It is a lot of work.  Perhaps, you could give up on such a daunting task and simply forage a couple of hours every day.

Work is a good thing even though it is difficult.  There is a joy in the reward that comes from the work.  However, over time as we mature, we begin to gain an appreciation for the work itself.  Like an old, trusted friend, we begin to enjoy the expenditure of strength that is good for us in and of itself.

In life, you will always run into things that are too big, and too hard for you.  You would rather be home, or in an easier place, an easier time.  Perhaps, you can even now smell the cookies that mom used to make for you in the kitchen, and taste the tantalizing swirl of hot cookie and cold milk.  Being fit for service is not a one time deal.  It is not a one and done chance.  In God's economy, if we fall short, the Spirit still works to bring us back around.  Yes, it's bigger than you, and he that is in the world is also bigger than you.  Yet, He that is in you is greater than them both!

After John Mark leaves them, Paul and Barnabas head into the interior on the edge of Galatia to a town called Pisidian Antioch.  There is a synagogue in this town, so they attend on the Sabbath (Saturday).

Synagogues focused on reading the Law and Prophets, with commentary, exhortations, and worship.  It is not mentioned in the Old Testament because this activity did not develop until they came back from Babylon.  They had been there 70 years, and precious few really knew how they were supposed to serve Yahweh.  Synagogues developed as teaching centers. Yet, they also became invaluable in far away Gentile lands where they would have little interaction with Jerusalem and its ceremonies.  The early church meetings were somewhat patterned after these teaching centers.

At some point they ask Paul and Barnabas as visitors to address the group if they wished.  This may be a courtesy knowing that Paul has studied in Jerusalem, but it may simply be a rural area hoping to hear news of things in Jerusalem, etc.  Regardless, Paul will take advantage of this opportunity to speak.

Paul preaches in the synagogue (v. 16-33)

We have an extended sermon from Paul here.  We will look at part of it today and the rest on a subsequent Sunday.  In some ways, Luke is giving us highlights of how the Gospel spread from Jerusalem into Gentile lands, even to Rome, the seat of the empire.  However, at times, Luke does what he does here.  He moves in with a microscope and gives us the notes version of sermons preached by the apostle Peter and the apostle Paul, as well as others (deacon Stephen being one in particular). 

In any address, you are aware of your audience and speak accordingly.  This would be mainly Jewish people, as well as some Gentile God-fearers.  They would be aware of Jewish history, the theology of God, etc.  Thus, Paul quickly runs through things that he would not be able to do if he was speaking to Greek philosophers on Mar's Hill in Athens.

He starts with a basic reminder of Israel's history.  Yet, he emphasizes some important things.  They became a nation when God chose them and exalted them out of a low position in Egypt.  He brought them out of Egypt with an uplifted arm.  The arm of the Lord, as well as the hand of the Lord, is an Old Testament picture that represents God powerfully stepping in and helping you in a time of need.  It connotes acts of power, miracles, and signs and wonders, as well as the closeness of God.  Of course, the New Testament reveals that Jesus is, and has always been, the Hand of God and the Arm of the Lord.

They then spent 40 years in the wilderness.  Paul deftly says that God "put up with their ways."  This is a reminder that, even at their beginning, God extended mercy to them over the top of their resistance, and even rebellion.

God was faithful to bring them to Canaan and give them victory over the seven nation that were there.  They were then given an inheritance in the land.  It is always good in the midst of blessing to remind ourselves that the mercy of God has brought you into it all along the way.  I do not deserve even one of His blessings.  I have come to it by His grace all along the way.

In verses 20 through 23, Paul reminds them of how their governance changed after this.  For the first 450 years, they essentially had a tribal-clan structure.  However, they kept turning to idolatry, and God's judgment would be to let their enemies dominate them, enslave them to a degree.  They would invariably start crying out to God for help.  This brought about the idea of the judges.  The word for judge emphasized that they would give the decision of Lord.  However, as you read the book of Judges, you see that the primary requirement to being a Judge over Israel was to first have been empowered by God's Spirit to help deliver, or save, Israel from their enemies.  The victory over their overlords was proof that God was with a person, and then they would serve as a Spirit-empowered judge over Israel.  This was not a monarchy, and so when the Judge died, the people would without fail end back up in bondage, cry out, and receive another Deliverer who would then judge them for a season.  This went on for 450 years.

