Day 38: The Adventures of Philip, the Conversion of Saul

At the end of the last chapter, we were briefly introduced to someone who will eventually play a major part in both the book of Acts and in the growing church (we will read many letters by him.)  A young Pharisee named Saul is zealous for his faith, holds the coats of those who are stoning Stephen.

And he has other plans for the followers of Jesus....

But, we move on for a moment, to hear about some exploits of another of the Deacons (remember those seven deacons?)  Today there are two stories which feature Philip (not the apostle, but the deacon, newly commissioned).  First there is a story about a magician names Simon, who follows the disciples around and is captivated by the powerful acts they can do.  He was the main event before Philip and Peter arrive with the power of the Spirit, given through the laying on of hands.  Eventually he asks whether he can pay money to get some of that power, because, you know, it might come in reallllly handy.

Part of me feels sorry for Simon.  He does, in some ways, seem genuinely curious about what is going on.  But, he just doesn't get it.  I also can't help wondering if this story is here to both compare and contrast the power of magic and the power of the Holy Spirit.  It seems, some people do mistake the two....

The second story involve Philip not healing and preaching, but in a one to one conversation with an Ethiopian eunuch.  There are many strange elements to this story, not the least of them the character of the Ethiopian eunuch, sitting and reading scripture (in your mind, picture him reading aloud, but to himself) when Philip happens by.  He is reading Isaiah 53, about the suffering servant, and asks the question, "Who is this suffering servant?"  Philip baptizes him on the spot, and sends him on his way.  (The Ethiopian church, by the way, traces its inception to this Bible story…).

Remember Saul?

Now, we are back to his story.  He's got some dastardly plan for Christians in Damascus, when God intercepts him, blinds him, and turns his life in another direction.  I always feel that Ananais, the man sent to pray for Saul's sight to be restored, doesn't get enough credit.  We're all about the Bible heroes (like Saul, like Peter), but Ananias is no less important.  It's just that nobody wrote down the stories of all the things that Ananais did.  If he hadn't put aside his questions and obeyed God, the whole story of the church might have turned out differently.

After Paul becomes a disciple, you might be interested to know that he is not immediately embraced by the disciples in Jerusalem, who are understandably suspicious.  It takes some time before they believe that this is not an elaborate plot.

Again, there are conflicts with the synagogue leaders, who try to kill Saul/Paul.

And Chapter 9 shifts the focus again by reporting the story of Peter's healings, and how he raised a pious woman named Tabitha (or Dorcas) from the dead.

When I read of the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts, I inevitably begin to meditate on the gift of healing.  On rare occasions, I do hear a story of someone being healed; I do believe it can happen.  But....