Title: the Conversion of the Ethiopian

Title: The Conversion of the Ethiopian

Sources for this sermon include:

My own previous sermon entitled The Conversion of the Ethiopian
Dennis Gaertner, The College Press NIV Commentary; Acts, College Press, 1993
Gareth Reese, New Testament History; Acts, College Press, 1976

Text: Acts 8:26-40

There is a great deal of confusion today concerning “conversion.” What does “conversion” involve? What is a genuine “conversion”? Is there a way to tell? And when exactly does “conversion” take place?

Ask those questions of a multitude of people and, unfortunately, you will probably get a multitude of different answers. Some people look for a “feeling” of some kind, or an “experience” of a religious nature—i.e. flashing lights, voices, visions, dreams, physical sensations, hypnotic trances, etc.

I have nothing against "experiences"...especially those that motivate & encourage. But they can sometimes be misleading. For example; Imyself have, on occasion felt a warm sensation running down my spine, only to discover the baby I was holding on my shoulder had spit up.

Why is it some insist on making “conversion” something so mysterious that few (if any) can understand it? If “individual experience” is the final authority in determining genuine Christian conversion, then we must recognize every cult leader and/or group, every nut case who claims to have a special revelation from God, and every deceiver & imposter as equally “genuine.”

Aren’t there any more objective, reliable criteria for determining whether or not “conversion” has taken place? I believe the Word of God tells us how we can know whether we have been “converted,” and, by and large, how we can know whether someone else has truly been “converted.”

The book of Acts records several accounts of “conversion.” Some, of course, are rather brief and sketchy (as we might expect in a history of this nature.) Consequently we read statements like “…many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand,” (4:4),or“Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number,” (5:14),or“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith,” (6:7).

But other conversion accounts are much more comprehensive. The one before us today—the conversion of the Ethiopian—is one of the more detailed narratives. I’d like to examine it with you to learn what we can about Biblical “conversion,” and particularly the character traits that lead to conversion.

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The cold, hard facts of the case are that this fellow was:1)a man, 2) an Ethiopian (or, at least, a man fromEthiopia), 3) a eunuch, and 4)“an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians,” (8:27).

Luke does not say whether this Ethiopian was Jewish by birth or a proselyte to Judaism. Northern Africa had many Jewish communities (including one in Ethiopia), and it is very possible this man was a Jew who rose to his position of authority in the same way Joseph didin Egypt, or as Daniel had in Babylon.

But if, as many suppose,he was a native born Ethiopian who became a proselyte to Judaism, then he was quite likely a black man. I like to think he was indeed an Ethiopian by birth, and part of the reason Luke records his conversion is to illustrate the all-inclusive nature of the gospel. Earlier in the chapter we learned how Samaritans (half-Jews) were accepted into the church; now we learn that proselytes -(i.e. non-Jews who had accepted the Jewish religion) are also included!

This man is also described as a “eunuch,” (i.e. one who had been emasculated and rendered impotent). Gareth Reese(of C.C.C.B.) points out that “Eunuchs were commonly employed in the attendance and supervision of the females of a king’s court in Oriental countries,” (Reese, p.332). But as Dennis Gaertner (at J.B.C.) explains; “Such a description does not necessarily amount to a comment on his physical condition. The use of actual eunuchs for palace duties was so common in the ancient world that even those officials of normal physical condition could be called eunuchs.” (Gaertner, p.150).

If indeed the man was a literal eunuch, his physical circumstance would have served as a barrier of sorts in his worship at the temple, for the Law of Moses (Deut. 23:1) stipulated “No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.”

Later on, however, Isaiah and Jeremiah (38:7-13, 39:15-18) announced the removal of the ban. Isa. 56:3-7 says; “3Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’ And let not any eunuch complain, ‘I am only a dry tree.’ 4For this is what the Lord says: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant—5to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. 6And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the Lord, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—7these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

I believe Luke saw in this Ethiopian eunuch a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy as well as a typeforerunner of each of us today!

Do we erect "barriers" of ethnicity or social class in the church today? Right here in Sedalia there are congregations of believers that cater exclusively to Hispanics, Slavics, African-Americans, and Caucasians. I suppose some allowances should be made out of respect for languages and cultural preferences, but the gospel is the same for all people. And we are all brothers in Christ! The Apostle Paul wrote; "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,"(Gal. 3:26-28). Spiritual character traits are far more important in coming to Christ than any physical distinctives.

So, having said all that about the Ethiopian’s physical characteristics, I believe hisspiritual character traits are those which led to his conversion. What, then, were thosequalities?

First, he was a worshipper. Vs. 27 = “This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship.” Alexander Campbell once suggested that, just as one must come within voice range to hear what a man says, so we must have the proper attitude to “come within the understanding distance of the Bible.” This man was "ripe" for conversion to Christ because he had the right attitude; he was a worshipper of God.

He had come a long way in order to worship. Ethiopia was the ancient Nubian empire, located on the NileRiver, south of Egypt in what, today, is called Sudan

Later (in Ac. 10) we will learn that Cornelius, the first Gentile convert to Christianity, was also a “devout,” “righteous,” and “God-fearing” man who “gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly,” (Ac.10:1-2,22). Those who earnestly worship God have taken an important step down the road toward genuine conversion and salvation.

II.

Second, this Ethiopian was a Bible reader. Moses had instructed the Israelites that they should familiarize themselves with the commandments. “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up,” (Deut.6:6-7). Accordingly, Vs. 28of our Ac. 8 text tells us, while on his way home, the eunuch was “…sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.”

Of course, the only “Bible” that was available to the Ethiopian was the O.T. (The N.T. hadn’t been written yet.) Neither would all the O.T. books be available “under one cover” (or, more literally, “in one scroll”). Copies of the O.T. scriptures were hand-written in those days before the printing press, and hence would have been quite expensive. The fact that this man even possessed a scroll of Isaiah (let alone was reading it) is evidence of the sincerity of his faith, and the value he placed upon God’s Word. Gareth Reesesuggests the possibility thathe“had just purchased this manuscript during his visit to Jerusalem, and was reading the wonderful utterances for the first time…” (Reese, p.333).

Jesus once praised a man both for his understanding of the Law, and his honesty in declaring the truth. He had been studying the scriptures. Based on those studies he proclaimed Jesus’ assessment concerning the greatest commandment as “right” and “well said.” Jesus, in turn, commended him, saying, “You are not far from the kingdom of God,”(Mk. 12:28-34). Like him, those today who study God’s Word with respect an open mind are using the right "road map" to get to heaven.

The Scriptures are able to make us“wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [For]All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” (2 Tim.3:15-17).

In his commentary, Mr. Reese notes; “There are many people today who think that conversion is achieved by the direct action of the Holy Spirit on the heart ([or] mind) of the unconverted sinner. [But] This kind of notion is without precedent and without example in the Scripture, aside from the one incident involving Cornelius, which is a special case... Here the Spirit is working through the evangelist. The Holy Spirit operates through the Word in conversion [whether the spoken Word or the written Word], not directly upon the heart apart from the Word.” (Reese, p.334).

III.

Third, this man was an honest seeker. When Philip asked if he understood what he was reading, the eunuch candidly admitted his confusion about the passage he studied, “How can I[understand] unless someone explains it to me?” Then “he invited Philip to come up and sit with him,” (8:31). The eunuch is to be commended because he genuinely sought to understand, and requested help to do so. Had he merely been dutifully reading words trying to “get through” the scroll, it would not have made a difference to him whether he understood or not.

Now, I find it interesting that the passage the Ethiopian happened to be studying was Isaiah 53. The timing of his meeting with Philip was undoubtedly providential! For Christiansthen, and yettoday, it is one of the plainest prophecies of the sacrificial death of Christ on behalf of sinners. “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth,”(Isa. 53:7-8). Who is that passage talking about? Jesus, of course!