At this point, they wanted a king and so God gave them Saul son of Kish.  Their desire for a king was not for noble reason.  They wanted a king because the nations around them had kings.  This was clearly not the reason they continued to be enslaved.  Notice that there is a sense of the rebellion of Israel in both of these governing styles.  Judges 17:6 says, "In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."  In 1 Samuel 8, God tells Samuel that their desire of a king was a rejection of Him. He was not pleased, but gave them their request because He could use it for His purposes.

Saul was a monarch that satisfied their flesh (head and shoulders above the rest).  He was great in the flesh, but weak and small in the spirit.  Paul nicely states that God "removed" Saul and raised up David because David would do His will.  The Messianic promise is given to David who is the perfect man after God's heart who does His perfect will (even better than David).  This Messiah would first deliver, save, Israel and then He would proven the right to Judge Israel.  In fact, Jesus is the Savior and Judge of all the earth and the heavens.  He is the ultimate King.

In verses 24 to25, Paul reminds them of the ministry of John the Baptist.  He emphasizes the testimony of John that Messiah would follow Him.  He preached repentance in preparation of the coming of Messiah.  Thus, Israel should expect Messiah to have shown up by now.

In verses 26 to 29, Paul emphasizes that God has sent them with the Word of Salvation for the people of this synagogue.  He is declaring that the promised Savior has come and that word of this salvation has come to them through Barnabas and him.

Of course, this good news begins with bad news.  The people and rulers of Israel did not recognize the Savior, nor did they understand the message of the prophets that they read every Sabbath.  Because they did not know God and His Word like they should have, they executed the Savior even though they could nothing wrong with him.

We should note that Paul is not pointing the finger at the Jewish people.  He was one of them!  He had rebelled resisted and had believers in Jesus put to death.  This is what we all are without God's help.

Yet, even this execution of Messiah was a fulfillment of all that the prophets foretold concerning Messiah.
It is very important for us to be a people of the Word of God, but it is even more important to know the word along with the Spirit of God.  If we let Church be a matter of the flesh, and not relationship, then we will only follow the same path.  We have to guard our hearts and watch ourselves through prayer.

Even when God is undeniably working through a man, as He did with Jesus, we are able to deny the undeniable.  They did this in the wilderness when they resisted Moses who had clearly proven that God was with Him.  Yes, and, many are doing the same today.

Some may go the other direction.  They may discount the word of God as the moldy word of God, and continually seek a new word from God.  The written word of God keeps us anchored in the true Spirit of God, but it cannot take His place.  If we study the word in exclusion to relationship with the Spirit of God, then we only create an idol.  However, if we neglect the word, then we easily fall prey to the many deceiving spirits out there.

How can I know that I am hearing the Holy Spirit?  You focus on being a person of the Bible, but also a person of prayer seeking God's help to understand. 

Finally, in verses 30 to 33, Paul speaks about the resurrection.  "But God raised Him from the dead!"  Hallelujah.  I praise God that He often overrules the choices and decisions of people to fight His purpose.  He will not control your choice, but neither can you control His choices.  Hallelujah!  If Israel had their way, they would have never entered the promise land.  Yet, God in His mercy took them back out into the desert for 40 years, until a whole generation of unbelievers died.  Then, He led their kids back to the promise land.  "Do you want to go in this time?  Yes, sir!  I'm tired of living out in this desert!" 

May God help us to grow weary of living in the wilderness.  The sooner we die to things of the flesh, and turn to God's Holy Spirit for help, the sooner we will be able to move beyond desert times in our lives (not that they are all bad).

Paul emphasizes the many witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul and Barnabas are in Pisidian Antioch as witnesses of these things.  God had fulfilled His promise to the fathers of Israel, and thus, to them.

We will pause here on Paul's sermon.

We mentioned how John Mark turned back at a point far from home.  Yet, Paul is a man who is far from home as well.  Yet, he stands faithfully with the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we go in the name of Jesus, he is always with us.  And, if he is with us, then we are never far from home.  It is a matter of your mind.  Far from home is relative.  To some, going to another State is no big deal.  Whereas, to others, going across the street may be very intimidating.

God has a work for us that, in some ways, takes us away from our homes.  Going out from the place of comfort, a place blessed by God, is uncomfortable, but His blessing goes with us wherever we minister.  May God help us to hold on to that sense, "Jesus is with me!"  You don't have to fear, or at least, you don't have to fear for very long.  Who knows what we are going to run into.  Maybe, we will run into a sorcerer who is foaming at the mouth in jealousy.  Whatever it is, God is with us, and we don't have to be afraid.  We can be courageous, bold, and filled with faith because we are filled with His Holy Spirit.

