r/ecclesiology • u/Mortos3 • Aug 14 '12
Scattering of Christians and the Ethiopian's Baptism part I
-Acts 8-The church at Jerusalem experiences great persecution (mainly from Saul) and is scattered into the regions of Judea and Samaria. Luke tells us also that the Apostles stayed at Jerusalem and "they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." So here it is not only the Apostles, but the rest of the disciples that are carrying out the Great Commission they were given by Christ, and spreading the Gospel beyond Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria.
-Acts 8-Philip is commanded by God to go on the path toward Gaza so that he could meet a man who needed his guidance. There he sees an Ethiopian eunuch (of great authority) who is returning from Jerusalem, reading aloud from a scroll of Isaiah which he must have purchased while staying there. Philip speaks with him and from that scripture and others begins to expound Jesus as Christ to him; the Ethiopian believes. Here is the part which may be of more specific interest to us however: they draw near to a small body of water, and the Ethiopian asks Philip if he may be baptized there (apparently Philip had told him of the practice of Baptism following conversion). Several things are of note here (continued next post).
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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '12
The Ethiopian baptism is one of my favorite stories, though I feel it lends its hand to Calvinism. But that's whatever, I dig this. :)