Morning Message: The Safety of Samaria

Bobservations' Column
Titled - "The Safety of Samaria"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz

After Stephen had been put to death, some believers were scattered, and the Church began to spread. Some scattered out of fear of Saul’s growing persecution, but others took it as an opportunity to share the Gospel with those in nearby cities. The Chief Persecutor seems to be Saul, but in how many places could he be at one time.

Of interest is that the Jews had cause to not venture into Samaria, but Philip decided that was the perfect place to avoid the Jewish persecution, especially because Saul the Pharisee would never consider crossing into that land. Philip, with the boldness of the Holy Spirit went to the City of Samaria also known as Sebaste, the apparent Capitol City of the territory. His ministry to the Samaritans was successful, as there were many new converts to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You may remember that Jesus went there and met a woman at the Well of Jacob (John 4). The idolatry of Samaria left the people ripe for the Gospel, a faith of substance! This is a truth about idolatry, that one just goes through the motions of worship, without ever touching holiness, and never being introduced to God on a personal level. Jesus’ reputation had spread far and wide as He preached the Word and healed so many from their maladies. John 40-42 is key, as many Samaritans had heard of Jesus’ miracles; went to hear His teachings, and witness His healing message in person while He was yet alive! His name was not unfamiliar to them.

Now Philip was among them, bring Jesus’ ministry to them, according to His directive in Acts 1:8; .... Samaria!

“Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, ‘How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.’” - John 4:9

Bobservations' Column:  Audio Version

Sunday Morning Message:

Acts 8:1-17 - "The Safety of Samaria"

Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:

Many of you may have heard the rather famous story of the five missionaries who lost their lives while attempting to bring the gospel to the Huaorani people. The Huaorani were a tribe deep in the Amazon rainforest and were commonly called the Aucas, which means “savages,” because they were so violent—and not just violent toward outsiders but even toward members of their own tribe. In fact, there were so many revenge killings within the tribe that it threatened the tribe’s very survival. But five missionaries with the Alliance church—Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian—decided to engage this tribe with the goal of bringing the gospel to them. So they began by dropping gifts to the Huaorani from an airplane. Then, when those gifts were reciprocated time after time, the missionaries established a camp close to the Huaorani settlements. However, on January 8, 1956, the Huaorani people—for some reason that’s still a bit unclear—speared the five missionaries, killing all of them. And at first, it’s difficult even to think about how great of a tragedy this was, especially when you consider the fact that each of these men left behind wives and children. How could these seemingly senseless killings have any purpose or accomplish any good?

However, a few years after these five missionaries were killed, two women—Elisabeth Elliot, the wife of Jim Elliot, and Rachel Saint, the sister of Nate Saint—decided that God was calling them to go back to the tribe that had killed their loved ones and continue seeking to share the gospel with them. So they went. And the Huaorani people were so amazed that these women would seek to befriend them even after they had killed the women’s loved ones. So they listened to what the women had to say about Jesus. The women explained that Jesus also had loved his enemies and, in fact, had loved them so much that he willingly died for them. And one after another, a significant portion of the Huaorani people came to know Jesus. As a result, tribal violence virtually stopped, and the Huaorani became different people—what the Bible calls a “new creation” in Christ. The women even shared the gospel with some of the very men who had actually thrown the spears that struck their loved ones, and those men were among those who became Christians. Also, in addition to the conversion many of the Huaorani, the story of the sacrifice of these five missionaries served to galvanize the missionary movement in the United States so that thousands of other missionaries were sent out all over the world to proclaim the gospel. They went because they were inspired by the story of these five missionaries. So, God used what must have at first appeared to be a senseless tragedy to do something more glorious than anyone could have ever imagined.

And that’s what we see taking place here in Acts 8 as well. Last week we studied how Stephen was tragically killed for his faith in Jesus Christ, his life was cut short and his promising ministry abruptly ended. Not only that, but his death triggered a massive persecution against the whole church. What a disaster, right?

Not quite. Stephen’s death actually ended up triggering much more than just a persecution. It ended up triggering the church’s first great missionary outreach. Up until now, the church has begun to grow, but it’s been centered in Jerusalem. Jesus had told His disciples to, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." And again, in Acts 1:8, Jesus had said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jerusalem was just the starting point, and now we are seeing His disciples being faithful to take the gospel further.

