PROFILES —-
PHILIP THE
EVANGELIST
BOLD FAITH CROSSING BORDERS
Let’s not just talk about going—let’s go. Philip did. He obeyed Jesus’ last words on earth and took the gospel to places outside Jerusalem—outside his cultural comfort zone. Specifically, we see Philip sharing the gospel with people from cultures that were typically avoided by the Jewish people (like the Samaritans in Acts 8:4-13) and with those who lived far away from Israel (like the Ethiopian in the desert in Acts 8:26-39). Philip did not hold back. He was bold in his faith and trusted God to help him share the message of the gospel cross-culturally. He knew there were no borders the gospel could not cross. His whole life exemplified this, and God blessed his work. Philip’s acts of faith and obedience led to the gospel impacting regions and countries from his lifetime until now.
THINK & PRAY
GO!
God often gives simple instructions and asks us only to be bold and obey. Philip probably didn’t know everything about the Ethiopians, or how the hated Samaritan half-breeds (as they were prejudicially known at the time) would respond to his news about Jesus, but he obeyed. He went. He banked on the belief that God could bring salvation to all people, and he did just what Jesus had commanded him and the rest of the church to do.
One major item to note is that Philip used the Word of God to explain the message of Jesus to the Ethiopian. Philip knew that the Scriptures were essential in understanding the gospel. He believed that God’s Word has the power to bring an understanding of salvation to people, no matter their varied backgrounds. And Philip saw God move.
What holds you back from obeying God and sharing the gospel? Where do you believe the power to share Christ comes from? Are you helping the people God is putting in your life understand the Word of God? Like Philip, we are all called to go! God will empower us as we do.