# Acts Chapter 8
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## Summarrium
Saul continues to persecute the believers in Jerusalem and as a result the early Christians are scattered. Phillip travels to Samaria and is well received with many turning to the faith. Peter and the Apostles continue to lay hands on people that they might be filled with the spirit. A Magician named Simon is amazed asking for this power himself, but being rebuked by Peter because of his underlying motivation.

Phillip meets an Ethiopian Eunuch on the desert road to Gaza and he explains to the Eunuch the passage from the book of Isaiah that he was reading at the time[^1]. Phillip then baptises the Eunuch and finds himself taken by the spirit to Azotus[^2] where he preaches along the coastal towns until her arrives in Caesarea.

## Meditatio
This particular chapter demonstrates how the rejection of the Gospel by the religious establishment led to the scattering of the believers, and the spreading of the Gospel throughout the region.

Interesting the Gospel is first accepted in Samaria. Samaria, which was essentially part of the region that historically would have been the northern kingdom of Israel had a diverse population. A direct result of the conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC. This diverse population was a blend of Israelite and foreign influences and led to the emergency of the Samaritan identity. Samaritans faced criticism and suspicion from Judeans for their perceived compromises in religious practice and ethnic identity.

Human beings rarely change. We see the same kinds of complaints raised in the tensions between liberal and conservatives. Liberals encounter scepticism and opposition from conservatives for their willingness to challenge traditional norms and embrace progressive values. Whereas conservatives may express concern about liberal tendencies to challenge established norms and institutions, fearing erosion of traditional values and cultural identity.

So in an odd way the liberals are first to the table to accept the Gospel and accept the Holy Spirit. Yet this does not mean that this is entirely without challenge. We have Simon the Magician attempting to monopolize upon the power that was shared, and the Gospel being taken all the way to Ethiopia without any apostolic oversight. Yet this does not concern the spirit who whisks Phillip rapidly away to preach in Azotus.

I imagine this would give some contemporary church planters a significant cardiac event. But at the end of the day the thing that really strikes me about this passage is the intentionality. There is an acting based upon what I can manage but no sense of Phillip carrying the weight of all this. He deals with each situation as it arises (as do the Apostles). It seems oddly reactionary. Perhaps this is just the way it has been written, but there seems little in the sense of branding and strategy.

Some thoughts to ponder.

[^1]: Specifically this was [Isaiah 53:7-8](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+53%3A7-8&version=ESV)
[^2]: Apparently this is modern day [Ashdod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashdod)