5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimedthe Messiah there.
6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs heperformed, they all paid close attention to what he said. - P50
11 They followed him because he had amazed them fora long time with his sorcery.
12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed thegood news of the kingdom of God and the name ofJesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And hefollowed Philip everywhere, astonished by the greatsigns and miracles he saw.
- P51
Stephen is buried, and the believers mourn him. Saul begins to persecutethe church. - P51
Philip goes to Samaria and performs many signs. People listen tohim and there is much rejoicing. - P51
In Samaria, a sorcerer called Simon comesto believe Philip‘s proclamation of the good news of the kingdom of God. Heis baptized and follows Philip. - P51
A dominant theme of Scripture is God‘s power to bring good from evil.
The stories of Joseph, Job, Esther, and others ultimately point to thegreatest victory over evil in history-the crucifixion and resurrection ofJesus. - P52
The stoning of Stephen unleashes a wave of violent persecutionagainst the church, led by a zealous Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus. - P52
Words like
"destroy" and "dragged" paint a vivid picture of the nature of this attackagainst the followers of Jesus. - P52
And yet, the seed of the gospel is scatteredalong with the servants of Christ! - P52
Our God is the master of turningwhat is meant for evil into good. Even the gates of hell cannot standagainst the power of the eternal Creator and sustainer of this universe. - P52
We live in a world that is hungry for the divine. From fortune tellers tothe multitude of television shows and movies about gifted individualswith unique powers, people are enamored with if not desperate for-the supernatural. - P52
This account of Philip‘s ministry in Samaria highlightsthe stark difference between real spiritual power and mere imitation. - P52
Alocal sorcerer is so overwhelmed by the demonstration of the Spirit‘spower that he himself believes and is baptized. God‘s people, living inthe powerof the Holy Spirit, inevitably point people away from illusionand imitation to the real thing. - P52
The presence and power of Jesus in thelives of godly believers will always lead others to our real and living God. - P52
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