to War"? Write in your notebook the verse referring to the chief figure in this chapter.

8. What qualities in Stephen's character do you admire? Are there ways in which we ought to imitate him to-day?

CHAPTER VII

PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

So far the Christian movement had scarcely spread beyond Jerusalem and the nearby villages (see Acts 5: 16). It was increasing so rapidly, however, that sooner or later it must inevitably pass the boundaries of Judæa and then advance into the great world outside. "You shall be my witnesses," the Master had said, "both in Jerusalem and in all Judæa and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The martyrdom of Stephen only hastened what was a necessary step in the expansion of the church.

"They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles." -Acts 8: 1.

THE GOSPEL IN SAMARIA

It is significant that the first city evangelized outside Jerusalem was Samaria. In one way this was natural and to be expected, for Samaria was the chief city (once the capital) of the district by that name, which together with Judæa formed the new Roman province ruled by the procurator (see Chapter II of this volume). But, on the other hand, there was a strong feeling of antagonism on the part of the Judæans toward their northern neighbors. It dated from the days of Ezra, and had lasted on through the changes and vicissitudes of succeeding generations, until in the days of Jesus it could be said that "Jews had no dealings with Samaritans" (John 4:9). Jesus had shown the unfairness of

this hatred in his great parable of the good Samaritan. And it is most significant that the church's first move outside Jerusalem was not back to Galilee but to Samaria. Christianity was destined from the first (though some failed to recognize it) to overstep the lines and divisions of class and caste, of nationality and sectarianism.

Philip's preaching. The "scattering" of the Jerusalem church was like the scattering of flames of fire by the wind. Wherever the new believers were driven, there they bore witness to their faith. Persecution, instead of destroying the church, only hastened its growth and spread it farther abroad.

"They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ. And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he did. For from many of those which had unclean spirits, they came out, shrieking and screaming; and many that were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was much joy in that city."-Acts 8: 4-8.

We can understand what this joy was like. The gospel message had not been preached there before (see Matthew 10: 5), and when Jesus was on his way through Samaria on the final journey to Jerusalem, one of their villages refused him hospitality (Luke 9: 51-56). Perhaps this only made their welcome of Philip the heartier, and their joy over his message the more intense.

Simon the Magician.-There was in Samaria at that time a notorious magician called Simon. He had a large following, and completely amazed the Samaritans with his tricks and miracles. Letting them think that he was

some divine or supernatural being, he called himself "one of the powers of God called The Great Power." Such religious mountebanks were common throughout the world in those days; their books and magical formulas have come down to us by the thousands, written on papyrus or potsherds, and buried in the rubbish heaps of Egypt and elsewhere. We should naturally expect Christianity to come in contact with these self-deceived deceivers sooner or later; and the book of Acts clearly bears evidence to the trustworthiness of the narratives it records, in that it describes such representatives of superstition.

When Simon saw his followers converted by the preaching of Philip; when he saw them baptized, and witnessed the "signs" of spiritual power which Philip performed on the sick and demented, he decided that he too would be baptized, and have some share in the new religion. But though he was baptized, his heart was untouched and his morals unchanged. He was still the same exploiter of the people, the same practicer of the "dark arts." His motive in becoming a Christian was merely to gain control of still more magical powers.

Peter and John sent to Samaria.-When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had received the gospel they sent down to them Peter and John. When they had arrived they prayed for the new converts, that they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,-for, Luke says, “as yet he had come upon none of them; only they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Simon thought at once that this rite must be the secret of Philip's power. If only he could gain possession of it, what miracles might he not perform, and regain

his old following in Samaria! What expulsion of witches, what sweetening of wells, what averting of blight and mildew from the crops, what exorcism of demons and ghosts might he not accomplish! So he came to the apostles and offered them a sum of money and said, "Give me this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit." But Simon had mistaken his man.

With the same stern, almost fierce tone of rebuke which had withered the hypocrite Ananias, Peter turned on him and said: "Your silver perish with you!—trying to obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part nor share in this! For your heart is all wrong before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray God to forgive you this miserable scheme."

Simon, still superstitious and now alarmed, at once cowered before the apostles and begged them to remove any spell their words might have brought upon him. "Pray the Lord for me that none of these things overtake me!"—and with these words he departs from the page of history. We never hear anything more of him. But at least the incident shows what the apostles themselves thought of the "gift of God." It was a power effective only "by the Spirit"; it was not for self-aggrandizement or the fame or influence of those receiving it. Rather, like Jesus' own supernatural powers as Messiah (see Luke 4: 1-13), it was given for the benefit of the poor and helpless and miserable-God's holiest power consecrated to the highest and most unselfish ends.

PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN

For some time the mission in Samaria was continued, the apostles making their way slowly back to Jerusalem,