Far from Home audio

The Acts of the Apostles 39

Subtitle: Saul Preaches at Damascus

Acts 9:20-25.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 12, 2023.

We have come to the point where Jesus has dramatically saved the life of Saul of Tarsus.  Last week, I mentioned how he was prayed for by Ananias and received his sight.  He was also water baptized and filled with the Spirit too.  This put Saul on a different trajectory than his namesake, King Saul.

It is a wonderful thing when a person is confronted with Jesus, and they surrender to him in faith.  Saul's complete about face.  May God help us to see hungry people seeking Jesus and finding him.  May we be a people who are still excited about the amazing grace of Jesus in our lives.

Let's look at our passage.

Saul is a new man in Christ Jesus

We can talk about becoming a new man in the natural.  Maybe we find some kind of regimen that will whip us into shape and revamp our life physically.  Of course, even if you really do well at that, it is still a losing battle.  In the end, you are mortal and cannot stay ahead of death.

Yes, scientists are working hard to overcome the mortality issue.  Even if they are able to conquer death, so to speak, science cannot fix sin in the heart of people.  A laboratory may be able to lobotomize a man, but they cannot fix his soul and heart.  Science can create technical solutions to issues, but it can't tell you if you should deploy them or not, whether it is good or bad.

Without something outside of us to which we are accountable, our "morality" will be like the waves of the sea, wishy-washy.  Perhaps we will be moved by the group one way, until a new majority shows up and the waves moves another direction.  This is true and good now.  No.  Now this over here is true and good, ad infinitum.  Whether it be a majority group, or a tyrant, this crazy world of changing truths falls woefully short of creating true change in a person's heart.

Saul becomes a new man spiritually rather than naturally.  He can actually see the reality of his life and the life of people around him because he is truly listening to the Creator of the universe.  If we needed proof of Saul's conversion, we see it in the activity following his healing and conversion.

Jesus had given him his mission in at least one vision, if not two.  He didn't need any more proof.  Of course, we might complain that God hasn't given us a vision.  However, God has given you enough evidence to believe upon Him.  Don't play the game of withholding your faith from Him because He hasn't given you a particular experience.  Yes, He loves you, but He's not playing games.

Saul is no longer a student of Rabbi Gamaliel of the school of Hillel.  He is now a follower of Rabbi Yeshua!

We are told that Saul "immediately" preaches Jesus in the synagogues.  That word can mean in the next second, but it also allows for context.  If he was saved on a Tuesday, then it would mean that he preached in the synagogue that Friday/Saturday.  Thus, immediately can mean at the next available opportunity.

The emphasis of his preaching is the amazing reality that Jesus truly was the Messiah, or Christ.  Jesus was the one that they had been waiting for God to send.  God had promised that an Anointed One would come and deliver Israel, but even more, he would be a redeemer of Israel.  These prophecies in the Old Testament stated that one from the line of David would not only fix Israel, but even the nations.  However, they had been under the domination of foreign powers for over 586 years.  It is hard to keep the faith that God is going to save you that long.

He also emphasizes that this Messiah was also the Son of God.  If you pay attention to the words of Jesus, then you will notice that Jesus actually emphasizes Son of Man regarding himself, rather than Son of God.  It is true that these words have a layer of meaning that is essentially "human" for the former and "divine" for the latter.  Yet, there is more going on here than that.

The phrase "Son of Man" is not a denial of the divinity of Jesus.  Rather, Jesus is using a phrase that is also a technical phrase from Old Testament prophecy, particularly in Daniel 7. For example, if I use the word "rapture" in a church setting, many Christians will immediately think of prophecies in the New Testament that speak of a catching up of believers to be with Jesus in the air.  However, a non-Christian may hear that word and only think of a poetic use of ecstatic joy and delight.  Of course, they wouldn't be wrong that this is part of its meaning, but they would be missing the critical theological significance.  The same is true with the Son of Man.

In Daniel 7, we have the Ancient of Days, God, seated on His throne with other thrones around him.  The final beast-empire of the earth is slain before Him and the government taken from it.  Next we see "And behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him."  Notice that the great powers of the earth are described as beasts though comprised of men.  They are beasts of men ruling in a beastly way.  However, this one who is like a human receives a kingdom from the Ancient of Days that never ends.  Thus, his heart and his rule will not be beastly, but human, i.e., it will have the proper relational love that should exist in any governance.

