In Acts chapter 8, we are told about an eunuch from Ethiopia, who had traveled to Jerusalem, and was returning to Ethiopia when Philip the Evangelist was led of the Spirit to go out into the desert and meet this man. Philip shared the Gospel with him, and they came across an oasis in the desert, and Philip baptized him.
There are several points that I would like to make here. First of all, a lot of people have come to the conclusion that this eunuch was the first Gentile to become a member of the early church. I don’t think so. The Bible tells us that the eunuch was in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. It seems to me that this man must have been a Jew, or he wouldn’t have been reading the Jewish text. It would seem that he was already a Jew, and had received special dispensation from his queen, Candace, to travel to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. I don’t know of any Ethiopian religion that would have required him to go to Jerusalem to worship.
Additionally, Peter is the one who was given the keys to the kingdom, and Peter is the one who, amid much criticism, baptized a Roman citizen later. Much of the time, the early church seems to divide people into two basic categories: Jews and Gentiles. Sometimes the terms used are circumcision and uncircumcision, sometimes Jews and Greeks, but, in context, it is pretty clear that the early Christians really only recognized two ethnic groups. Peter preached a sermon on the day of Pentecost that led to baptizing Jews from every nation, and Peter preached to Cornelius, a Roman, which led to, what would seem to be, the first Gentiles becoming Christians.
Another point that I would like to make is the fact that, although the Bible doesn’t tell us what Philip preached to the eunuch (it only says that he preached unto him Jesus), by the time they came to a place in the desert where there was water, the eunuch had decided that he wanted to get baptized. I have had people ask me the question, “What if you were in the middle of the desert when you realized that you needed to be baptized?” Well, of course that is exactly what happened to the eunuch. When I point that out, though, then these people generally scoff, “Oh, I suppose you think God put that water there just so the eunuch could get baptized!” I am always tempted to point out that it would be foolishness to think that the devil put that water there so that the eunuch could get baptized (okay, I admit it, I have told people that a few times. It never helps the situation, though). I certainly don’t think that it was coincidence that, just about the time the eunuch decided that he needed to be baptized, they came across a place in the desert where he could be baptized.
Another thing, too, Philip told the eunuch that he wouldn’t perform a baptism, unless the eunuch believed. It seems to have become common practice these days, most churches don’t seem to really care if you believe or not. I have heard of churches where people have been talked into getting baptized simply because the church only performs baptismal ceremonies every so often. Sometimes it is because the church is trying to set a new record (“We’ve never baptized fifty people before! Right now there are forty-nine, you could make it fifty! Come on, get baptized!”). Of course, I have known of other churches who swing the other way, refusing to baptize someone for at least three weeks using the philosophy that it is better not to get baptized than to get baptized and then lose interest within a couple of weeks. There may be some truth in that, but I can’t help thinking that it could go the other way: if I had been forced to wait three weeks to get baptized, I might have started to think that baptism wasn’t that important (particularly since the church that taught me about baptism was now delaying the event), and probably would have gone back to my old ways. I’m not sure where I would be now if that had been the case, but almost certainly I would not be a Christian now.
There are several points that I would like to make here. First of all, a lot of people have come to the conclusion that this eunuch was the first Gentile to become a member of the early church. I don’t think so. The Bible tells us that the eunuch was in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. It seems to me that this man must have been a Jew, or he wouldn’t have been reading the Jewish text. It would seem that he was already a Jew, and had received special dispensation from his queen, Candace, to travel to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. I don’t know of any Ethiopian religion that would have required him to go to Jerusalem to worship.
Additionally, Peter is the one who was given the keys to the kingdom, and Peter is the one who, amid much criticism, baptized a Roman citizen later. Much of the time, the early church seems to divide people into two basic categories: Jews and Gentiles. Sometimes the terms used are circumcision and uncircumcision, sometimes Jews and Greeks, but, in context, it is pretty clear that the early Christians really only recognized two ethnic groups. Peter preached a sermon on the day of Pentecost that led to baptizing Jews from every nation, and Peter preached to Cornelius, a Roman, which led to, what would seem to be, the first Gentiles becoming Christians.
Another point that I would like to make is the fact that, although the Bible doesn’t tell us what Philip preached to the eunuch (it only says that he preached unto him Jesus), by the time they came to a place in the desert where there was water, the eunuch had decided that he wanted to get baptized. I have had people ask me the question, “What if you were in the middle of the desert when you realized that you needed to be baptized?” Well, of course that is exactly what happened to the eunuch. When I point that out, though, then these people generally scoff, “Oh, I suppose you think God put that water there just so the eunuch could get baptized!” I am always tempted to point out that it would be foolishness to think that the devil put that water there so that the eunuch could get baptized (okay, I admit it, I have told people that a few times. It never helps the situation, though). I certainly don’t think that it was coincidence that, just about the time the eunuch decided that he needed to be baptized, they came across a place in the desert where he could be baptized.
Another thing, too, Philip told the eunuch that he wouldn’t perform a baptism, unless the eunuch believed. It seems to have become common practice these days, most churches don’t seem to really care if you believe or not. I have heard of churches where people have been talked into getting baptized simply because the church only performs baptismal ceremonies every so often. Sometimes it is because the church is trying to set a new record (“We’ve never baptized fifty people before! Right now there are forty-nine, you could make it fifty! Come on, get baptized!”). Of course, I have known of other churches who swing the other way, refusing to baptize someone for at least three weeks using the philosophy that it is better not to get baptized than to get baptized and then lose interest within a couple of weeks. There may be some truth in that, but I can’t help thinking that it could go the other way: if I had been forced to wait three weeks to get baptized, I might have started to think that baptism wasn’t that important (particularly since the church that taught me about baptism was now delaying the event), and probably would have gone back to my old ways. I’m not sure where I would be now if that had been the case, but almost certainly I would not be a Christian now.
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