Why Did So Many Christians Support Slavery? No Eunuch was permitted to enter the Temple. It also reminds us that even the longest and most difficult journey is worth taking if it means that we can worship the one true God. It shows us that anyone no matter who they are or where they come from can come to know God. In Matthew 19:12, Christ explains three types of individuals as unfit for marital relationship, particularly those that have actually been castrated (which all exegetes take as indicating eunuchs); those birthed unable (con- genital eunuchs) and those who, by their own complimentary choice and for the glory of Gods Kingdom, avoid marrying (voluntary . Was Philip miraculously transported to Azotus, a town that may have been 30 km away? But this is an inference, and not a certainty. What impact did the Ethiopian Eunuch have on the spread of Christianity? It was south of Egypt and was a mercantile kingdom that brought goods from the sea trade by caravan north through Israel, Damascus, and Syria. It shows that this man was truly seeking after God and wanted to get his life togetherso much so that he was willing to spend big money for access to the Scriptures. If you continue reading it says that Philip found himself at Azotus. What was the Ethiopian eunuch reading when he met Philip? ACTS 8:26-28 26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down After the episode recorded in the first part of this chapter, Peter and John stay in this city of Samaria for an apparently short time. How long is the flight from Ethiopia to Israel? After all, thats what happened when Paul was directed by the Holy Spirit to travel to Macedonia instead of to Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:6-10). That was all the information Dr. Luke had when he wrote the Book of Acts. Gaza and the West Bank are claimed by the de jure sovereign State of Palestine. Your email address will not be published. Instead of worrying, the eunuch left rejoicing, for he had found Jesus who is sufficient and that he now needs no man to teach. Required fields are marked *. Jesus performed signs and wonders to prove that He is the messiah. Category index Some believe that it was miraculous. WebEthiopian treasurer (vv. Enoch lived a life that showed the confidence that remained in his heart. She stayed and learned from him for six months. Azotus is the old Philistine city of Ashdod, about 20 miles north of Gaza. The most important part about reading the Bible is actually understanding and comprehending what youre readingdo you understand what you read in the Bible? Id like to believe Philip was taken away by supernatural means. How long was the road from Jerusalem to Gaza? And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This would have taken several weeks each way. Of the other 13 occasions, 9 were not miraculous and 4 were miraculous (as people were caught up to heaven). Christianity would likely not have taken hold in Ethiopia as it did. Following the resurrection of Jesus, Philip was sent with his sister Mariamne and Bartholomew to preach in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria. More interesting than that, he was a eunuch he'd been castrated. Philip, one of seven deacons chosen by the 12 Apostles of Christ to be of service to the widows in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5), the evangelist (Acts 21:8), went into Samaria after the murder of Stephen around 31-32 AD. Unfortunately, with the exception of the minority Coptic church in Egypt and a small Christian kingdom in part of what is now Ethiopia, African Christianity largely disappeared as Islam spread. Why did Jesus tell the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven? It records the burial of Stephen, the beginnings of Christian persecution, and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Samaria and Ethiopia. According to the Bible the Ethiopian eunuch travelled a great distance to Jerusalem in order to worship God. Just because the Holy Spirit is involved, doesnt mean that it was a miraculous transportation. What did the Ethiopian eunuch do after he was baptized? Will you tell this story to someone God puts in your pathway? Acts 8 is the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. In the Gospel according to Matthew (19:12), Jesus identified three types of eunuchs: those who are born eunuchs, those who are made eunuchs, and those who make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. It takes approximately 5h 50m to get from Ethiopia to Israel, including transfers. Basically, this man wasnt just some basic guyhe had access to some of the most influential people in his country. He was a treasurer to the queen of the Ethiopians (verse 27). Philip travels in the area, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea (8:40). when you have to take months off from work. By the time Philip had explained the good news to the Eunuch, the chariot had reached the watered plain near Gaza, and there was the water needed for the new believer to make his Mikvah, being baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus. The eunuch joyfully accepted Philips words. Philip works his way north along the coastal road that runs through the coastal plain. So he emerged as well as went. Are you willing to prioritize him first in your life? How long did it take Jesus to walk from Nazareth to Jerusalem? A castrated adult male will lose muscle but gain fat. It shows Philip the Evangelist baptising an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, traditionally marking the start of the Ethiopian Church (Acts 8:2639). Distance from Jerusalem to Gaza is 6,069 kilometers. 7. But thats actually the benefit of the job that the eunuch hadit provided him with access to resources that an average person just didnt have. Philip realized God had put him there in that place and time; to lead this hungry searching man to know the God of Israel and His Son, Jesus the Anointed One. In Pauls case, they got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. $O6\}#wu z AFN@*iNpd This is the text the Ethiopian eunuch was reading. Im a super huge Tom Hanks fan and have seen practically every movie of his, can quote the entire Forrest Gump movie, and nearly cried when we and Rita Wilson tested positive for the coronavirus. WebWe also read in Jeremiah 38:7-13 of Ebed-melech the Ethiopian eunuch, who was a part of the household of Zedekiah, who saved Jeremiah from the dungeon. Gaza is also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Samson was imprisoned and met his death. WebPhilip Tells an Ethiopian about Jesus. Book of Numbers 12:1 states that Moses was criticized by his older siblings for having married a Cushite woman, Aethiopissa in the Latin Vulgate Bible version. I observed many Black Jews in Jerusalem in November 1966, all of them wearing the Kippah, and obviously Jewish in dress. Your email address will not be published. So lets go deeper into what the Scriptures say about the Ethiopian eunuch: A lot of people dont actually know what a eunuch is, but just so you dont have to Google ita eunuch is a man that has been castrated to serve a specific role. It was on this desert road that Philip meets our favorite, whollyhearted guy, the Ethiopian eunuch! He after that was told by an angel of the Lord to go to the road between Jerusalem as well as Gaza. The Scriptures say that the Ethiopian eunuch was an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (and if youre using the 1984 NIV, it says, in charge of all the treasury of Candance, queen of the Ethiopians). You are so wrong in my opinion !! Well talk about this more later, but what does that have to do with him being a treasurer? The prophets Amos and Zephaniah are believed to have prophesied that Gaza would be deserted. We would love to answer any question you have or help suggest next steps on your journey. CBYKurCT1[?).d(-e]. What about the means to travel? So the first Missionary to Africa seems to have been this dear African Convert to Christianity. Philip asks the Eunuch if he understands what he is reading, and is invited to explain this writing.He promptly baptizes the Eunuch in the water. Alright, lets walk through this! The territories of Gaza and the West Bank are separated from each other by Israeli territory. Other Ethiopians believed, and for 1,800 years the Christian church flourished in Ethiopia. First, the story begins with a miraculous intervention in the ministry of Philip. Big thanks . Well, Ethiopia is a predominantly Christian country, and Id like to think that the person who started it all was this Ethiopian eunuch. Encyclopedias. During the early life of Moses there was an ongoing battle which was finally won by Moses as general of the Egyptian Army. Copyright 2001 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian History magazine.Click here for reprint information on Christian History. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Scripture index In the days of the early church, very shortly after Jesus had been raised from the dead and ascended to His father in Heaven, an important Ethiopian Government Official came to Jerusalem to Worship the God of Israel. 30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. Acts 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying, Acts 8:5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. What did Philip tell the Ethiopian eunuch? A 1958 quote from the Children of the Sacred Heart in Northern Rhodesia puts it this way: "When Jesus was persecuted by the European Herod, God sent him into Africa; by this we know that Africans have naturally a true spirit of Christianity.". Bauxite mining would threaten birds, plants, and clean water. Weban arduous journey of more than fifty miles but the journey of the Ethiopian court official was even more difficult. Were eager to teach others and share what weve learned, and we can all get there at some point. He is told by an Angel to leave immediately and go southwards along the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Answer: If he had not been baptized he would not have gone back to Ethiopia and spread the gospel. Analysts explain that the word desert in Lukes account can refer either to Gaza or to the roadway. 