Philip the Evangelist must be carefully distinguished from Philip the
Apostle. And though it is little that we are told regarding him in
Scripture, that little is very significant. He first comes before us
as one of the seven chosen by the early Church at Jerusalem to take
charge of the daily ministration of charity to the poor widows (Acts
vi. I ff.). And when this work is hindered by the outbreak of
persecution following on the death of Stephen, we find him at once
departing to enter on active missionary work elsewhere (Acts viii. 4
ff.). The fact that he should have selected Samaria as the scene of
these new labours, is in itself a proof that he was able to rise above
the ordinary Jewish prejudices of his time. And this same liberal
spirit is further exemplified by the incident in connection with which
he will always be principally remembered.
In obedience to a Divine summons, Philip had betaken himself to the way
that goeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza. And if at first he may have
wondered why he should have been called upon to leave his rapidly
progressing work in Samaria for a desert road, he was not for long left
in doubt as to what was required of him. For as he walked along he was
overtaken by an Ethiopian stranger returning in his chariot from
Jerusalem. This man, who was the chamberlain or treasurer of Candace,
Queen of the Ethiopians, had heard somehow in his distant home, of the
Jewish religion, and had undertaken this long journey to make further
inquiries regarding it. We are not told how he had been impressed;
very possibly the actual fruits that he witnessed were very different
from what he had expected. But one treasure at least he had found, a
Greek copy of the prophecies of Isaiah, and this he was eagerly
searching on his return journey, to see if he could find further light
there. One passage specially arrested his attention, the touching
passage in which the prophet draws out his great portraiture of the Man
of Sorrows. But, then, how reconcile the thought of this Messiah,
suffering, wounded, dying, with the great King and Conqueror whom the
Jews at Jerusalem had been expecting! Could it be that he had anything
to do with our Jesus of Nazareth, of whom he had also heard, and whom,
because of the Messianic claims He had put forward, the Jewish leaders
had crucified on a cross? Oh, for some one to help him! Help was
nearer than he thought. Prompted by the Spirit, Philip ran forward to
the chariot; and no sooner had he learned the royal chamberlain's
difficulties than he "_opened his mouth, and beginning from this
scripture, preached unto him Jesus_" (Acts viii. 35).
We are not told on what particulars Philip dwelt; but, doubtless,
starting from the prophetic description of the Man of Sorrows,
"_despised and rejected of men_," he would show how that description
held true of the earthly life of Jesus. And then he would go on to
show the meaning and bearing of these sufferings. They arose from no
fault on the part of Jesus; but, "_He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities_." And yet that was
not the end. The life which had thus ended in shame had begun again in
glory: the cross had led on to the crown. And as thus he unfolded the
first great principles of the Christian faith, Philip would press home
on the eunuch's awakened conscience that they had a vital meaning for
him. "_Repent_," can we not imagine him pleading as Peter had pleaded
before, "_and be baptised . . . in the name of Jesus Christ unto the
remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost_" (Acts ii. 38). The eunuch's heart was touched, and he asked
that he might be baptized. Satisfied that he was in earnest, Philip
agreed to his request. And when they came to a certain water, "_they
both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he
baptized him_." Thus "the Ethiopian changed his skin," and "_went on
his way rejoicing_" to his distant home, to declare in his turn to his
countrymen the tidings of great joy.
There are many points of view from which we might regard this beautiful
incident, but it is with it in its bearing on the person and character
of Philip that we are alone at present concerned. And in considering
it further in this light, it may be well to confine ourselves to
noticing in what way it gained for Philip his distinctive title of
"_the Evangelist_," and consequently what it has to teach us still
regarding all evangelistic and missionary work.