Fifth Sunday after Easter:  Creaton 6 May 2012

At the beginning  of the Acts of the Apostles, the anonymous author, probably the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke, quotes Jesus as telling the disciples after the Resurrection :  " Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth "  
Today's dramatic story from Acts is one of the most  the most vivid illustrations of that comment.   Dramatic  indeed since it has frequently  been portrayed in art, notably by Rembrandt. 
The Philip in question is known now as Philip the Evangelist, as opposed to Philip the Apostle.  This Philip one of the seventy deacons, like St. Stephen the first martyr,  sent out by Jesus to preach with those famous words " the harvest is great by the labourers are few. "  His preaching in Samaria and other places is referred; we are told he had four daughter who were active in  the church prophesied:  but beyond that what little we know about him as a person is encapsulated  in this story. 
When Jesus appointed the 70 deacons, their mission was essentially inside Israel;
The significance of this story is that it takes the gospel beyond those borders, even to the exotic empire of Ethiopia. 
Contacts with Ethiopia for a very long time.  Candace referred to here is believed to be at title like Pharoah or Caesar.  We know from Roman historians like Strabo and Pliny that there was conflict between the Ethiopians and the Roman empire in Egypt.  
The eunarch is an adherent to the Jewish faith since he had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. And here he is reading Isiah.
The first principle of  Bible study is the humble, enquiring, mind from this high official.   What does gospel mean and how does it affect me?  Philip interprets. 

Second point is the inclusiveness of the Christian message, no obstacles of race or geography. 
Many different translations and versions today.  Which ones have we heard this morning? 
[ extracts]
The overall message to take away is that the Christian faith is a faith that embraces all of us in God's love.  The message of hope and forgiveness for sins, that Jesus preached is there for all of us to  read and whatever version we use, it can save us.   For as Jesus said in our Gospel reading today  My father's glory is shown by you bearing much fruit: and in this way you become my disciples " 

 


 



