Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Synopsis

Guided by an angel and then the Spirit, Philip joins an Ethiopian court official returning from Jerusalem, who is reading Isaiah 53 yet cannot understand it without a guide. 'Beginning at the same scripture, Philip preached unto him Jesus,' showing that the whole Old Testament, rightly understood, centers on the suffering and exalted Christ. The eunuch's response is immediate and wholehearted: upon seeing water, he asks, 'What doth hinder me to be baptized?' and confesses his faith before going down into the water. This narrative models true gospel evangelism — a Spirit-led encounter, a Scripture-centered explanation focused on Christ, and a prompt, joyful response of baptism. The eunuch goes on his way rejoicing, not because his questions were fully answered intellectually, but because he had found and received the Savior the prophet foretold. Righteousness by faith is available even to a foreign official far from the covenant community, wherever the crucified and risen Christ is truly proclaimed.