What Satan meant for evil, God means for Good. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" - Romans 8:28.

Chapter 7 ended with the death of Stephen. Chapter 8 will now build upon that as the persecution of the church takes hold. This begins with the person, Saul, who was just introduced in verse 7:58.

Sunday Morning Audio Message:  Coming Soon!

Key Words and Definitions with Reference:

Consenting (8:1) - Paul's murderous hatred of all believers was manifested here in his attitude toward Stephen. He fully approved of Stephen's murder, by allowing the clothes of the witnesses to be watched over by him (7:58), he agreed with what was occurring and may have even prompted each person to give his best shot, or “make that apostate pay.” With this setting the tone for the start of the chapter, See 1 Timothy 1:13-15

Death (8:1) - Luke uses a noun found only here in Scripture, anairesis. It is “a taking off,” or “a taking away.” In other words, Stephen’s life was taken away from him. As such, the word can indicate the state of death, murder, slaying, and so on. The ESV gives a good translation of this by saying, “execution.” Another way of conveying the thought might be, “And Saul was consenting to his termination.”

At that time (8:1) - There was no delay in moving from one event to the next as "a great persecution against the church" arose. The idea here is that if Stephen is apostate, then all those aligned with him, and who are teaching the same doctrine, are as well. With the doctrine of Stephen now openly brought forth, the council perceived that his thoughts about the apostasy of the leaders did not die with Jesus, but that it had continued on with the apostles and disciples. They could not tolerate this. Having consented to the death of Jesus, the connection made by Stephen to the past where Israel’s leaders had put the previous prophets to death could not be swept under a rug. The writings of the same prophets who were rejected by the leaders in the past had become a part of their own Scriptures! What Stephen said was true, but in their arrogance, they rejected his words because they had already rejected the words of Jesus. Surely, they were “different” than their fathers before them. But deep inside, they knew the words against them were true. And so, the witness of these followers had to be extinguished as well.

Scattered (8:1) - Led by a Jew named Saul of Tarsus, the persecution scattered the Jerusalem fellowship and led to the first missionary outreach of the church. Not all members the Jerusalem church were forced to flee; the Hellenists, because Stephen was likely one, bore the brunt of the persecution (cf. 11:19, 20). As a result of this new persecution, Luke next records, “and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.” The words now set the tone for what Jesus had said in Acts 1:8. The actual fulfillment of His words will be seen in just a few verses. But this persecution now is the seed that will germinate and take root in those areas. The death of Stephen, and the persecution that now follows, is the means by which Jesus’ words would begin to take effect . . . "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Except the Apostles (8:1) - They remained, because of their devotion to Christ, to care for those at Jerusalem and to continue evangelizing the region (cf. 9:26, 27).

Devout Men (8:2) - The word translated as “devout” is one that refers to being God-fearing, pious, and the like. It is used four times and each other instance refers to someone who is devout under the law. They are probably pious Jews (cf. 2:5; Luke 2:25) who publicly protested Stephen's death.

Carried Stephen (8:2) - Instead of simply leaving his body outside for beasts to eat, or chucking it into the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), they removed it to a proper place. Stephen means “crown.” At this point of the narrative, it is notable that despite being stoned for supposed blasphemy, he is the first recorded person in the new dispensation to receive the martyr’s crown. Thus, his name now meets up with his reward.

He (Saul) Made Havoc of the Church (8:3) - "Made havoc" was used in extrabiblical writings to refer to the destruction of a city or the mangling of a person by a wild animal. It shows that there was a continuous stream of him relentlessly going after the people. Also, here is a word found just this one time in Scripture and translated as “made havoc.” It signifies outrage or to maltreat. Of this word, Vincent’s Word Studies says – “In Septuagint, Psalm 79:13, it is used of the laying waste of a vineyard by the wild boar. With this in mind, Luke says that Saul was “entering every house.” It would explain why it says “devout men” rather than “brethren” who were there to bury Stephen. The believers had fled. Only the devout non-believers were left. The persecution began right away, and the believers were hiding in their homes or taking the roads back to their own hometowns. For those who were apprehended, Luke next notes that Saul was “dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” The verbs continue to show an active and ongoing action by Saul. He came after the people and he kept coming after them, tirelessly chasing them down and having them incarcerated. The word “dragging” indicates that they were in a rage as they arrested the people, so much so that they grabbed body parts – the hair, the arms, the legs – and simply dragged them out to be bound up and taken away. Noting both men and women was to show that there was no tolerance at all for anyone who held to the name of Jesus.