But the passage does not harmonize with the usual Jewish idea of a conquering Messiah. Indeed there is no evidence that the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 was ever identified with the Davidic Messiah before the time of Jesus. How could this description of humiliation and condemnation—concepts with which the eunuch could, no doubt, identify—be reconciled with his Jewish ideas of a conqueror? And that part about not having descendants—a point which may also have “hit home” with the eunuch—has reference to the fact that the Messiah’s life would be taken prematurely, leaving him with no possibility of producing descendants. This was incomprehensible to the eunuch, (Reese, p.335, and Gaertner, pp.151-152). So he asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” (8:34). Of course, “Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus,” (8:35).

My point is; the Ethiopian acknowledged his need of enlightenment. His words are evidence of a humble state of mind, a desire to be taught, and a willingness to learn.

“Conversion” is never the product of apathy, disinterest, or insincerity. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened,” (Mt.7:7-8).

IV.

Fourth, the Ethiopian was a willing subject. Verse 36 tells us; “As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”

We don’t know all that Philip said to this man as he “told him the good news about Jesus.” It’s not recorded. I wish it was. But somewhere in the discussion he must have mentioned something about baptism, or else the eunuch wouldn’t have requested it. Jesus did set an example for us by being baptized himself. He did so at the very beginning of His earthly ministry, (Mt.3:13-17). And He concludedHis ministry by commanding His disciples to go into all the world teaching and baptizing others, (Mt.28:19-20).

Again, my point is the Ethiopian didn’t question the requirement. Neither did he didn’t debate the necessity of it with Philip. He simply did what was required and expected. He was willing to obey!

BTW, I should probably point out the “baptism” to which he submitted was a total immersion in water. The text says, “both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him,” (8:38). Then Luke adds that they “came up out ofthe water,” (8:39). As Mr. Gaertner points out; “This language gives the picture of an immersion, a method of baptism which also suits the meaning of the verb baptizo ([which means] to immerse),” (Gaertner, p.152).

Biblically, the question “Do I have to be baptized?” is never asked. You won't find it anywhere in the bible. But the question “Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”is asked. The eunuch phrased it that way because he was a willing subject. “Conversion” is never “forced” by God upon anyone.

Fifth, the Ethiopian eunuch was an admitted believer.

Those of you who are using the NIV or some other newer translation of the Bible will probably have to look down at the footnotes to find verse 37. This is because some of the oldest and most reliable Greek manuscripts of Acts omit this verse. We don’t really know whether some scribal copyist omitted it by accident and a later scribe caught the error and added it back in, or it was never there to begin with, but a scribe decided to put it in there because it accurately reflected the belief and practice of the church at the time. If it is an addition, it is a very early addition because it was found in a text which the church father Irenaeus used. He lived from 170 to 210 A.D. (Reese, p.340). That's only 70 to 100 years removed from the completion of the N.T.!

The verse records Philips answer to the Ethiopian eunuch’s question about baptism; “If you believe with all your heart, you may [be baptized],” and the eunuch’s profession; “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

“Conversion” yet today is contingent upon a belief in the deity and messiah-ship of Jesus so strong that the believer will not be ashamed to relate his conviction publicly. Baptism itself is a declaration(of sorts) of one’s belief. One who does not believe Jesus to be who He claims, but goes through the motion of baptism, makes a mockery of it. And one who steadfastly refuses to admit his belief (either by words or actions) is not worthy of salvation and has not truly been “converted.”

Conclusion:

The fact that the Ethiopian eunuch left his meeting with Philip that day as a “changed” man and a “converted” man is confirmed in the final verses of the chapter. “When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing,” (8:39). He was a happier man, as well as a better man!

A preacher on the open road met a man with an open Bible and an open mindto God’s truth. So the preacheropenedhis mouthwith the message of the Gospel and reached the open heartof his hearer.

Will you open your Bible, open your mind, and open your heart to Jesus? If you do, you will not only be saved, but “converted” as well—converted into a truth-believing, grace-receiving, virtue-practicing, joy-filled, heaven-bound, disciple of Jesus.