Lessons in Anointed Service: Phillip
Preached by Apostle Aje Pelser
Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town, 30th July 2023

“The Holy Spirit has a gift for you, with a miraculous quality, that brings deliverance from danger.
Jesus will give you an administration – to perform a good service to bring relief to mankind on behalf of God. God will give you a spiritual operation – to show who you really are by being powerfully active and efficient in your spiritual work.”

Romans 12:
“Having therefore gifts differing according to the grace given us, whether that of prophecy, prophesy according to the proportion of your faith; Or serving (NKJV uses term ‘ministry’, exercise that gift within the sphere of service (ministry);” Wuests Greek Translation

Growing pains in the Early Church of Acts
“Was multiplied” is a present participle, indicating the continuing multiplication, the opposition is having no effect on the phenomenal growth of the church.
Murmuring over some real or fancied grievance. This is more serious than persecution form without, which serves only to make the church grow. Here is inward disunity that can wreck the work of God. See how much Paul urges unity on his converts; Phil.1:27; 2:2-3; 5:11,14; Eph.4:3; 1Thes.5:13. The hypocrisy and insincerity of Ananias and Sapphira. The increasing numbers in the church (6.1.)
Whether there was neglect or not, the attitude was wrong. This fast growing church is not perfect. That is what teaching is for: to build up the saints, for “reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness.”

Solutions in choosing seven to serve
Feeding the widows was a necessary and holy calling, but not for the apostles whose work was “prayer” and the “word.”
The solution to the problem was to choose “the Seven,” “Of honest report”, “full of the Holy Ghost” and “full of wisdom.”

Apostles Serve in Prayer and Ministry of the Word
Apostles were to give themselves continually: “To prayer and to the ministry of the word”.
It means “sticking to it”; devoting oneself to something.
The Greek word proskartereo is a compound word with the root kratos, meaning strength, and the preposition pros, meaning direction or motion to a goal.
Application: we get the idea of directed strength. In automobiles we have “directed-power differentials”. This word can be translated by a variety of phrases, such as “I continue all the time”, “I persist”, “I attach myself assiduously to”, “I give constant attention to”, “I am devoted to” and “I give unremitting care to”.
Josephus uses the word as meaning “persist” in the siege of a city”. Now ask yourself if these phrases describe your life of prayer.

Philip the Evangelist
ISBE Article on Philip the Evangelist
“One of “the seven” chosen to have the oversight of “the daily ministration” of the poor of the Christian community in Jerusalem (Act_6:5).
The martyrdom of Stephen was the beginning of a systematic persecution of the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered over Judea and Samaria (Act_8:1), and even as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (Act_11:19).”
We se the beginning of the fulfillment of the great commission that Jesus gave his apostles, to go and make disciples of all nations.

Follow up Harvest in Samaria
Jesus had ministered to the Samaritan woman who told her entire village about what Jesus had done, and Jesus had in turn told his disciples to lift their eyes and see the white harvest.
“Act_8:5 ff. He went to the chief city of Samaria, called Sebaste in honor of Augustus (Greek Sebastós). The Samaritans, of mixed Israelite and Gentile blood, had, in consequence of their being rigidly excluded from the Jewish church since the return from exile, built on Mt. Gerizim a rival sanctuary to the temple. To them Philip proclaimed the Christ and wrought signs, with the result that multitudes gave heed, and “were baptized, both men and women.” ISBE

Those who serve preach Christ with signs and wonders following
Act 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
Act 8:6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
Act 8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
Act 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.

Read v.5-7 and then describe Phillip’s ministry, giving each item as Luke describes it. Group his ministry into two main activities.
Preached Christ; did miracles (unclean spirits came out, palsied and lame healed). v.7 itemises the “miracles.”

Preaching Christ brings Joy
What was the general effect of Phillip’s revival (v.8)? Joy.

Process of Salvation
What did Philip do to the people after they believed his preaching (v.12)?
Baptised them.

Apostolic Foundations and the Holy Spirit Baptism
Did Peter and John feel that the revival (as described in vv.5-8) had achieved all that was necessary? What more could be expected than many believers baptized in water, many healed and delivered from demons (vv.15-17)?
No, all had not been done. Saved and baptised? Yes! Healed? Yes! But there is more. The reception of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for the development of a full Christian life.

What two things did Peter and John do for the Holy Spirit to be given to the new converts (vv.15, 17)?
They laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
Act 8:15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 8:17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Divine Commission
“The next incident recorded is the conversion of a Gentile, who was, however, a worshipper of the God of Israel, a eunuch under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. As he was returning from worshipping in the temple at Jerusalem, he was met by Philip on the road to Gaza. Philip expounded to him that portion of Isa_53:1-12 which he had been reading aloud as he sat in his chariot, and preached unto him Jesus. It is another sign of Philip’s insight into the universality of Christianity that he baptized this eunuch who could not have been admitted into full membership in the Jewish church (Deu_23:1).

Who gave Philip instructions about what he should do next (Acts 8:.26)? In what direction was he to go? An angel of the Lord

What book of the Old Testament was he reading from (v.32)? How did Philip interpret it (v.35)?
An Ethiopian eunuch, Queen Candace’s treasurer. Reading Isaiah. The uninitiated need of the help of an interpreter, and especially with this difficult passage which was not understood by the Jews themselves. Only a Gospel preacher had the answer. This does not mean that the Bible cannot be understood without human help, some parts are just “hard to be understood”, as Peter admits (2Pet.3:16.)
Isaiah. Philip identified the person Isaiah was talking about as Jesus Himself.

Legacy of Phillip
What happened to Philip after he had baptized the Ethiopian? He was “caught away” by the “Spirit of the Lord” so that the Ethiopian “saw him no more.”
Act 21:8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
Act 21:9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

Dr Roy M. Gray Questions and Answers from the Book of Acts, full course available from Miracle Bible Training Centre

The Jewish rebellion, which finally resulted in the fall of Jerusalem, drove many Christians out of Palestine, and among them Philip and his daughters. One tradition connects Philip and his daughters with Hierapolis in Asia, but in all probability the evangelist is confounded with the apostle.
Another tradition represents them as dwelling at Tralles, Philip being the first bishop of the Christian community.

Street and Byzantine Gate
Hierapolis, the “Sacred City,” is located at present-day Pamukkale in south central Turkey. In the 1st century, it was part of the tri-city area of Laodicea, Colossae, and Hierapolis. This connection between the cities lies behind Paul’s reference to Hierapolis and Laodicea in his epistle to the Colossians (Col 4:13). Before AD 70, Phillip (either the apostle or the evangelist) moved to Hierapolis, where he was believed to have been martyred.

The Theater
After an earthquake in AD 60, a theater was built against a hillside. This theater contains one of the best examples of original Roman theater decoration. The stage was ornate, decorated with various reliefs. A seat for distinguished spectators was located in the center of the seating area (cavea). Approximately thirty rows of seats are preserved.