Evangelization one-on-one (Acts 8)

The persecution of the Church catalyzes the spread of the Good News to the larger Roman world. Luke reports that following the martyrdom of Stephen all of the Christians except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Philip (one of the men chosen to serve as deacons in Acts 6) travels to Samaria and through his preaching and exorcisms wins many converts there. Philip baptizes them, and Peter and John travel to Samaria to lay hands on them so that they may receive the Holy Spirit.

Luke next relates the story of Philip and the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. This story sheds light on how we can share the Good News today:

1) An angel of the Lord directs Philip to "head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route" (Acts 8:26). Why now? Why this road? The angel of the Lord gives Philip no reasons for this journey, yet Philip obeys, trusting that the Lord is working all things for His good ends.

Likewise, when Philip sees the chariot carrying the Ethiopian eunuch home, and the Holy Spirit instructs him, “Go and join up with that chariot," he promptly obeys, not knowing who is in the chariot or what the Lord has in store for him.

2) Philip encounters the eunuch reading from the prophet Isaiah. Luke reports that Philip heard the eunuch reading (aloud, Luke implies) and then asked him if he understood the text. The eunuch replies that he does not and invites Philip to join him in the chariot and teach him.

Had the eunuch been reading silently, it is not difficult to imagine Philip approaching the chariot, greeting the eunuch, and politely asking him what he was reading. The result of their encounter would have been the same.

The point is, Philip does not run up to the chariot and immediately begin proclaiming the gospel. Even in this brief story, we see Philip get to know the eunuch, learn a little bit about him, including what he knows (and doesn't yet know) about God, before he begins sharing the faith with him.

3) When the eunuch asks him who Isaiah is talking about, Philip is ready to explain to him how Isaiah is prophesying about the saving death and resurrection of Jesus. Again, Philip has no way of knowing in advance who he will be speaking to or what he is to say. But Philip, anticipating the words of Saint Peter in his first epistle, is "always... ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope" and Philip does this "with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15-16). 

The previous conversion stories in Acts had been on a big scale: miracles, public preaching by the apostles or deacons, and many people converted at once. This is the first conversion story that takes place in a one-on-one encounter between a disciple and a man who is seeking God but does not yet know Jesus. In this story, Philip models how we can share the Good News today: following the promptings of the Holy Spirit, getting to know people and meeting them where they are, and being prepared to share our faith, trusting in the Holy Spirit to give us the right words in any particular encounter. 

Finally, the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch is the first baptism of a Gentile recorded in Acts. The story anticipates the conversion of the Roman centurion Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, and indeed the larger conversion of millions across the world and across the centuries. The eunuch evidently desires to know God by his reading of Sacred Scripture, but conversion to Judaism is forbidden to him because he is a eunuch and cannot be circumcised. Yet the old barriers that kept people from joining the community of believers were swept aside by Christ. You can hear the excitement in the eunuch's voice as he asks, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Salvation is now for all people who believe and follow Jesus. 

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day for the salvation of souls.