Yet, there are some powerful things signaled in the text.  This one like a human rides the clouds to the Father.  This is no mere mortal.  Biblically speaking this is language used of God, or the gods.  It is considered divine activity.  Jesus emphasized this in Matthew 26:64 when he responded to high priest.  They understood the connotation that he was making and accused him of blasphemy.  On top of this, we have the fact that his kingdom is everlasting and the peoples of the earth will "serve" him, a word used of service to a deity.

So you see, Son of Man is not contradictory of Son of God.  In fact, it actually embraces the phrase Son of God and adds to it prophetic significance.  Jesus was revealing that he was that strange, unique God-man that Scripture revealed.

I know that I took some time with this, but this is what Saul is preaching.  Jesus is the Son of David, but even more, he is the Son of God.  He has a divine origin.  We see this in the way the Gospels treat the origin of Jesus.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus upon the human origin of Jesus in their story without denying his divinity.  In a sense, they write their accounts as it was experienced.  He was born, ministered, and then we figured out who he was!  John, however, begins with a focus on the eternal origin of Jesus.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh (human) and dwelt among us..."  This is Jesus spoken of from God's experience, stepping into the world and taking on an additional nature of a human.  Of course, we may wonder how that is possible.  The answer would be that God created humans in a way that made it possible for Him to take on our nature.  Who'd have thunk it?  This is His artistic flourish as the Creator.

Saul is preaching to believers in the Father.  They worship Him with songs, readings, and prayers.  However, they don't know His Messiah, and that He had come to save them.  They didn't know the Father's salvation yet.  If there is one thing we should learn from the Old Testament, it is this.  All people, even religious people, who have the truth of God in their hands, need a spiritual transformation.  The same thing can happen to them that happened to the nations at the time of the Tower of Babel.  They had been exchanging truth for a lie, little by little, until they cooperated with Nimrod.  God judged it and handed them over to those "gods" they were seeking.  Over the centuries, and millennia, they became so dark that they were cutting hearts out of live victims for their so-called gods.

The people who heard Saul preaching about the Messiah having come were amazed at the idea, but the real source of their amazement is Saul's complete turn around.  He was fighting against them one day, and then became one of their strongest proponents the next day.  This is just how radically Jesus can change, transform, a life.  Or better, we could say that Jesus is able to save even the chief of sinners!

At the heart of the teachings of Jesus and his apostles, we have this idea of spiritual transformation.  Saul would later write in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

I grew up in the Church, but I did not live for Jesus during my teenage years.  My freshman year in college began with too much partying and running around.  However, Jesus confronted me and I yielded to him.  He radically changed my life.  A friend that I used to run around with told me one day that he had talked to his mom about me.  She told him that I was just going through a "religious phase."  Well, here we are 35 years later, and I'm still going strong in this "religious phase," hallelujah!  Listen, Jesus did not come to give us a "religious phase," even though some people approach it this way.  He came to transform our lives.  It is not enough to have the truth.  It is not enough to look like you are following Jesus.  Judas followed Jesus!  But, when it really mattered, Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus with a kiss in the middle of  the night.  Let us not settle for having the right religion.  We must be transformed by Jesus!

In verse 22, we are told that Saul increased in strength.  Luke is showing us that God's blessing was upon Saul.  He is not talking about physical strength, but spiritual.  Saul made a 180 degree turn from fight God and His Holy Spirit to working with Them.  This required spiritual growth.  He grew in hearing the Holy Spirit and cooperating with Him.  He grew in his ability to be convincing to others.  Of course, his familiarity with the Old Testament would help.  However, Saul would have to let go of a lot of rabbinical teaching, and some parts would be retained and redeemed by the mind of Christ.

Saul had lots of natural gifts.  He could learn material, and was very industrious with lots of desire to move ahead, to prove himself.  However, natural talents that are not surrendered to God's direction will get in the way.  Later, Saul would say in Philippians 3:8 that all of his accomplishments in the natural were rubbish.  They were meaningless if he didn't have Jesus.

The word in verse 22 for "proving" has the sense of knitting two things together.  They believed in a coming Messiah, but they also believed that Jesus was poles apart from what Messiah would be.  Saul's preaching brought those things together in people's minds and knit them together, each stitch a different point.  Another way to see it is the knitting the person to the view that Jesus is Messiah.  Either way, he was convincing people, proving to them, that Jesus is the Messiah.

Always remember that spiritual growth is the result of a living connection to Jesus that is lived out in faith.  True spiritual growth is also always connected to the blessing of God. 

The blessing of God is a multi-faceted thing.  It doesn't look just one particular way.  We have to be careful that we do not equate the blessing of God with everything going well, and getting all the stuff we want.  In this land of plenty, it is easy to make the blessing of God be a very material thing.  I have a nice, big house, retirement nest egg, lucrative business/job, etc.  Saul is a blessed man, but remember the words of Jesus.  "I will show him [Saul] how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake."

Let me just say this.  To suffer for Jesus is a great honor and blessing.  To be martyred for Christ is also great honor and blessing.  You might have to put that one in the "To Be Believed Later" file.  We should never try to make these things happen.  Instead, we are following Jesus and letting him show us how we are to honor him and how he will bless us.  The cross was the most blessed place in the universe, but it sure didn't look like it when it was happening.  Remember that!   Yet, your life doesn't have to look like that to be blessed.  Trust Jesus!

It is like you see Jesus saying to you, "Come follow me!" and you really want to follow him.  But then, you see him going to a cross, and your flesh is saying, "I'm not following that guy; He's crazy!"  However, after the resurrection, you are like, "Crazy like a fox.  Wow!"  Even then, after such an emotional rollercoaster, you find yourself torn.  Your flesh shrinks back from one who tells you to pick up your cross and follow him, and yet your spirit desires to come out after him.

It is one thing for Peter to ask Jesus to come out on the water when he saw him walking on it.  However, no one was asking Jesus to come on the cross with him.  They all hid, and Peter chief among them.  God understand this about us, and works with us to bring to the place of faith and courage, where we can follow him by faith.

Verse 23 opens up with "Now after many days were past..."  There is a lot more time in that phrase then we may assume.  Galatians 1 gives some more details about this period.  There we are told that Saul left Damascus to go into Arabia, and then came back.  Three years transpires in this "many days."  For perspective, we need to understand that Arabia is a very general term that basically means desert.  If you left Damascus going south, southeast, you were basically in Arabia.  If you kept going you could make all the way to the Arabian Peninsula.  We don't exactly know where and how far Saul went into Arabia.  He seems to be getting away to go out into the wilderness. 

Regardless, it is about three years at the point that things change in Damascus.  Saul is preaching and God is blessing him.  However, the Jews of Damascus begin to plot to kill Saul.  Now, it is one thing to be in a foreign land and they don't like you.  However, this is Saul's own people.  Yet, he had been just like them, not to long ago.

It is not that he isn't blessed anymore.  The devil isn't stationary.  He's working to neutralize the work of God.  However, God isn't static either.  God sees what the devil is trying, and folds it into His plan, which is not for Saul to die yet.  Thus, the plot becomes known to Saul, though we are not told how.  Jesus has more work for Saul to do.  As the resistance against Saul increases, God is teaching Saul to identify with the sufferings of Jesus, to join him in those sufferings.  This is a intimacy that we can experience with Jesus.  Yes, suffering for Christ is a blessing, though our flesh does not believe it for one moment.

When Jesus miraculously supplied bread in the wilderness, the people were all gung-ho for him.  But, later they cried out "Crucify him!"  People are fickle.  We cannot let ourselves be stuck looking at people and hoping that lots of them will embrace us.  One day you may see great fruit, and then boom, the next day they are calling for your head, and that's okay, if God is with you.

This part of the story reminds me of the prophet Jeremiah in chapter eleven of his book.  Verses 18-22 describe a group of people in Anathoth who were plotting to kill Jeremiah.  God reveals to Jeremiah what they are plotting and says that He will punish them.  If you look at Jeremiah 1:1, you will see that Anathoth is Jeremiah's hometown, and it is filled with priests!  This town of priests are secretly plotting to assassinate one of their local boys.  Jeremiah had become the opposite of a hometown hero.  Even more interesting is the fact that Jeremiah uses language that clearly borrows from Isaiah 53 (written some 100 years earlier).  He was like a docile "lamb brought to the slaughter," and the people wanted to "cut him off from the land of the living."  Jeremiah is basically looking at the mistreated individual of Isaiah 53 (who would eventually be Jesus) and says, "I can identify with that!"

Though some of the Damascene Jews were waiting outside of the city gates to kill Saul, God out-foxed them by making the plot known to Saul, and the Christians out-foxed them by letting Saul out of a window in the wall with a rope and a basket in the dead of night.  Yes, great Saul who had marched to the city with strong men to arrest Christians was now sneaking out of the city by night.

We might think Saul should have walked out of the city daring them to try and touch him.  Surely, God's angels would protect him.  Perhaps, an army of angels would march out of the desert and escort Saul out of the city.  How cool would that be?  However, God delivers Saul with a much more humble method, which seems absolutely appropriate for a man who had had a big ego.

