With the stoning of Stephen, the gloves were off when it came to the burgeoning new church. The religious establishment were intent on crushing the beautiful new community of Jesus. Saul, a young Pharisee, entered private homes and dragged men and women off to prison. The believers scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Many of the scattered went out preaching the good news about Jesus. Philip went to a city in Samaria and healed the sick and cast out demons and there was much joy. Weren’t Jesus last words to spread his good news to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria? In running away, they had an opportunity to fulfill the original the intent of Christ. The Christian community was never meant to be a gated one, but outward facing. 

A man named Simon was a magician who called himself great, but recognized that God was greater, and was saved. He saw that people were receiving power of the Spirit through the laying on of hands and offered money for the privilege. Peter rejected his proposal and said, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” Simon begged the apostles to pray for him. To this day, the selling of a church position or preference is called “simony.” It was also to Peter’s credit to not take money for spiritual favors when offered.

An angel told Philip to go to a desert road to on the way to Gaza. There he saw a eunuch who was the treasurer of Queen Candace of Egypt reading the words of the Prophet Isaiah. The spirit told Philip to go talk to him. Philip’s asked him if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch invited Philip to join him in his chariot and explain it to him. Philip said that Isaiah was foretelling of Jesus and the Eunuch asked if he couldn’t be baptized in the nearest water along the road. Philip baptized him, a foreigner who had undergone a sex-altering surgery, and rejoiced at his inclusion into the body of believers. Philip then was taken by the Spirit away to Azotus and he preached all the way to Caesarea.