Philip: An Example for Every Believer

8:25 So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.                           

8:26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

8:27 So he got up and went . . . (Acts 8:25-27a)

In my opinion, Philip is one of the best examples of a godly Christian in the New Testament. He understood what it means to follow Christ, and dedicated his life to the task of sharing the Gospel with others. Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch is found in Acts 8:25-40, but I chose to focus on the above two and a half verses because they provide us with an example of how we should live.

1. Philip’s Passion (8:25)

Philip’s strong desire to share the Gospel with others took him north of Israel to the land of Samaria, where he proclaimed Christ to them (Acts 8:6). Most Jews snubbed the Samaritans because of their mixed heritage, but Philip realized that all people are descendants of Adam: and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation (Acts 17:26). In reality, there are not many races, but one human race, and every member of the human race must hear the Gospel. Philip teaches us that we cannot have any racial or spatial prejudices if we are to be true followers of Jesus Christ.

2. Philip’s Role (8:26)

As Philip preached, revival broke out amongst the Samaritans (Acts 8:12), but not for one instant did he think that he was the reason for the revival. When the Lord called Philip to a desert road in the middle of nowhere, the revival continued without him. He understood that his role in ministry was to be a submissive tool in his Master’s hand.  God does not need to use us in order to accomplish His tasks, because nothing can frustrate His will. But how blessed it is to be a willing instrument that God employs to bring about His purposes!

3. Philip’s Obedience (8:27a)

When God called Moses to lead the sons of Israel to the Promised Land, Moses protested because he was not an eloquent speaker (Exodus 4:10). God assured Moses that He had not made a mistake and that Moses should obey God’s call. Philip, on the other hand, got up and went immediately without any objection even though he did not realize that an Ethiopian eunuch would be waiting to hear the Gospel in the desert. Although we may not completely understand God’s call in our lives, we should be ready to obey once we are certain of how He is leading us. After all, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22b).

Conclusion: Philip’s example demonstrates that we should obey God immediately when we understand how He is leading us. To do so will make us part of the exciting way that God is working today, and allow us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with unbelievers. Thank you, Philip, for being used by God in such a way that your testimony still ministers to the believers almost two thousand years later!