Went Everywhere (8:4) - It is true that this must have been a time of both fear and stress on the believers. Being uprooted suddenly and then rushing off to another place is a difficult change on most people, but we are being told these things for a specific reason, which is that those who were scattered “went everywhere preaching the word.” The word translated as “everywhere” is dierchomai. It comes from dia (through) and erchomai (to come or go). It’s not that they went everywhere and preached, but that they preached everywhere they went. Wherever they passed through, on the way to the next place, they would boldly tell the people about what they knew. This Greek word is used frequently in Acts for missionary efforts (verse 40; 9:32; 13:6; 14:24; 15:3, 41; 16:6; 18:23; 19:1, 21; 20:2).

Philip (8:5) - This is not Philip of the apostles who is recorded in the gospels, such as in Luke 6:14. Rather, this may be the same man named Philip found in Acts 6:5 who is named among the seven chosen as deacons. If it is the same Philip, he will be seen again in Acts 21:8 where he is called Philip the evangelist. As for him, it says he “went down to the city of Samaria.” He is the first missionary named in Scripture and the first to be given the title "evangelist" (21:8).

The City of Samaria (8:5) - The ancient capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, which eventually fell to the Assyrians (722 B.C.) after over 200 years of idolatry and rebellion against God. After resettling many of the people in other lands, the Assyrians located Gentiles from other areas into the region, resulting in a mix of Jews and Gentiles who became known as Samaritans.

One Accord (8:6) - "homothymadon" - With one accord, one mind, one passion. Meaning that with the preaching of Philip, there is a united response, and in this verse, it was a favorable response.

Unclean Spirits (8:7) - They are demons (Matthew 10:1; 12:43-45; Mark 1:23-27; 5:1-13; 6:7; 9:25; Luke 4:36; 8:29; 9:42). Fallen angels (Revelation 12:3) who are designated because of their vile wickedness. They frequently live inside unbelievers, particularly those who vent their wicked nature. These unclean spirits were subject to the power of Christ Jesus, and now they are shown to be subject to the power of Christ working through the disciples, such as Philip. This continues to be seen with the next words, saying that they were “crying with a loud voice.” These unclean spirits had found a home in the people they possessed, and they afflicted the people, controlling them or greatly influencing them. As they were cast out, the process was seen to be a noisy one. The one in Luke 4 recognized the power and authority of Christ. This is certainly what is happening now. They cry out loudly acknowledging that the power of the Holy Spirit had been endowed upon these followers of Jesus. As such, they “came out of many who were possessed.”

Sorcery (8:9) - The word translated as “sorcery” is found only here in the Bible, mageuó. It signifies to practice magic or sorcery. It is derived from magos (which we translate as Magi). It is for this reason that he is often called Simon Magus, or Simon the Magician. He was probably comparable to someone who goes around today and does things that bewilder the senses of the people, like Houdini, David Copperfield, and the like. By using sleight of hand, or maybe by practicing black arts, he did such things “and bewitched (astonished) the people of Samaria.” They would be captivated by how things disappeared and then reappeared, how there might be a fire that wouldn’t burn, or how something might suddenly turn into a white dove. Whatever tricks he could flabbergast the people with, they would stand amazed. And more, because he could do these things, he was also “claiming that he was someone great.”

The Great Power of God (8:10, 11) - Simon claimed to be united to God. The early church Fathers claimed he was one of the founders of Gnosticism, which asserted there were a series of divine emanations reaching up to God. They were called "Powers," and the people believed he was at the top of the ladder.