We must be careful that we are not presumptuous about how God should save us.  Don't assume.  Through prayer, seek God for the answer that He is giving, and not that one that your flesh is providing.

Perhaps you are hearing this and thinking to yourself, "That's a nice story, but stuff like that never happens for me.  God didn't do that for me."  Of course, you are not Saul in those circumstances.  Even in that day, countless Christians could have complained that God didn't give them the visions that Saul had, or the mission that He gave to Saul.  Don't give yourself over to envy and complaining against God.  Stop looking at what God might be doing through others and being envious over it.  Stop looking at what God isn't doing in your life and whining over it.  Rather, turn to God in prayer and seek Him.  Don't just seek Him to get visions and a cool mission.  Seek Him because He is worthy to be found.  Intimacy and relationship with Jesus is far more important, and yet, believe you me, He will give you plenty of tasks and you will see fruit, if you keep your eyes on Him!

Let's be a people pressing into Jesus in order to have intimacy with him, to know him better.  Then, we will be a transformed person who is capable of being used to draw others to Christ Jesus.  Only Jesus can tell you all the things that you have to go through for him, and only Jesus can prepare your heart to thrive in the midst of it!

Saul Preaches audio

The Acts of the Apostles 36

Subtitle: The Gospel Goes to Ethiopia?  Part 2

Acts 8:34-40.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on February 12, 2023.

Today we will finish up our look at the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Some days, the world just changes by the grace of God.  Of course, we might think of those changes in terms of being good or bad.  However, when I look back at my life, I find that many times it is the "bad" things that have happened in my life that did the most good for me.

The Ethiopian eunuch is going to be filled with joy because he has come to know the love of God for him.  This is the same joy that we can have.  He goes from being a man pinned down by the Law of Moses as a sinner in need of God's salvation to being a man who has found the salvation of Yahweh in Yeshua, Jesus.

This idea, that some days things just change, is true for individuals, churches, nations, republics, and even this world.  Historically large people groups have been lost from the truth of God, and then, out of the blue, things changed from a situation that had persisted for hundreds, even thousands, of years.

Let's look at our passage.

Philip preaches Jesus to the eunuch (vs. 34-36)

Philip is sitting with the eunuch in a chariot.  This clearly is not a Ben-Hur style chariot.  It is large enough for two people to be sitting, which means it had some sort of bench or seats.  I would presume that there is also a driver operating the chariot.  Thus, the scene has them traveling along the road to Gaza while reading the scroll of Isaiah, particularly chapter 53.

This sets up Philip to share the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus with him.  It says that Philip "preached Jesus" to the man.  Luke has used the verb "preached" earlier in this passage.  In verses four and five, he first mentions that the scattered believers were "preaching Jesus."  In the next verse, he says that Philip "preached Christ" to the people of Samaria. 

These phrases should really be taken synonymously.  To preach the word of God, Scripture, is to preach Jesus because all of Scripture is pointing towards our need of him.  In fact, as the living Word of God (see John 1), the Scriptures are a written down form of Jesus, just as Jesus is a human form of the Father (the perfect representation of God).  Furthermore, to preach the word is to also preach about the promised Messiah, or Christ.  Similarly to preach about God's Anointed One is to reveal that Jesus of Nazareth is that very one.

Philips ability to preach to the eunuch is really set up by his question in verse 34.  Is this passage about the author, Isaiah, or is it about someone else?

Questions are an important part of Bible study.  The eunuch is having trouble understanding the identity of whom Isaiah is writing.  This is quite understandable when you read Isaiah 53 without already knowing that it speaks of Jesus.  The passage truly is surreal.

Isaiah starts out by saying that no one believes the report of him and the prophets.  A particular servant of God would come forward who would be despised and rejected by Israel, his people.  However, the Lord would lay all the sins of the people upon him.  This servant would be chastised, bruised, and killed, but not for himself.  In fact, he doesn't object to this treatment, but faces it silently, like a lamb being led to the slaughter, like a sheep before the shearers.    His soul is actually made to be an offering for their sins, and he makes intercession for transgressors.  It then pictures all of this as the "wisdom" of the servant.  By his wisdom (i.e., not saying anything as he is executed for the sin of others), God's righteous servant will justify many because he will be bearing their iniquities.  This is all pictured as the "pleasure" of the Lord, and it also appears to be the pleasure of the Servant who is going along with it out of wisdom.

