Event 242: Ministry of Philip in Samaria: Public Ministry of Jeus from the First Passover to the Second: Gospel Harmony [LivingWeb Library]

Event 242: Ministry of Philip in Samaria

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. - Acts 8:5

Book	Acts
Passage	8:4-8
Lectionary	Not used in Lectionary
Text	⁴ Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. ⁵ Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. ⁶ And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city.
Time Frame	ca. AD 36

Quotes & Notes

John Wesley's Notes:
Being taken away, Philip, his next colleague, (not the apostle,) rises in his place.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
* Philip. Ac 8:1,14,15; 6:5; 21:8
* the city.
Rather, "to a city of Samaria," [eis <See definition 1519>
polis Samaria] for the city of Samaria had been utterly
destroyed by Hyrcanus, and the city built by Herod on its site
was called [Sebaste,] that is, Augusta, in honour of Augustus.
Samaria comprised the tract of country formerly occupied by
the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, west of Jordan, lying
between Judea and Galilee: beginning, says Josephus, at Ginea
in the great plain, and ending at the toparchy of Acrabateni.

Ac 1:8; Mt 10:5,6
* preached. Ac 8:35-37; 5:42; 9:20; 17:2,3; Joh 4:25,26; 1Co 1:23; 2:2; 3:11

Adam Clarke's Commentary:
One of the seven deacons, Ac 6:5, called afterwards, Philip the Evangelist, Ac 21:8.

The city of Samaria] At this time there was no city of Samaria existing: according to Josephus, Ant. lib. xiii. cap. 10, sect. 3, Hyrcanus had so utterly demolished it as to leave no vestige of it remaining. Herod the Great did afterwards build a city on the same spot of ground; but he called it sebasth i.e. Augusta, in compliment to the Emperor Augustus, as Josephus tells us, Ant. lib. xv. cap. 8, sect. 5; War, lib. i. cap. 2. sect. 7; and by this name of Sebast‚, or Augusta, that city, if meant here, would in all probability have been called, in the same manner as the town called Strato's Tower, (which Herod built on the sea coasts, and to which he gave the name of Caesarea, in compliment to Augustus Caesar,) is always called Caesarea, wherever it is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Bp. Pearce.

As Sychem was the very heart and seat of the Samaritan religion, and Mount Gerizim the cathedral church of that sect, it is more likely that it should be intended than any other. See Lightfoot. As the Samaritans received the same law with the Jews, as they also expected the Messiah, as Christ had preached to and converted many of that people, Joh 4:39-42, it was very reasonable that the earliest offers of salvation should be made to them, before any attempt was made to evangelize the Gentiles. The Samaritans, indeed, formed the connecting link between the Jews and the Gentiles; for they were a mongrel people, made up of both sorts, and holding both Jewish and Pagan rites. See the account of them on Mt 10:5.

Family Bible Notes:
Philip; one of the seven first deacons. Chap Ac 6:5.

People's New Testament Commentary:
Philip went down to the city of Samaria. This was not Philip, the apostle, for all the apostles remained at Jerusalem, but Philip, one of the seven (Ac 6:5).

The city of Samaria. The Greek does not render it certain that this was the capital named Samaria, as there is no definite article. It is literally "a city of Samaria." The district (see map) lies between Judea and Galilee. Samaria and Sychar were, at this time, two of its principal cities. It was probably one or the other of these to which Philip went.

Robertson's Word Pictures:
Philip (Philippos). The deacon (Ac 6:5) and evangelist (Ac 21:8), not the apostle of the same name (Mr 3:18). To the city of Samaria (eis tên polin tês Samarias). Genitive of apposition. Samaria is the name of the city here. This is the first instance cited of the expansion noted in verse Ac 8:4. Jesus had an early and fruitful ministry in Samaria (Joh 4:1-42), though the twelve were forbidden to go into a Samaritan city during the third tour of Galilee (Mt 10:5), a temporary prohibition withdrawn before Jesus ascended on high (Ac 1:8). Proclaimed (ekêrussen). Imperfect active, began to preach and kept on at it. Note euaggelizomenoi in verse Ac 8:4 of missionaries of good news (Page) while ekêrussen here presents the preacher as a herald. He is also a teacher (didaskalos) like Jesus. Luke probably obtained valuable information from Philip and his daughters about these early days when in his home in Caesarea (Ac 21:8).

Albert Barnes' Commentary:
Then Philip. One of the seven deacons, Ac 6:5. He is afterwards called the Evangelist, Ac 21:8.

The city of Samaria. This does not mean a city whose name was Samaria, for no such city at that time existed. Samaria was a region, Mt 2:22. The ancient city Samaria, the capital of that region, had been destroyed by Hyrcanus so completely, as to leave no vestige of it remaining; and he "took away," says Justifies, "the very marks that there had ever been such a city there, Anti. b. xlii. chap. x. 3. Herod the Great afterwards built a city on this site, and called it Sebaste, i. e. Augusta, in honour of the emperor Augustus, Jos. Anti. b. xv. chap. viii. 5. Perhaps this city is intended, as being the principal city of Samaria; or possibly Sychar, another city where the gospel had been before preached by the Saviour himself, Joh 4:1-54.