Simon . . . Believed (8:13) - Simon was baptized into the early church and “followed Philip everywhere” (Acts 8:13). The Bible says that “the Holy Spirit had not yet come” upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:16). Later, the apostles Peter and John arrived, at which time the Spirit came upon the believers. Simon witnessed this event and “offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 8:19–20). At this point, Peter strongly reprimands Simon for his greed and states that he needs to “repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart” (Acts 8:22). Fearful of the apostle’s words, Simon pleads with Peter to pray to the Lord on his behalf. After this event, the Bible never again refers to Simon the Sorcerer. It would appear, contrary to apocryphal and Gnostic texts that seek to glorify his role as sorcerer and his previous satanic abilities, that Simon was repentant and may have continued to be a member of the local church in Samaria.
However, Justin Martyr and other Christian apologists like Irenaeus insist he was an antichrist and continued his sorcery, even founding Gnosticism itself. The greed of Simon is recalled in the modern word simony, “using religion as a means of profit.” Some believe Simon had a superficial belief: The text says Simon "believed and was baptized" (Acts 8:13), but commentators note his fascination was with miraculous power rather than Christ. Some claim the object of Simon's faith—the thing in which he believes—is the power of supernatural phenomena—the power of miracles that you can see with the physical eye, not Jesus Christ and the glory of his grace. When Simon tried to buy the power to impart the Holy Spirit, Peter told him, “Your money perish with you. You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.” Professing believers claim to follow Christ with words or association, while true believers possess genuine saving faith that transforms their hearts and bears spiritual fruit.

Receive the Holy Spirit (8:15-17) - The believing Samaritans had been baptized in water, but, for God’s own reasons, they had not yet been baptized in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit did come upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:14–17), but not until the apostles Peter and John were present. There are some good reasons why God waited until Peter and John were present before He sent the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritans, the fulfillment of scripture.

1) Jesus had given Peter the “keys to the kingdom” (Matthew 16:19). Peter was present—and was the main spokesman—at Pentecost (Acts 2), when the Spirit was given to the Jews. Peter was present in Samaria (Acts 8), when the Spirit was given to the Samaritans. And Peter was present in Cornelius’s house (Acts 10), when the Spirit was given to the Gentiles. Jesus used Peter to “open the door” to each of these people groups.
2) The church was to be “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20). Philip the evangelist had been a deacon in the Jerusalem church, but he was not one of the twelve apostles. Peter and John needed to be in Samaria for the “official” start of the Samaritan church, just as they had been in Jerusalem for the start of the Jewish church.
3) The presence of Peter and John kept the early church unified. Remember, there was great animosity between Jews and Samaritans (John 4:9). If the church in Samaria had begun on its own, with no connection to the “Jewish” church, the church in Jerusalem would never have accepted it. The Samaritans were known historically as corruptors of Judaism (John 4:20). So, God made sure that Peter and John, apostles and Jews from Jerusalem, were present to witness the gift of the Spirit given to the Samaritans. God’s message: the church in Samaria was no heretical start-up. The Samaritans were part of the same church that had been started in Jerusalem, and they were filled with the same Spirit (see Galatians 3:28). Peter and John were eyewitnesses. Their testimony was clear: what happened in Samaria was not a separate religious movement. In this way, God prevented the early church from immediately dividing into different sects.

4) The Lord took pains to ensure the unity of the early church. Jesus had commanded the gospel to be preached in Samaria (Acts 1:8). Philip the evangelist obeyed that command, and God blessed. Whatever animosity existed between the Jews, and the Samaritans was overcome by the unity of the Spirit. The church today should continue to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

Note: It is important to understand that we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Here where the Samaritan's had not yet received the Holy Spirit, we must remember the book of Acts is a history of how God started the church. It is the record of the transition between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, and much of what we see in Acts relates to that transition as stated in the paragraphs above. The Samaritans’ manner of receiving the Spirit should be taken for what it is—an accurate account of what happened in their case.

Laid Hands on them (8:17) - Here, the laying on of hands signified apostolic affirmation and unity. The laying on of hands is a biblical practice used to symbolize blessing, healing, ordination, or the imparting of the Holy Spirit, though it is not strictly mandatory for God to work.