ACTS
CHAPTER EIGHT
OBSERVATION
STAGE
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
.which largely limits the observer to the
content offered by the books of Luke and Acts. Other passages must have a
relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or
reference in the passage at hand. This will serve to avoid going on
unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the
framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located
elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that
something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in
view.
The context of
the stoning of Stephen by the Jewish rulers which introduces a young ruler
named Saul who had consented to Stephen's execution in the previous
chapter continues into chapter 8.
****** EXCERPT
FROM ACTS CHAPTER 7 ******
OR
SKIP TO THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 8
(Acts
7:54-60) THE RULERS, AFTER HEARING ALL THAT STEPHEN HAD TO SAY - AN
ACCURATE LESSON OF THEIR HISTORY FRAUGHT WITH REBELLION AND APOSTASY -
THEY WERE CUT TO THEIR HEARTS AND GNASHING THEIR TEETH AT HIM. BUT
STEPHEN BEING FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAVING LOOKED STEADFASTLY TO
HEAVEN SAW THE GLORY OF GOD, AND JESUS STANDING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF
GOD, AND STEPHEN SAID, "LO, I SEE THE HEAVENS HAVING BEEN OPENED,
AND THE SON OF MAN STANDING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD." THE RULERS
CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, STOPPED THEIR EARS, AND RUSHED UPON STEPHEN
ALL AT ONCE. THEY CAST HIM OUT OF THE CITY, TOOK OFF THEIR OUTER
GARMENTS, LAID THEM AT THE FEET OF A YOUNG MAN CALLED SAUL, AND BEGAN
STONING HIM TO DEATH. STEPHEN CALLED OUT, "LORD JESUS, RECEIVE MY
SPIRIT;" THEN HE KNELT DOWN AND CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, "LORD,
DO NOT CHARGE THEM WITH THIS SIN." WHEREUPON HE FELL ASLEEP, IN THE
SENSE OF DIED
[Compare
Lk 22:66-71 and Mt 26:59-66]:
[Compare
Dan 7:13]:
****** END
OF EXCERPT FROM ACTS CHAPTER 7 ******
I)
[Acts 8:1-25]:
A)
(Acts 8:1-4) NOW SAUL HAD CONSENTED AND CONTINUED TO CONSENT IN THE
CARRYING OUT OF STEPHEN'S STONING TO DEATH. THIS EVIDENTLY SIGNALED A
GREAT PERSECUTION LED BY SAUL AGAINST THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM,
SCATTERING ALL THROUGHOUT THE REGIONS OF JUDEA AND SAMARIA - LARGELY THE
HELLENIST (GREEK SPEAKING) JEWS; YET LEAVING A NUMBER OF THE HEBREW JEWS
WHO WERE BELIEVERS IN "THE CHRIST" AND THE APOSTLES TO REMAIN
IN JERUSALEM.
DEVOUT
JEWISH MEN BURIED STEPHEN, AND MADE GREAT LAMENTATION OVER HIM WHILE
SAUL CONTINUED TO RAVAGE THE CHURCH, ENTERING HOUSES AND DRAGGING OFF
MEN AND WOMEN TO PRISON.
THROUGH
ALL OF THIS, THE SCATTERED MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WHICH HAD GONE ABOAD
WERE PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL WHEREVER THEY WENT
1)
[Compare Acts 5:34-39]:
2)
[Compare Acts 1:8]:
3)
[Compare Acts 11:19-22]:
****** EXCERPT
FROM ACTS CHAPTER 6 ******
(Acts
6:1) NOW IN THOSE DAYS, WHEN THE NUMBER OF THE DISCIPLES WAS
MULTIPLYING, THERE AROSE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE HEBREWS BY THE
HELLENISTS, BECAUSE THEIR WIDOWS WERE NEGLECTED IN THE DAILY
DISTRIBUTION
[Animosity
Between Judeans And Samaritans Stemmed From Very Early Times And Fed On
A Number Of Incidents In Their Respective Histories]:
(Acts
6:2-6) THE TWELVE APOSTLES SUMMONED THE DISCIPLES AND DECLARED THAT IT
WAS NOT DESIRABLE THAT THEY SHOULD DEPART FROM TEACHING THE WORD OF GOD
TO SERVE TABLES. HENCE THE DISCIPLES WERE TO APPOINT SEVEN OF THEIR OWN
TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE GIFTS, ESPECIALLY
TO THE HELLENIST WIDOWS. WHERUPON THEY CHOSE STEPHEN, A MAN FULL OF
FAITH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, PHILIP, PROCHOURUS, NICANOR, TIMON PARMENAS
AND NICOLAS, A PROSELYTE FROM ANTIOCH. THE APOSTLES PRAYED AND LAID
HANDS ON THEM. NOTE THAT GOD'S NEW ASSEMBLY OF BELIEVERS CONTINUED TO
CONDUCT THEMSELVES AS A REMNANT OF JEWS WHO BELIEVED IN JESUS OF
NAZARETH AS MESSIAH / SAVIOR. THE DOCTRINES UNIQUE TO THE CHURCH ARE NOT
YET IN VIEW
****** END
OF EXCERPT FROM ACTS CHAPTER 6 ******
4)
[Compare Acts 8:2 with Acts 8:3]:
5)
[Compare Acts 1:8]:
B)
(Acts 8:5-8) WHILE DEVOUT MEN BURIED STEPHEN AND MADE GREAT LAMENTATION
OVER HIM, SAUL WAS ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM,
SCATTERING MANY ABROAD WHO BEGAN PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL. PHILIP, ONE OF
THE HELLENIST BELIEVERS WHO LEFT JERUSALEM WAS PREACHING AND PERFORMING
MIRACLES IN A CITY IN SAMARIA. MANY WERE HEALED AND MANY BELIEVED. AND
THERE WAS GREAT JOY IN THE CITY
1)
[Compare Acts 8:12]:
****** EXCERPT
FROM JN CHAPTER 4 ******
(Jn
4:1-29) JESUS ENCOUNTERS A SAMARITAN WOMAN AT JACOB'S WELL IN SAMARIA.
