The Conversion Of The Ethiopian Eunuch
The book of Acts may well be described as a divine explanation of the Great Commission. According to Mark 16:15-16 Jesus had told his apostles, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." In the book of Acts we see the apostles operating under this commission, and this book furnishes us with a number of examples in which the preaching was done in obedience to the Lord's command, This book has the decided advantage of furnishing us with a number of examples of people's being converted under the preaching of this commission. It further allows the opportunity of comparing what we did when we were "converted" with what was done under these inspired cases. If we did what they did, we'll be what they were, On the other hand, if we did not do as they did, we have no right to claim to be what they were, viz. saved children of God. One such example of conversion is found in Acts 8:26-40. As we discuss this conversion, let us suggest that you compare what happened to you in your conversion with what happened to this man to see if you have really done what the Lord requires. This is a way that is right and cannot be wrong;
Notice first of all the man who was converted. It is said of him that he had the charge of all the queen's treasure (vs. 27). Now this shows that he was a man that was noted for his honesty. People just do not entrust their "treasury" to people who are known to be dishonest. But even though this was an honest man, he still needed converting: he still was lost.
In addition to being honest, we may also learn from verse 27 that the man was religious, for he "had been to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot and reading Esias the prophet." It was about 1,000 miles from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. Think about that! This man is so interested in worshipping God that he was willing to travel 1,000 miles to do so. (Under the law of Moses, Jews were required to go to Jerusalem to worship, cf. Jn. 4:20). So here is an honest man, and a religious man, but one who needs converting. From which we may conclude that even though a person may be honest and religious, these two things are not enough: One must not only be religious, he must be religiously right.
The preacher, on being invited into the man's chariot, began at the scripture at which the man was reading, and the record says, "preached unto him Jesus". Undoubtedly this man had never heard of Jesus, and since Jesus had said that the gospel was to be preached to every creature (Mark 16:15), Phillip begins to carry out this command of the Lord. Now, I have no idea what all Phillip said to this man — the scripture simply says that "he preached unto him Jesus", but there can be no doubt that he told this man about the death of Christ for the sins of the world because the very passage of scripture that the man was reading had to do with that subject. (See Isaiah 53:5-7). Neither can it be doubted that Phillip told him of the resurrection of the crucified Christ, for this man later confesses that he believes Jesus to be the son of God (vs. 37), and the way in which Jesus was declared to be the son of God with power was by his resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). So Phillip preached to him Jesus, the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ.
But more than this. The record says that "as they went on their way, they came to a certain water: and the eunuch said, "See here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?"Remember all the record says is that Phillip preached "Jesus"; and yet something in the preaching of "Jesus" caused this man at the sight of water to want to be baptized. What is there in the preaching of "Jesus" that would make anybody want to be baptized? (Right here we might point out a difference between what Phillip preached and what many preachers today preach. Preachers today preach in such a way as to leave the impression that nobody needs to be baptized. They preach in such a way as to cause people to not want to be baptized; but Phillip's preaching of "Jesus" caused people to desire baptism. Not too long ago, Billy Graham on a nationwide TV program preached on this passage of scripture and left the impression that baptism was not necessary. Something then in the preaching of "Jesus" ought to cause people to want to be baptized. What is it?)
Sometimes it is asserted that we ought to want to be baptized because Jesus was baptized, and we ought to imitate him. But Jesus also fasted forty days and forty nights after he was baptized, but I haven't heard of anybody wanting to do that. Why did this man want to be baptized? What was there in the preaching of "Jesus" that made him want to be? Remember, that Jesus had told his disciples to "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mk. 16: 15-16), so that Phillip in carrying out this command, not only told the eunuch about "Jesus", he also told him what Jesus had said one must do to be saved, viz. "believeth and is baptized". No doubt the eunuch wanting to be saved, wanted to be baptized. Hence, Phillip in reply told the man that he must "believe with all his heart:' This, of course, shows that baptism is not for any and every person. It is for those who "believe with all their heart". Inasmuch as infants are not capable of exercising such, we can know that they are not the proper subject of baptism; this is for those who can believe and that with all their heart.
After the eunuch had stated that he did believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, note what happened. The chariot was commanded to stand still, and then both Phillip and the eunuch went down into the water. Reader, when you were "baptized" did both you and the person doing the baptizing go down into the water? Could it be truthfully said that either one of you "went down into the water". I have seen "baptizings" in which neither the person doing the baptizing nor the person receiving the baptizing went into the water, much less went down into the water. Be honest with yourself, for remember you will meet God for this one day: Is this what happened to you? If not, why not do just what this man did.
But we also raise this question: Who voted on the eunuch? He had expressed a desire to be baptized, and there are churches (the Baptists for example), who will not baptize a person unless the church votes that the person to be baptized is a fit candidate. But who voted on the eunuch? The truth is that there is no authority at all in the word of God for such voting activity, and those who do so, have added to what the Bible teaches. Reader, if when you were baptized, somebody "voted" on you, you did not do as did this man. Can you afford to be associated with any such group as would add to the word of God? (Notice also that this man did not confess that he believed that God for Christ sake had already pardoned him. NO! He confessed that he believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God. This is the genuine confession that the eunuch made.)
But what took place when the Bible says, "and he baptized him"? Well, we are not left to guess about it. Co1.2:12 tells us that people are "buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through faith in the operation of God". Baptism is a burial and a raising, thus when Phillip had baptized the eunuch, they came up out of the water (vs.39). No where does the Bible hint that sprinkling is baptism; it is a "burial and a raising."
Reader, compare your conversion with this one. Here we have a man, an honest man, a religious man, But even though he is honest and religious, he still needs to hear and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ that he might be saved. You might be honest, and you might be religious, but can you honestly say that you did as this man did? He evidently believed that Jesus was crucified for his sins, buried and raised from the dead. He further wanted to be baptized. What about you? If you believe that Jesus was crucified for your sins; that he was buried and raised from the dead, why not do as this man did; acknowledge your faith, and be buried in baptism to rise and walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4)? Don't let anybody "vote" on you, either. Then you, as this man did, can go on your way rejoicing. He did not rejoice till he had been baptized, and neither should we.
-Peoria, Illinois