And preached Christ. Preached that the Messiah had come, and made known his doctrines. The same truths had been before stated in Samaria by the Saviour himself, Joh 4:1-54 and this was doubtless one of the reasons why they so gladly now received the word of God. The field had been prepared by the Lord Jesus; and he had said that it was white for the harvest, Joh 4:35 and into that field Philip now entered, and was signally blessed. His coming was attended with a remarkable revival of religion. The word translated preach here is not that which is used in the previous verse. This denotes to proclaim as a crier, and is commonly employed to denote the preaching of the gospel, so called, Mr 5:20; 7:36; Lu 8:39; Mt 24:14; Ac 10:42; Ro 10:15; 1Co 9:27; 15:12; 2Ti 4:2. It has been argued that because Philip is said thus to have preached to the Samaritans, that therefore all deacons have a right to preach, or that they are, under the New Testament economy, an order of ministers. But this is by no means clear. For,

(1.) it is not evident, nor can it be shown, that the other deacons Ac 6:1-15 ever preached. There is no record of their doing so; and the narrative would lead us to suppose that they did not.

(2.) They were appointed for a very different purpose, Ac 6:1-5; and it is fair to suppose that, as deacons, they confined themselves to the design of their appointment.

(3.) It is not said that Philip preached, in virtue of his being a deacon. From anything in this place, it would seem that he preached as the other Christians did--wherever he was.

(4.) But elsewhere an express distinction is made between Philip and the others. A new appellation is given him, and he is expressly called the Evangelist, Ac 21:8. From this, it seems that he preached, not because he was a deacon, but because he had received a special appointment to this business as an evangelist.

(5.) This same office, or rank of Christian teachers, is expressly recognized elsewhere, Eph 4:11. All these considerations show that there is not, in the sacred Scriptures, an order of ministers appointed to preach as deacons.

{b} "Philip went down" Ac 6:5

Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
Then Philip--not the apostle of that name, as was by some of the Fathers supposed; for besides that the apostles remained at Jerusalem, they would in that case have had no occasion to send a deputation of their own number to lay their hands on the baptized disciples [GROTIUS]. It was the deacon of that name, who comes next after Stephen in the catalogue of the seven, probably as being the next most prominent. The persecution may have been directed especially against Stephen's colleagues [MEYER].

the city of Samaria--or "a city of Samaria"; but the former seems more likely. "It furnished the bridge between Jerusalem and the world" [BAUMGARTEN].

1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
(4) Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

(4) Philip, who was before a deacon in Jerusalem, is made an evangelist by God in an extraordinary way.

Spurgeon Devotional Commentary:
Stephen is gone, but Philip comes forward; the church will not fail for want of men to bear her standard.

William Burkitt's Notes:
Observe here, 1. Amongst the dispersed, who went to Samaria, Philip was one: not Philip the apostle, (for all of them remained at Jerusalem,) but Philip the deacon, who was the second in order after Stephen, among the seven deacons: He comes to Samaria, and preaches there.

Observe, 2. The doctrines which he preached: he preached Christ utno them; that is, Christianity, or the Christian religion; namely, The doctrine of Christ's incarnation, holy life and death, resurrection and ascension, together with remission of sins through faith in his name.

Observe, 3. The success of Philip's doctrine at Samaria; the people with one accord embrace the gospel, Giving heed to the things which he spake: The presence of the Holy Spirit accompanying his ministry, united his hearers' hearts, as well as their ears, to attend diligently to the doctrine of Christ delivered to them. This diligent attention was a blessed preparative to the Samaritans conversion, seeing faith comes by hearing: Yea, they did not only attend to, but acquiesce in all he spake.

Note thence, That were there a more reverent attention to the word, there would be more conversions by it than at this day there are.

Observe, 4. The external ground and reason of Philip's success in his ministry at Samaria; the miracles which he wrought. These were undeniable evidences of the truth of what he spake, and by which he shewed God's authority for what he did and said; he healed disease, and cast out devils, (called unclean spirits, because they delight in sin, that spiritual uncleanness of the soul,) who cried out with a loud voice, as very loath to leave their lodgings, had they not been constrained to it. The miracles which Christ and his apostle wrought were heaven's broad-seal, to confirm the truth of what they taught: The people gave heed to what Philip spake, seeing the miracles which he did.

Observe, lastly, What joy and rejoicing there was among the Samaritans at their receiving and entertaining of the gospel: There was great joy in that city; not only for the cures wrought upon their bodies, but for the doctrine of reconciliation and salvation preached to their souls. As the gospel is in itself a message of joy and glad tidings, so it fills that soul with joy unspeakable, that cordially receives and entertains it. Joy in the Holy Ghost is one of the sweetest effects of the kingdom of God; that is, the gospel, The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Ro 14:17.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
As far as the gospel prevails, evil spirits are dislodged, particularly unclean spirits. All inclinations to the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul are such. Distempers are here named, the most difficult to be cured by the course of nature, and most expressive of the disease of sin. Pride, ambition, and desire after grandeur have always caused abundance of mischief, both to the world and to the church. The people said of Simon, This man is the great power of God. See how ignorant and thoughtless people mistake. But how strong is the power of Divine grace, by which they were brought to Christ, who is Truth itself! The people not only gave heed to what Philip said, but were fully convinced that it was of God, and not of men, and gave up themselves to be directed thereby. Even bad men, and those whose hearts still go after covetousness, may come before God as his people come, and for a time continue with them. And many wonder at the proofs of Divine truths, who never experience their power. The gospel preached may have a common operation upon a soul, where it never produced inward holiness. All are not savingly converted who profess to believe the gospel.

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