Last week, we studied the witness and death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. In this chapter we read that persecution, under the management of Saul of Tarsus, came upon the church in Jerusalem. But rather than stopping the spread of the gospel, Saul’s persecution scattered the seed into new areas. and that it was so intense that “they were all scattered.”

Someone has said, the devil overplayed his hand because the net effect of the persecution was further progress of the gospel, the harvesting of more souls and, no doubt, the planting of more churches. In the words of an early church father, the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Perhaps there is no better example of this than what we have before us in Acts 8.

Our text shows the gospel spreading into Samaria, especially through the ministry of another of the seven men chosen to serve tables, Philip. The theme of the chapter is, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ outside of the boundaries of Jerusalem, first to the Samaritans, then to the Ethiopian eunuch (see 8:4, 5, 12, 14, 25, 35, 40). Since the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, we should proclaim it in every situation where we find ourselves.

Discussion Questions

1. What fears keep you from proclaiming Christ as you should? How can you overcome them?

2. Since there is such a thing as faith that does not save, should we share assurance of salvation with a new believer?

3. Since we all struggle with sin and with doubts, how can a person know if his faith is genuine or false?

4. What are some ways that we can turn everyday conversations into opportunities to share the gospel?