Worsley - Acts - 8

8:1  And Saul was well pleased with his execution. For at that time there was a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed through the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

8:2  And some pious men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation for him.

8:3  But Saul made havock of the church, entring into the houses, and dragging out men and women, committed them to prison.

8:4  Now they that were dispersed went about preaching the word.

8:5  And Philip coming to the city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them.

8:6  And the people unanimously attended to the things which were spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he wrought:

8:7  for impure spirits crying with a loud voice came out of many that were possessed by them; and many paralytic and lame persons were cured.

8:8  And there was great joy in that city.

8:9  But there was before in the city a man named Simon practising magic and bewitching the people of Samaria, giving out that he was some great person.

8:10  Whom they all greatly regarded, from the lest to the greatest, saying, This man is as the great power of God.

8:11  And they were attentive to him, because he had for a considerable time astonished them by his magic arts.

8:12  But as they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women;

8:13  and Simon himself also believed, and was baptized, and kept constantly with Philip: and beholding the signs and miracles that were wrought, he was amazed.

8:14  Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John:

8:15  who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the holy Spirit: (for He was not yet fallen upon any of them,

8:16  only they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus:) and then they laid their hands on them,

8:17  and they received the holy Spirit.

8:18  And when Simon saw that the holy Spirit was given by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money,

8:19  saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the holy Spirit.

8:20  But Peter said unto him, Let thy money perish with thee, since thou thoughtest to purchase the gift of God with money.

8:21  Thou hast no part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray to God, if so be the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee:

8:23  for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity.

8:24  And Simon answered, and said, Do ye pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which ye have spoken may come upon me.

8:25  And they having testified and declared the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

8:26  And an angel of the Lord spake to Philip, saying, Arise and go southward to the way that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert.

8:27  And he arose and went; and behold a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, and her high-treasurer, who had come to Jerusalem to worship,

8:28  was returning, and as he sat in his chariot, was reading the prophet Esaias:

8:29  and the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip running up to him,

8:30  heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou understand what thou readest?

8:31  And he said, How can I, unless some one guide me? and he desired Philip to come up and sit with him.

8:32  And the portion of scripture, which he was reading, was this, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before it's shearer is dumb, so He opened not his mouth:

8:33  in his humiliation his judgement was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth."

8:34  And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom doth the prophet say this? of himself, or of some other person?

8:35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached unto him Jesus.

8:36  And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water: and the eunuch said, See here is water, what hindereth me from being baptized?

8:37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

8:38  And he ordered the chariot to stop: and they both went down to the water, Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

8:39  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more: but went on his way rejoicing.

8:40  But Philip was found at Azotus; and as he passed along, he preached the gospel in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea.