We are not saved only to be instruments for God, but to be His sons and daughters. As His disciples, our lives must be a Holy example of the reality of our message.
Even the natural heart of the unsaved will serve if called upon to do so, but it takes a heart broken by Conviction of Sin, Baptized by the "Holy Spirit", and crushed into Submission to God's purpose to make a person's life a Holy example of God's message.
What do you think that the eunuch represented in any of your last statement?
Act 8:27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship
Act 8:28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
Act 8:29 And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot."
Act 8:30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
Act 8:31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.
Act 8:33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."
Act 8:34 And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"
Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
Act 8:36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"
Act 8:37 [And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."]
Act 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
The passages you posted Agapeton, of the eunuch demonstrated as we find throughout God's Word, and especially in throughout the book of Acts that fiath precedes baptism.
Upon hearing the gospel explained to the eunuch, the eunuch submitted to the truth of what Philip told him about Jesus Christ, had a confession of his faith, and THEN he was baptized, as we are taught in God's word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the gospel first, then submission to that faith by believing, and confession with oour mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ,then baptism.
Being an Ethiopian EUNUCH had nothing to do with his faith or submission to the gospel, he believed what he heard and submitted to the truth of what he heard and was saved.
I forgot to say, The Ethiopian was an eunuch BEFORE he heard the gospel, because of his either sect religious beliefs, or his own doing, or he was born an eunuch, we are not not told this when or how he became an eunuch, but it had nothing to do with his faith to believe in Jesus.
Also, God also demonstrated to the Jews that the Gentiles were also gven the same gift of the Holy Spirit as they were, and the eunuch and Cornielus are the perfect examples in the book of Acts that God did ot show any favoritism between the Jews and the Gentiles.
So by the eunuch receiving the gospel it showed that the gospel being preached was also given to ALL, EVERYONE who hear and believes and submits and receives and is baptized according to God's word.
This also demonstarts that those called into ministry by God to be pastors and evengelists, and prophets and teachers as stated in Ephesian 4, must do as God has so ordained in the church, equpi the saints afro the works of the ministry, and preach and teach the gospel to the lost.
For it is written in Romans 10: As Scripture says, �Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.� For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile�the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,for, �Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.�
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: �How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!�
16 But not all the Israelites(or the unsaved) accepted the good news (gospel). For Isaiah says, �Lord, who has believed our message?� Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: �Their voice (speaking about the prophets and those God called to preach and teach HIs Word) has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.� Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, �I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.�
20 And Isaiah boldly says, �I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.� But concerning Israel he says, �All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.�]
Whether he was eunuch or not wasn't the case or question for that matter. I asked in light of Angel's statement whether his being told of Jesus' coming (and not being taught the gospel) and just asking to be baptized in water fit anything of what she said.
Why is it that you people keep seeing everything and anything EXCEPT the simplicity of what the question asks in this forum?
What is it?
Selective reading or just a dire need of new prescription glasses?
@Agapeton you get saved first before any baptized.
Why do you ask Question like you do????
ME: I ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE THAT IS HOW OUR LORD JESUS TAUGHT. It proves two things. One Prov. 26:4-5 and the other a way to open a discussion.
Pray and ask God for Clarity of the Scriptures.
Seems though you have something Lacking, brother.
ME: Honestly sister, one who sees lacking is lacking in ones self. As it is written: as a man thinks so is he.....
Now, The reason why I asked the question ansd showed the text was to SHOW YOU THAT WHAT YOU STATED WAS NOT TRUE in light of the Ethiopian.
You said:" but it takes a heart broken by Conviction of Sin, Baptized by the "Holy Spirit", and crushed into Submission to God's purpose to make a person's life a Holy example of God's message."
And I showed you that according to the Scripture all that the Ethiopian did after he was told of Christ's coming was to get in water and that was it.
Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
Act 8:36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"
Act 8:37 And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
So, what about the Ethiopian showed that he was "Holy Spirit' Baptized, convicted of sin, crushed into Submission to God's purpose to make his life a Holy example of God's message," sister?
Any thoughts to reconcile your statement with the Word of God, oh unlacking one?
Angel, be obedient to God's counsel Proverb 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
or he will be wise in his own eyes.
The scripture makes it very plain that the eunuch had come to Jerusalem to WORSHIP, which is an indication that he already knew about God and was a worshipper, he just had not received the Holy Spirit. This is why the Holy Spirit instructed Philip to go to him.
Its not necessay we know about his conversion process, and God did not tell us when or how and where, or what took place, because this is not the spiritual point of the passage but it is the focus agreement with what you have posted... being submissives to receive God's word of Truth by faith to believe, and resistance to the truth because of doubt seeking one own will and self righteousness instead of God's will and His righteousness... and when a person is broken they come to submission and repentance and will prove themseves as servants of the Lord...as was the case with the eunuch.
Angel, What great counsel to heed - Proverb 26:4-5. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly,
and he will be wise in his own conceit.
In other words, God recommends silence as the best answer to a fool.
Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, �Go south to the road�the desert road�that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.� So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means �queen of the Ethiopians�). This man had gone to Jerusalem to WORSHIP, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot READING the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, �Go to that chariot and stay near it.�
