When I read about Philip, he is a great encouragement to me, after Jesus ascended into Heaven, He had completed his mission, to redeem man, prophesized over 300 times in the old testament beginning with Genesis 3:15 Psalm 22:13-18, is an exact description of Jesus suffering on the Cross.
We read in Acts 8: that the eunuch had a script of Isaiah 53: but did not understand it, his heart was to receive salvation. He must have prayed for understanding, so the Lord sent an angel, to send Philip to go and explain Isaiah 53: and the Gospel to the eunuch, not only did he receive but was baptized in water as well, the eunuch went away rejoicing.
The scripture mentioned is more than sufficient proof the Bible is real, but then we see that Philip was teleported by the Holy Spirit to evangelize in Azotus to Caesarea. There were no Jets in those days and there were a shortage of evangelist. You really have to take your time to read and appreciate the Word of God.
Philip the evangelist (Acts 8:29)
And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south, on he way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is a deserted place.
And he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
was returning. And sitting in his chariot he read Isaiah the prophet.
Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot.
And Philip ran there to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you indeed understand what you are reading?
And he said, How can I unless some man should guide me? And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
And the content of the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His judgment was taken away, and who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth."
And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I beg you, of whom does the prophet speak this? Of himself or of some other man?
Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached the gospel of Jesus to him.
And as they passed along the way, they came on some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?
Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, it is lawful. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch. And he baptized him.
And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more. And he went on his way rejoicing.
But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached the gospel in all the cities until he came to Caesarea.
Acts 8:32 The portion of Scripture - By reading that very chapter, Isaiah 53, many Jews, yea, and atheists, have been converted. Some of them history records. God knoweth them all.
Isa_53:7
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God - He believed that Jesus, whom Philip preached to him, was The Christ or Messiah, and consequently the Son of God.
Caught away - This phrase has been usually understood of a forcible or miraculous removal of Philip to some other place. Some have even supposed that he was borne through the air by an angel, that the Spirit, who had directed Philip to go near the eunuch, now removed him in a similar manner. That this is the meaning is clear:
And he went on his way rejoicing - His mind was enlightened on a perplexing passage of Scripture. He was satisfied respecting the Messiah. He was baptized; and he experienced what all feel who embrace the Savior and are baptized - joy. It was joy resulting from the fact that he was reconciled to God; and a joy the natural effect of having done his duty promptly in making a profession of religion.
If we wish happiness if we would avoid clouds and gloom, we should do our duty at once. If we delay until tomorrow what we ought to do today, we may expect to be troubled with melancholy thoughts. If we find peace, it will be in doing promptly just what God requires at our hands. This is the last that we hear of this man. Some have supposed that he carried the gospel to Ethiopia, and preached it there.
(1) That God often prepares the mind to receive the truth.
(2) That this takes place sometimes with the great and the noble, as well as the poor and obscure.
(3) That we should study the Scriptures. This is the way in which God usually directs the mind in the truths of religion.
(4) That they who read the Bible with candor and care may expect that God will, in some mode, guide them into the truth. It will often be in a way which they least expect; but they need not be afraid of being left to darkness or error.
(5) That we should be ready at all times to speak to sinners. God often prepares their minds, as he did that of the eunuch, to receive the truth.
(6) That we should not be afraid of the great, he rich, or of strangers. God often prepares their minds to receive the truth; and we may find a man willing to hear of the Savior where we least expected it.
(7) That we should do our duty in this respect, as Philip did, promptly. We should not delay or hesitate, but should at once do that which we believe to be in accordance with the will of God. See Psa_119:60.