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[[bold]] 54   THE CONVENTION TEACHER [[/bold]]

(35) [[bold]] Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. Opened his mouth [[/bold]]--An oriental expression which occurs ordinarily before grand and mighty words. [[bold]] And began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. [[/bold]] Philip showed the strange and marvelous correspondence between the many descriptions of the Messiah of the prophets and the now well known life of Jesus of Nazareth beginning his inspired teaching with an exposition of the personage of Christ. He showed from the general tenor of the sacred Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, or Messiah, and that in His birth, life, doctrines, miracles, passion, of death and resurrection, the scriptures of the Old Testament were fulfilled.

[[bold]] III. PHILIP THE BAPTIZER. (VV. 36-39.) (36) And as they went on their way, then came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? [[/bold]] The discourse of Philip acting as an evangelist, no doubt comprising abundant instruction with animated exhortations and persuasions, and the prophecy as shown to coincide with its accomplishments in so wonderful a manner, fully convinced the eunuch through the concurrent teachings and illumination of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus was the promised Messiah and he was enabled to understand the nature of His Kingdom and Salvation. Accordingly, he desired to be numbered among His disciples. Doubtless Philip had shown him the nature of baptism as the initiatory ordinance of Christianity. When therefore they came to water he desired to be baptized of which, he was not likely, for a long time to have another opportunity. [[bold]] What doth hinder me? [[/bold]] He stood not upon the reproach of Christian religion when censure would come.

(37) [[bold]] And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. [[/bold]] As the conversation grew to the place of the discussion, Philip answered him by a question: If thou believest these eternal truths which make one ready to accept the plan of the Gospel then your request is granted. [[bold]] The eunuch replied, I believe [[/bold]] that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that is, he believed that Jesus, whom Philip preached to him was the Christ or Messiah, and consequently the Son of God.

(38) [[bold]] And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. [[/bold]] They alighted from the chariot into the water while Philip was instructing him. He probably plunged himself under the water, as this was the plan which appears to have been generally followed among the Jews in their baptisms; but the person who had received his confession of faith was he to whom the baptism was attributed, as it was administered by his authority.

(39) [[bold]] And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. [[/bold]] The Greek word translated (caught away) is the same as that used in the description of the Lord's second advent, after the resurrection of the dead in Christ. The sudden disappearance of Philip seemed to the Ethiopian eunuch a miraculous assurance that the message and instruction he had received was indeed from heaven and thus strengthened, he went on his way rejoicing. Rejoicing in Christ and then His glorious salvation for the eunuch saw him no more.

[[bold]] TELLING THE STORY OF JESUS [[/bold]]

God has created all peoples. Every race and color is dear to His great heart of love. Have the children understand that they must tell every one the story of Jesus. Philip took pains to have the Ethiopian eunuch understand the Scripture which he had read. When the man knew that Jesus came to save him he anxiously accepted Him and told others about Him. When we know Jesus we must tell the story of His wonderful love to others. Little children can tell what they have learned in Sunday school.

[[bold]] QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON [[/bold]]

1. What is personal witnessing?
2. What made the Ethiopian become a follower of Christ?
3. Why are we to obey the call of Christ?
4. How can we witness before sinners?
5. What is the call of Jesus to us?
6. When are we to witness for Christ?

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[[bold]] THE CONVENTION TEACHER   55

Lights on the Lesson

by Rev. Bernard Byrd, D. D. [[/bold]]

LIGHT NO. 1 – Witnessing has been for years, a method by which truth has been established. In every instance where persons concerned did not know the facts, witnesses have been called to attest unto the truth. The works of Christ and his followers were so mysterious that it was necessary for men to give witness both by word of mouth and by signs.

LIGHT NO. 2 – "Eunuch" meant a man in whom there is no possibility of reproduction. He being a subject of the royal house was made into an eunuch without his own consent. Paul reveals that the Spirit of God enables one to become an Eunuch voluntarily without any operation upon the physical organs.

LIGHT NO. 3 – The passage of Scripture which the Eunich read, particularly interested in him because it seemed to be something which revealed his own condition. "Who shall declare his generation" may be considered as a lament because there was to be no physical off-spring. It may be considered a suggestion question, pointing to the "Born of the Spirit" as those persons who declare his Generation.
LIGHT NO. 4--The spirit took Philip away because his only task was to witness for Christ, and to baptize the believer. No motion was made, yet the Eunuch was a full fledged member of the church of Christ.

[[bold]] Editorial Reflections
By Rev. S. A. Pleasants, D. D. [[/bold]]

The true witness for Christ is always ready to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say, and go at His command, as Philip here. The Holy Spirit prepared Philip for the Eunuch, and prepared the Eunuch for Philip. When he prepares any one to go, and be used to save the lost, and prepares the lost to be saved, there is never a failure. All Christian workers should be sure that they labor with sinners at the dictates of the holy spirit.
The messenger must always be prepared and have a prepared message to deliver to the unsaved. No one in the earth prepares the messenger and the message but the holy spirit. To say the holy spirit is enough. He is truly the god of our day. He had every thing prepared for the Eunuch to be saved and every thing prepared for Philip to let him save the Eunuch through him.
In saving a soul the holy spirit tells the messenger what to do, when to do, where to go and what to say. In other words the holy spirit does all to be done, at the time it should be done, and says through the worker, what is to be said, and brings to life the dead soul and gives a gracious reward to the messenger through whom he works. He not only did this through Philip, but will do it through any one who will let him.
The only way to be saved is to hear the word, believe the word, and do what it says. All that our father requires of sinners is found in his blessed book. To be a true believer is to believe in Christ as one's personal savior, and believe all that he requires one to believe, to end he will be that, and gladly do that.
In the word of god, we find the spirit and life of Christ, which when believed by one, the holy spirit recreates that soul into its likeness, thus making that one like jesus.
Jesus the name, and only name used to save the lost, in Philip's message to the Eunuch's salvation and life. The two questions asked by Eunuch,--one gave the point of contact for the Eunuch's salvation. I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this of himself or of some other? The other showed he was saved--behold, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized.
The salvation of the Eunuch gives an ocular demonstration of the methods used by the Evangelist in the days of the Apostles. They did not try to save souls by their own thinking, but left it absolutely to the dictates of the holy spirit; and all Christian evangelists of our day must do likewise. Philip did not try different things to bring him into the church but followed wholly the holy spirit's leading. Every Christian is to be used by the holy spirit to being some one into the kingdom of god. Be a true witness for Christ by saving some one. [[/page 2]]