Acts 8:1-40
Although we are all Christian witnesses, we typically think of missionaries as those who have gone off to a foreign land to witness and to share the gospel. Under that categorization, then Philip becomes the first “named” Christian missionary: Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. (v. 5) But it was more the external events than a “missionary heart” that sent Philip to Samaria. You may recall from chapter 6 that Philip was the second named deacon in the church, Stephen being the first of the Seven. Now the first deacon, Stephen has been martyred and those who put Stephen to death may have set their sights on his associate, Philip, the second deacon. But I doubt that Philip “fled” to Samaria – it’s my guess that he was sent out by the apostolic leaders who did not want Philip to suffer the same outcome as Stephen.
We had guest preachers at church this past Sunday, the Petersons, our missionary couple living in Egypt who shared with us about their life in Egypt. One item that they covered was God’s economy or, more realistically, God’s non-economic ways! Elizabeth spoke of one woman with whom she had been sharing, that God would send her more than 5,000 miles to speak to this one woman. She referenced the “Parable of the Lost Sheep” to point out that God will go way out of His way to bring one sinner to repentance. I see God’s non-economic ways operating here with Philip. Rather than sending someone from Jerusalem to go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza (v. 26b), He commissions Philip to forego his Samaritan ministry (some 40-50 miles north of Jerusalem) and undertake this journey. Why Philip, why not someone else? Only God knows!
See also: January 31 / Acts 8:1-3; February 1 / Acts 8:4-13; February 2 / Acts 8:14-25; February 3 / Acts 8:26-40