CRITICAL REMARKS
Acts 8:5. Philip.—Not the apostle, but the deacon (Acts 6:4). The city of Samaria—according to the best MSS.—signifies that the capital built by Omri (1 Kings 16:24), and renamed Sebaste by Herod the Great (Jos., Ant., XX. Acts 6:2), was the place to which Philip went; if with some MSS. the article before city be omitted, then Samaria would mean the province of that name, and the city might be Sychar, the Sichem of the Old Testament (John 4:5).
Acts 8:6. The people.—Better, the multitudes—i.e., of the city.
Acts 8:7. For unclean spirits, etc.—Should be rendered either “For from many of those who had unclean spirits, they—i.e., the spirits—went forth crying with a loud voice,” the genitive πολλῶν being dependent on the ἐξ in the verb compare Acts 16:39; Matthew 10:14 (De Wette, Meyer); or “For from many of those having (sc. them—i.e., unclean spirits) unclean spirits crying with a loud voice went forth (Bengel, Kuinoel). But the best texts (א A B C) read πολλοὶ ἐξήρχοντο; in which case the verse should be translated; “for many of those who had unclean spirits crying with a loud voice went forth”; the writer having probably, when he commenced the sentence, intended to say “were healed,” instead of which he changes the construction, and sets down “went forth,” as if the “unclean spirits” were the nominative (Alford, Holtzmann). It has been remarked (Bengel) that in the Acts the term “demons” is never used of “the possessed,” although in Luke it occurs more frequently than in the other gospels; and the inference drawn that after the death of Christ the malady of possession was weaker (compare 1 John 3:8; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14).
HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.—Acts 8:5-8
Philip in Samaria; or, The Gospel Spreading
I. The preacher.—Philip. Not the apostle, as a late Christian tradition, mentioned by Polycrates, Bishop of Ephesus, in A.D. 198 (Eusebius, III. 31:2, Acts 24:1), affirms, since he remained in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), but the deacon (Acts 6:5) and evangelist (Acts 21:8), who by going down to Samaria—
1. Supplied the place and took up the work of Stephen, his martyred colleague. Christ’s servants dying never want successors.
2. Counteracted the evil machinations of Stephen’s murderers, and of Saul in particular, who hoped to extinguish the faith to which as yet he was a stranger and of which he knew not the vitality; and
3. Evidenced his own confidence in the indestructibility of the gospel, whose preachers and professors might be imprisoned or slain, but whose glorious tidings could not be hindered from flying abroad and one day encircling the earth.
II. The audience.—The inhabitants of the city of Samaria or of Sychar, who were—
1. Numerous, being described as a multitude.
2. Afflicted, containing many diseased and demonised persons.
3. Deluded, being at the time bewitched by or amazed at Simon’s sorceries; and still
4. Eager, with one accord giving heed to Philip, perhaps because of having, in a measure, through Christ’s preaching ten years before (John 4:30; John 4:40), been prepared for the reception of the word.
III. The message.—
1. Its subject. The Christ. Philip entertained his hearers neither with diatribes against the magician who had so long bewitched them, nor with denunciations of the Sanhedrim who had opened against the followers of the new faith the fires of persecution, nor with commiserations of themselves who had so much sickness bodily and mental, in their midst, but with what should ever be the preacher’s theme (1 Corinthians 2:2), proclamations of the Christ—viz., Jesus—who had suffered on the cross, risen from the grave, and ascended into heaven.
2. Its confirmation. The signs which he did—
(1) the works of healing which he performed on the demonised, the palsied, and the lame, attested him a teacher come from God (compare John 3:2); and
(2) the cries of the unclean spirits in coming forth from their victims, not shouts of indignation at being ejected from their human lodging, but vociferous declarations of the Messiahship of Jesus or of the truth of the gospel (compare Mark 3:11; Luke 4:41), were a practical endorsement of his words.
IV. The result.—Great joy. On account of—
1. The glad tidings come to the city. The introduction of the gospel with its glorious announcements of a crucified and risen Lord (Acts 13:32-33), of a finished redemption work (John 17:4), and of a peace established between God and man on the basis of that work (Ephesians 2:14-18), as well as with its sublime possibilities of salvation (Romans 1:16), to a heart, to a city, to a country, a cause of rejoicing than which better can not be imagined (Psalms 89:15).
2. The wonderful deliverances wrought on its inhabitants. The healings done upon the bodies of the citizens of Samaria or Sychar were emblematic of the higher healings the gospel could, and in numberless instances did, effect upon their souls. To-day, as in Philip’s time, the gospel heals all manner of spiritual disease and emancipates souls from the power of sin and Satan (Colossians 1:13), besides indirectly promoting the health of bodies.
Learn.—
1. The true work of a preacher—to proclaim Christ.
2. The true prosperity of a city—the prevalence in it of the Gospel.
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Acts 8:5. The Inhabitants of Samaria.
I. What they heard. Christ proclaimed.
II. What they saw. Miracles performed.
III. What they did.
1. Listened to the word.
2. Studied the miracles.
3. Rejoiced in the work of Philip.
Acts 8:8. Joy in Samaria.—Occasioned by four things.
I. The Gospel preached in its streets.
II. Healing brought to its inhabitants.
III. Delusions dispelled from their minds.
IV. Souls saved from the power of sin and death.
Acts 8:5-8. Philip’s Mission to Samaria.
I. The conduct of Philip.—He—
1. Went down to Samaria.
2. Preached Christ to the people.
3. Wrought miracles in the city.
II. The attention of the Samaritans.—They:
1. Heard Philip preach. 2. Were seriously affected.
3. Gave heed to what they heard.
4. Believed what was preached.
III. The effect in the city.—Great joy. Because of:
1. Joyful tidings heard.
2. Wondrous healings experienced.
3. Numerous conversions made.