34The eunuch asked Philip, Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?35Then Philip beganwith that very passage of Scriptureand told him the good newsabout Jesus. Honestly, many of us are ready to be the Philip in other peoples lives. The eunuch, we are informed, is an Ethiopian official who has journeyed to Jerusalem to prayer and is now going back to Ethiopia (vv. The Old Testament is a spiritual foreshadowing of what happens in the New Testament. But the rapture seems to be like teleportation (1 Cor. Now Gods man Philip was walking the road to Gaza; and the Spirit of God instructs him to join himself to this chariot. And all will be clear! 26Now an angelof the Lord said to Philip,Go south to the roadthe desert roadthat goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopianeunuch,an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means queen of the Ethiopians). How long did it take Queen of Sheba to travel to Solomon? Are the angel of the Lord (v.26) and the Spirit of the Lord (v.39) the same character? He is not told why, but he knew enough to obey when God so ordered. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Ethiopian eunuch is an example of atrue believer who is willing to do whatever it takes to follow God. WebWhen they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Christian messages describe Jesus strolling 3,125 miles throughout his ministry. You can get the whole book, with fifty-two more stories. Your question may be answered in a future "Ask the Editors" column. 26 8). How many miles did Jesus walk during his ministry? The Ethiopian eunuch could have brushed Philip off or even questioned why some random guy would have the audacity to ask him if he understood what he was readingbut that wasnt the eunuchs response. What did he have with him in the chariot? Philip preached the gospel to him and he was baptised. The city was on the border of Israel and Egypt in the southwest part of Israel near the Mediterranean Sea. Ethiopia is located nearly South side to Jerusalem. Taking A Trip during Roman Times According to The New Testimony, the primary areas for the ministry undertaken by Jesus were Galilee and Judea, with activities additionally taking area in bordering locations such as Peres and Samaria. Government of Ireland Masters Scholarships 2023 + MBA Entrance Scholarships at Ryerson University, Canada 2023, 2023 MasterCard Fully Funded African Scholarships at University of California, Berkeley, How Much Health Points Does A Wither Have, How Do You Donate Food And Medicine To Camp Rdr2, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. All Loves Excelling: How Romance Inspired Charles Wesleys View of God, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest, Subscribe to CT magazine for full access to the. Answer Gaza, also called Azzah, is first mentioned in Genesis as one of the border cities of Canaan ( Genesis 10:1519 ). Clearly the txt says, ethiopian did not see philip. What happened to the Ethiopian eunuch in the Bible? He had a copy of the Book of Isaiah(verse 28). There he instructed and also baptized the Ethiopian eunuch; next he was captured away by the Spirit and also found at Azotus (Ashdod); and afterwards going through he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea (Acts 8). As soon as the Ethiopian eunuch came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way It has already been shown that eunouchos, like saris in the Old Testament, had more than one meaning, and could also mean official. What did Bartholomew the Apostle do for a living? How did the people of Ethiopia respond to his preaching? So, whether it was miraculous is a debatable matter. When did the Hebrews or Israelites become known as Jews? (LogOut/ He was most likely a black man. Biblical narrative The eunuch had been to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home. endstream endobj 40 0 obj <> endobj 41 0 obj <> endobj 42 0 obj <>stream Acts 8:26 -39 (NKJV) shares the tale of Philip satisfying the Ethiopian eunuch: Currently an angel of the Lord spoke with Philip, stating, Occur as well as go towards the south along the roadway which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is desert. Why was Judah the most prominent tribe of Israel? 23:1; Lev.22:25) So he could not fulfill his objective; to worship God directly, as he had purposed. And also both Philip and also the eunuch dropped into the water, and he baptized him. And do not let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.. Let us know your thoughts or concerns and well connect with you. The shortest route between Jerusalem and Ethiopia is 2,480.14 mi (3,991.39 km) according to the route planner. Eunuch is a term used to define a male whose testicles have not created, been ruined or eliminated. As many as 600,000 men in North America are living as eunuchs for medical reasons.