This is a perplexing passage if you do not know about Jesus.  How thankful are you that you do know about Jesus?  That didn't come about by accident.  It happened by the grace and mercy of God.  It is good to explain a passage to someone, but it is more important for them to know Jesus.  We can become so bogged down in the details of studying the Bible that we can "miss the forest for the trees."  I am not against detailed Bible study.  I am just reminding us to always keep the main thing as the main thing.

So, we are told that Philip preached Jesus to him "beginning with this Scripture."  They went on a Bible field trip.  It is probable that the eunuch had only one scroll, but it is also possible that he had more than one.  Thus, Philip uses what is available to show the eunuch what Christ has done, and what God now expects of him.

This is something that all believers need to be able to do.  Of course, you will be limited if you were saved just this morning.  However, don't be afraid of that.  You responded to something when you responded to the message of Jesus with faith.  That is quite enough to share with another person.  We do need to be people of the Word of God, but more specifically, we need to be people who can show how the Word of God points to Jesus and leads us to faith in him.

People need to know Jesus.  It is as simple as that, and it doesn't take a theologian, or someone who knows the original languages of the Bible, to do introduce people to him.  It only takes someone who know Jesus themselves.  Do you have a living relationship with Jesus.

The eunuch sees some water and asks a question.  What hinders me from being baptized?  Of course, we could back up one notch and recognize the many who hear the gospel, but do not believe.  What hinders them?  However, this was not the problem for the Ethiopian eunuch.  He believed what he was hearing about Jesus.

Philip must have said something similar to Peter's answer to the crowd in Acts chapter two.  The crowd asked what they needed to do, having killed Messiah.  Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and their sins would be forgiven.  In fact, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit too!

Notice that spiritual life is not about exhaustive knowledge of God's Word, but is about having a believing relationship with Jesus that we are willing to publicly live out.

Regardless, at the first sight of water, this man is quick to point out that he could follow through on the Gospel imperative.  The Gospel calls us to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  That relationship involves discipleship, learning the way of Christ, but one of the commands of Christ is that we be baptized in water.

We do need to be careful of treating the Bible as merely a list of things to do, things we will check off of our list.  A believing relationship made alive by the Spirit of God must be the foundation of anything we do for our Lord.  Yes, when you follow the Spirit of God, He will give you some to-do lists, but it will come as we respond to the written Word and the work of the Spirit of God.

A textual issue (vs 37)

So, the eunuch has asked a question.  What keeps me from being baptized?  The answer is given in verse 37.  There is a textual issue here.  If you are reading the KJV or a translation based on it, then you will have this verse.  If you aren't then you will probably have a footnote.  Even the NKJV, gives a footnote that says, "Acts 8:37  NU, M omit v. 37. It is found in Western texts, including the Latin tradition."

A bit of explanation.  NU is actually a reference to two different Greek texts.  "N" stands for Nestle and Aland's Testamentum Novum Graece, a Greek Bible.  "U" stands for the Greek text put out by the United Bible Society called The Greek New Testament.  Lastly, the "M" stands for the Majority Text.  In essence, all three of these editions of the Greek agree that the verse is not originally from Luke.  It is only found in Western texts and some older texts in the Latin tradition.

You will run into footnotes like this from time to time no matter which Bible you are using.  They point to the fact that we do not have the original manuscript that Luke wrote, or any other originals for the books of the Bible.  It is important to have at least a cursory understanding of this subject.

How do I know that the Bible has been faithfully transmitted through the centuries when we do not have the original documents? 

Many handwritten copies were made through the centuries in order to increase the reach of the Bible.  Of course, people memorizing portions of the bible would have also played a large part in the spread of the Gospel.  On top of this, copies that were made of papyri (a course paper) and even parchment (treated animal skin) would wear out over time and need to be replaced.  Christians in the earlier centuries were not thinking that it would be important to preserve the first copies.  Still, we do have many manuscripts that we have today that go back even to the middle of the 2nd century (100's AD).  We also have writing of sermons and books against heresy from the early bishops and Church leaders.  On top of this there are many translations into other languages such as: Latin, Syriac, Coptic, even Ethiopic, etc. 

By comparing these manuscripts, we can easily spot spelling errors (they didn't have spell check), and simple mistakes made by copyists that have been well known through the ages.  In short, we come down to a recognition that 98.3% of the Bible has no real questions about what the original was.  And then, only about 1/1000th of the text has any serious variations that are viable and affect the meaning.  However, even then, none of these variations affect any doctrine.

