SUMMARY
Philip is taken by the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine More Spirit to meet a highly placed Ethiopian court official who is reading IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century B.C.E. (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. More on the way home from Jerusalem. The Ethiopian asks for and receives baptismJesus was baptized (literally, "dipped") in the Jordan River by John the Baptizer, at which time he was acclaimed from heaven as God's Son, the Beloved. Much later baptism became one of the sacraments of the Church, the action by which a person is incorporated... More as a believer in JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity More as God’s MessiahThe Messiah was the one who, it was believed, would come to free the people of Israel from bondage and exile. In Jewish thought the Messiah is the anticipated one who will come, as prophesied by Isaiah. In Christian thought Jesus of Nazareth is identified... More, promised by Isaiah.
ANALYSIS
This passage is often thought to be about the first baptism of a GentileA gentile is anyone who is not Jewish. The term, which is derived from words that the Bible uses to denote the "nations" of the world, reflects beliefs that God had designated Israel as a nation that would be distinct from others, and a blessing... More. If that is true (we are not told whether the eunuchAn eunuch is a castrated male, often in the service of a person in power. While the Bible mentions eunuchs many times, the most memorable eunuch is the one who was baptized by Philip in Acts 8. More is living as a Jew prior to meeting Philip), very little is made of it in Luke-Acts. The story is more interesting for three other reasons. First, the man is an Ethiopian who returns to a position of power among his people. One presumes that he will speak of his new faith and perhaps establish it in his homeland. Second, he returns to Ethiopia with joy, reminding us that becoming part of the community of the baptized, welcoming Jesus as God’s Messiah, creates and sustains joy. Third, this story fulfills a prophecyProphecy is the gift, inspired by God, of speaking and interpreting the divine will. Prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel spoke words of judgment and comfort to the people of Israel on behalf of God. More from Isaiah 56:1-7. In this passage God promises that, when God’s “salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. More will come” and God’s “deliverance [will] be revealed,” foreigners and eunuchs who love God and keep God’s covenantA covenant is a promise or agreement. In the Bible the promises made between God and God's people are known as covenants; they state or imply a relationship of commitment and obedience. More will have a place among God’s people and experience joy. The fulfillment of this prophecy is both an important part of proof that God is acting to save and an example of how the mission will go forward.