WEARY, THIRSTY AND HAVING NOTHING WITH WHICH TO DRAW WATER, HE ASKS HER
FOR A DRINK. INDIFFERENT TO HIS THIRST, SHE GIVES HIM A TASTE OF THE
OSTRACISM AND BITTERNESS BETWEEN SAMARITANS AND JEWS. JESUS INDICATES
THAT HE IS THE CHRIST - THE MESSIAH WHO IS TO COME. HE OFFERS HER THE
GIFT OF GOD OF THE LIVING WATER OF ETERNAL LIFE. SHE IMPLIES THAT SINCE
HE IS WITHOUT ANYTHING TO DRAW WATER, HE IS FOOLISH AND ARROGANT TO
OFFER HER LIVING WATER AND TELLS HIM HE IS NOT GREATER THAN "FATHER
JACOB." HE GIVES HER A DEMONSTRATION OF SUPERNATURAL KNOWLEDGE OF
HER LIFE. WHEREUPON SHE PERCEIVES THAT HE IS A PROPHET, BUT THEN REVERTS
TO HER BITTERNESS BY THROWING THE SAMARITAN CONFLICT WITH JUDAISM OVER
THE PROPER PLACE TO WORSHIP IN HIS FACE. JESUS NULLIFIES THIS CONFLICT
BY STATING THAT UNLIKE THE SAMARITANS, THE JEWS WORSHIP WHAT THEY KNOW,
FOR SALVATION IS FROM THE JEWS - I.E., THE MESSIAH IS A JEW.
FURTHERMORE, HE STATES THAT AN HOUR IS IMMINENT WHEN MANKIND WILL
WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH ANYWHERE.
THE WOMAN TRIES TO NULLIFY WHAT JESUS SAYS BY DEFERRING HIM TO THE
CHRIST WHO IS TO COME AND "DECLARE ALL THINGS." JESUS ANSWERS,
"I WHO SPEAK TO YOU AM HE." AT THIS TIME, THE DISCIPLES
ARRIVE; AND QUESTION JESUS WHY HE WAS SPEAKING TO A SAMARITAN WOMAN. THE
WOMAN LEFT ABRUPTLY WITHOUT HER WATERPOT BUT WITH A CHANGE OF HEART,
ENTERED HER CITY AND SAID TO THE MEN THERE, "COME SEE A MAN WHO
TOLD ME ALL THINGS THAT I EVER DID, (WITH SOME EXAGGERATION), COULD THIS
BE THE CHRIST?"
[Compare
Jer 2:13]:
[Compare
Jer 17:13]:
[Compare
Dt 18:15-18]:
****** END
OF EXCERPT FROM JN CHAPTER 4 ******
C)
(Acts 8:9-13) A CERTAIN MAN NAMED SIMON HAD BEEN PERFORMING MAGIC ACTS
LONG BEFORE PHILIP HAD ARRIVED IN SAMARIA. FOR MANY YEARS, HE HAD BEEN
AMAZING THE PEOPLE OF SAMARIA, CLAIMING TO BE A "GREAT ONE."
AND MANY SAMARITANS WHO HAD GIVEN HEED TO HIS WORDS AND MAGIC ACTS,
PROCLAIMED HIM TO BE THE GREAT POWER OF GOD.