Acts 8:37 says some significant things that we would feel a bit strange taking out of the Bible.  However, no biblical doctrine is supported by only one verse.  We don't need Acts 8:37 to justify that a person needs to believe in Jesus with their whole heart, aka, not half-heartedly.  Second of all, the confession of the Ethiopic eunuch is very similar to Peter's confession of who Jesus is at Caesarea Philippi.  The majority of scholars believe that this verse was not part of the original, but it doesn't hurt us either way.

By the way, if you look into this further, you will find that two different 2nd century church Fathers write about this passage in a sermon style.  Between the both of them, the content of verse 37 is stated.  In other words, Luke may not have written these words, but sermons and retellings of this story by Philip may have accurately described what was said between them.  That oral tradition may just be the source of this insertion.

If you want more information on this subject of Biblical Textual Criticism, then click on this link to a video of Daniel B. Wallace,  Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

The eunuch is baptized (vs 38-40)

So, what are the prerequisites of water baptism?  It is clear from the following baptism that the eunuch met those prerequisites by Philip's judgment.  Water baptism is a symbolic event that gives a picture of what is happening in our life, or shows the declaration that we are making.  We are declaring that we believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that he has paid the price for my sins, even my life.  We are confessing that we are dying (going under the water) to our old life, and coming alive to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is a public expression of your acceptance into the Church of Jesus, but also of the inward reality.  You have come alive to the Spirit of God and are now following Jesus by faith.

In our modern age, many are so afraid of legalism that they make a false separation between intellectual faith and practical faith.  Jesus said if you love him, then you will obey his commands, and one of those commands is to be water baptized.

At this point, we are told that they go "down into the water."  Some emphasize that the going down means that he is fully immersed.  However, the word baptize already means to be fully immersed.  It not clear whether the going down into the water is simply a description of getting out of the chariot and walking out/down into the water.  The same can be said for the phrase "when they came up out of the water."  It can be at the point of coming up from being put under the water, but it can also be a reference for them walking out of the water back to the chariot.

Whether it happened at the point of coming up from being under the water, or as they walked out of the water, something amazing happened.  Philip disappears.  At least, this is what it looked like from the eunuch's perspective who "saw him no more."  One moment Philip was there and the next he was gone.

We really don't know what it was like from Philip's perspective.  Yet, we are told that the Spirit of the Lord "caught Philip away."

It is interesting that this being "caught away" is the same word that is used for the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  Philip was snatched up, but not in a way in which the eunuch saw him flying away.  He disappeared. Verse 40 tells us that Philip was "found" in Azotus, a town that was around ten miles away.  Of course, we are not told that Philip was transported all that distance.  That's where he was found, i.e., a word that involves searching for someone.

This "rapture" is not the same as the rapture mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.  Philip is still in his mortal body.  He has not been transformed into a glorified, heavenly body.  Yet, this does give testimony to the fact that God has the power to take people up at will.  It seems to me that somethings are so strange that God has to give us examples in the Scripture so that we can accept what He promises later.  This "rapture" word is used thirteen times in the New Testament.  Most of these are literally talking about being taken up, or snatched up, like in an arrest.  Others are metaphorical, or rather, spiritual uses.  Here is a pdf of the use of this word in the New Testament.

We should notice that Philip goes about preaching in Azotus and goes north up the coast all the way to Caesarea, which is northwest of Samaria.

Let's bring this to a close by talking about the eunuch.  The text says that he "went on his way rejoicing."  Now I wouldn't blame the eunuch if he thought that Philip might have been an angel.  After his disappearance act (not a normal thing for humans to do), the eunuch would rightly wonder who this guy was.  Of course, our passage is clear that Philip is not a heavenly angel.  Yet, he is a messenger sent by God.  It doesn't matter if we receive a message from a heavenly angel or an earthly messenger.  What matters is that the message is from the God of heaven.

The eunuch goes on his way rejoicing because he now has a relationship with this God of the Israelites through the work of Jesus.  It is the work of Jesus that will encourage him when he reads further in the scroll and reaches Isaiah 56.  His worship would no longer be about all the rituals and activity that he had a duty to do, but would be a joyful following after the one who had suffered in his place.  He would forever know that God loved him.  His lot in life was not destined to be a "dry tree" who would leave no heritage in this life.  Instead, he would become an apostle of the Gospel to his own people!  He would have a spiritual heritage that would have eternal rewards.  This is the God we serve.  The God who turns eunuchs into fruitful trees!

Eunuch part 2 audio