The Conversion of the Eunuch

        How to be converted or saved is a simple process. Those who have honest hearts and open Bibles will be drawn by God's truth. God's truth can make men free from sin. As long as Satan can keep us from the truth we are still servants of sin. Let us learn the following from the conversion of the eunuch:

        The messenger in this conversion: Philip is the preacher or messenger in this case of conversion. He was one of the seven chosen in Acts 6:5. "And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch." (Acts 6:5) Philip was one of God's great men. He was willing to go and to teach others the gospel of Christ.

        The message in this conversion: The message was a great message. Philip preached Jesus unto the man from Ethiopia. "And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.  The place 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 opened he 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 pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." (Acts 8:30-35) Philip heard the eunuch reading from Isaiah but the man did not understand what he was reading. Philip rode with the man and preached unto him Jesus beginning with Isaiah 53. To preach Jesus is to preach His preexistence, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His sacrificial death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension and His spiritual reign over His kingdom or church. To preach Jesus is to preach the word of God.

            The man in the conversion: The Bible says that there was a man of Ethiopia. He had charge  of the  treasury  under  Queen Candace. "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet." (Acts 8:26-28) This man was a worshipping man. He had traveled some 800 to 1,000 miles to worship either as a Jew or Jewish proselyte. Sadly though, he was lost! He was still holding to the Old Law which had been taken out of the way by the death of Christ on the cross. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." (Colossians 2:14)

            The message moved the man: Philip's message of Christ moved this man to want to be a Christian. The Bible says that when Philip preached unto him Jesus, 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?" Preaching Jesus in­volved preaching baptism. The man who preaches Christ but leaves out baptism does not really preach Christ! Upon a simple confession of faith in Christ the eunuch was buried in baptism for remission of sins. "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. 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 went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." (Acts 8:35-38)

        Summary of what took place: From the conversion of the eunuch we learn: (1) There must be a messenger. The treasure is in "earthen vessels" (2 Corinthians 4:7), (2) The message must be Christ and Him crucified. (Acts 8:35), (3) The man must be responsive to the message of Christ. (Acts 8:36), and (4) Saving obedience includes believing and being baptized. (Acts 8:37-38) Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; But he that believeth not, shall be damned." (Mark 16:16) We beg you to see the truth and be obedient to it. Now is the accepted time!