BUT
WHEN PHILIP - A BELIEVER FROM THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM - ARRIVED,
PERFORMED MIRACLES AND PREACHED CHRIST, MANY SAMARITANS BELIEVED IN
CHRIST FOR ETERNAL LIFE AND WERE BAPTIZED BY PHILIP. SIMON ALSO BELIEVED
WAS SAVED UNTO ETERNAL LIFE AND WAS BAPTIZED. SIMON FOLLOWED PHILIP
AROUND - CONSTANTLY AMAZED AND AT THE SAME TIME ENVIOUS OF PHILIP'S
PERFORMANCE OF MIRACLES - EVIDENTLY FOR UNGODLY REASONS
1)
[Compare Acts 8:12 and 13]:
D)
(Acts 8:9-13) THOSE SAMARITANS THAT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RECEIVE THE HOLY
SPIRIT WHEN THEY BELIEVED WERE NEVERTHELESS SAVED UNTO ETERNAL LIFE AND
RECEIVED THE SPIRIT LATER WITH THE LAYING ON OF HANDS BY THE APOSTLES:
1)
[Compare Acts 8:13]:
E)
(Acts 8:9-13) SIMON THE SORCERER WAS NOT THE SIMON MAGUS OF LEGEND AND
EXTRA BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS WHICH CHARACTERIZE HIM AS THE FATHER OF
GNOSTICISM AND THE SECT OF SIMONIANS
F)
(Acts 8:14-25) THE APOSTLES IN JERUSALEM HAVING HEARD THAT MANY IN
SAMARIA HAD RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD, SENT PETER AND JOHN TO SAMARIA TO
INVESTIGATE. WHEN THEY GOT THERE, THEY REALIZED THAT MANY SAMARITANS HAD
BECOME BELIEVERS, AND HAD BEEN BAPTIZED INTO THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS;
BUT NONE OF THEM HAD RECEIVED THE SPIRIT. SO THE TWO APOSTLES PRAYED
THAT THE SAMARITAN BELIEVERS MIGHT RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT; AND WERE
LAYING HANDS ON THE SAMARITAN BELIEVERS AND THEY WERE RECEIVING THE HOLY
SPIRIT. AND SIMON, HAVING SEEN THAT THROUGH THE GIFT OF THE LAYING ON OF
HANDS BY THE APOSTLES, THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN, OFFERED THE APOSTLES
MONEY TO RECEIVE THAT GIFT. PETER RESPONDED, "YOUR SILVER WITH YOU
MAY IT BE TO DESTRUCTION! BECAUSE THE GIFT OF GOD YOU DID THINK TO
POSSESS THROUGH MONEY. YOU HAVE NEITHER PART NOR LOT IN THIS MATTER. FOR
YOUR HEART IS NOT RIGHT BEFORE GOD; REPENT THEREFORE OF THIS YOUR
WICKEDNESS, AND PRAY GOD IF PERHAPS THE THOUGHT OF YOUR HEART MAY BE
FORGIVEN YOU. FOR IN THE GALL OF BITTERNESS, AND BOND OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
I PERCEIVE YOU ARE." THEN SIMON SAID, "PRAY TO THE LORD FOR
ME, THAT NONE OF THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE SPOKEN MAY COME UPON ME."
THE APOSTLES EARNESTLY TESTIFIED SPEAKING THE WORD OF THE LORD -
PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS, AND RETURNED TO JERUSALEM. IN MANY VILLAGES
OF THE SAMARITANS THEY HAD PROCLAIMED THE GOOD NEWS - THE WORD OF THE
LORD:
1)
[Compare 1 Cor 3:1-3]:
a)
[Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord & Zuck, Editors, Victor Books,
USA, 1983, An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty]:
2)
[Compare 1 Jn 1:9]:
II)
[Acts 8:26-40]:
A)
(Acts 8:26-40) THE ANGEL OF THE LORD DIRECTED PHILIP TO TRAVEL THE ROAD
TO GAZA, WHERE HE ENCOUNTERED AN ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH - A MAN OF RANK WHO
WAS RETURNING FROM WORSHIPPING IN JERUSALEM - SITTING IN HIS CHARIOT,
READING FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH THE PROPHET. THE SPIRIT COMMANDED PHILIP
TO GO TO THE EUNUCH WHERE HE HEARD HIM READING. PHILIP ASKED HIM IF HE
UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS READING. THE EUNUCH'S ANSWER INDICATED HE NEEDED
HELP. THE PASSAGE IN VIEW SPOKE OF A MAN WHOSE LIFE WAS TAKEN TO PAY FOR
MANKIND'S SINS. THE EUNUCH ASKED WHO THIS MAN WAS. PHILIP'S RESPONSE WAS
A PROCLAMATION OF THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS. THE EUNUCH BELIEVED AND WAS
BAPTIZED, THE SPIRIT CAUGHT AWAY PHILIP TO AZOTUS TO CONTINUE TO
PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS FROM THERE TO CAESAREA
1)
[Compare Isa 56:3-8 Masoretic Old Testament]:
2)
[Compare Isa 53:7-8 Septuagint / Greek Old Testament]:
3)
[Compare Isa 53:7-8 NASB]:
4)
[Compare
on saving faith unto eternal life]
5)
[Compare Acts 21:8-9]:
