SUMMARY
Philip is directed 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 Spirit to meet an Ethiopian 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. and court official who is reading IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (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. on the way home from Jerusalem. The eunuch 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... as a believer in JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. 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..., promised by Isaiah.
ANALYSIS
Technically, this story features the first God-fearing 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... in Acts who believes in Christ and is baptized. Philip’s evangelization of this Ethiopian eunuch, however, is overshadowed in Acts by Peter’s outreach to the God-fearing centurionA centurion was a Roman officer who commanded a military unit made up of one hundred men. Jesus healed a centurion's servant, and a centurion, at Jesus' crucifixion, acclaimed him to be God's Son. CorneliusAn early Gentile convert to the Christian faith. in 10:1‒11:18.
Yet the present story has other important elements. First, the man is an Ethiopian who returns to a position of power (chief finance officer) among his people. One presumes that he will bear witness to his new faith in Christ in his homeland. Second, he returns to Ethiopia with joy, reminding us that becoming part of the community of the baptized and welcoming Jesus as God’s Messiah creates and sustains joy. Third, the passage which the Ethiopian eunuch is reading from Isaiah (53:7-8) and which serves as the basis for Philip’s preaching about Jesus (Acts 8:32-35) is particularly relevant to the eunuch’s physical condition, as it speaks of a “shorn” and “humiliated” servant-figure blessed by God. Fourth, 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. 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. 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. 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.
