Teaching Jesus

Acts 8
    The past several weeks we have been discussing the miraculous measures of the Holy Spirit. One of the many claims made by some people who claim to have miraculous measures of the Holy Spirit, is that one must “experience” the Holy Spirit to show they’ve been saved. As noted before, there are only two examples in the entire new testament where the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred (Acts 2 & 10). So what about the other conversion accounts? If in the other conversion accounts, it doesn’t mention miracles of the Holy Spirit, does that mean they are not saved?
    In Acts 8:25 we find the account of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. There is no mention of him having miraculous measures of the Holy Spirit. Does that mean he was not saved? Absolutely, not! (Acts 8:39 says the eunuch went on rejoicing.) It simply means an apostle had not laid hands on the Ethiopian (Acts 8:18). Not only does that changed the concept that one music receive miraculous gifts or be touched by the Holy Spirit to be saved, there are other things we can learn from this. Ask yourself, why did Philip have to go down into the water with the eunuch (vs. 38). Obviously the answer is that sprinkling and pouring were not good enough, the eunuch had to be immersed (Rom. 6:3). How can I teach Jesus like Philip did? In verse 35 the text say “beginning from this Scripture, he preached Jesus to him.” The scripture he began with was Is. 53:7 as recorded in Acts 8:32. Look at the Eunuch’s next statement in verse 36. “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” It is obvious that this first century evangelist taught baptism when teaching about Jesus and not as some kind of after thought. If I want to teach the gospel the way Philip did, I must teach baptism being essential for salvation (Acts 8:37-38). I love you all!


In His service,
Steven Hugley