The Conversion & Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch

THE CONVERSION & BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH

Before we go to our message, may I address some questions concerns.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ELDERS
1. Why don’t we have Elders? We do but we believe that Elders--the person
(presbuteros=presbyterian--rule of elders) and Overseers--the office
(episkopos=episcopalian--rule of a bishop) and Pastors--the task
(poimen=shepherd) are synonymous.
✴ Acts 20:28=“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,
which he bought with his own blood.” V.17=elders.
✴ 1 Peter 5:2=“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving
as overseers.” V.1=elders.

2. What is the task of Elders?
✴ 1 Tim. 5:17=“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are
worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and
teaching.” Acts 6:2-3=“So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together
and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of
God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among
you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this
responsibility over to them.”

QUESTIONS ABOUT DEACONS & DEACONESSES
1. Who are they? Deacons are men & Deaconesses are women, 1 Tim.
3:11=”women”, (Amplified & ASV); Rom. 16:1-2 “deaconess” (Amp. & Phillips).
2. What is their task?
✴ Acts 6:2-4, “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It
would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in
order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who
are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this
responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the
ministry of the word.’”
✴ Acts 6:7, “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.” Acts 8:2-7, “That set off a terrific persecution of the
church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea
and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried
Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day! And
Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house
after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home
base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were
scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus.”
✴ The first deacon (cf. Acts 6:5) became the first martyr (Acts 7:59). The
second deacon, Philip (Acts 6:5), had a thriving ministry in the city of
Samaria (Acts 8:6-8).

THE CONVERSION AND BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH
1. The Unquestioning Obedience of Philip, Acts 8:26. He was diverted from his
successful ministry in Samaria to a “desert road” without any explanation and
Philip obeyed without delay or reservation.
2. Divine Appointment. When Philip started walking on the hot desert road, he met
the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch (v.27). The eunuch, a high and trusted
treasury official of the queen, came from Jerusalem to worship (v.28). Now,
Jerusalem is about 1,000