Satan is never happy when men repent of their allegiance to him and turn to Jesus to seek the forgiveness of sins. The massive responses that occurred when the gospel was first preached at Pentecost, followed by the responses from the apostles’ daily preachings in the temple and throughout Jerusalem, brought the number of obedient believers to 5,000 men — and Satan’s heaping persecution upon those obedient to Christ.
Opposition to the noble cause of Jesus began first from the Sadducees. They did not believe in the resurrection so it was inevitable that they would oppose the apostles’ teaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead. When they found Peter and John preaching in the temple they “were sore troubled because they taught the people and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:1-2). They laid hands on the two apostles and put them in prison. On the next day when they called them to answer for their teaching, the Sadducees had nothing they could charge them with, so they let them go after they soberly charged them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18).
The apostles had received a greater command from their Master and told these who examined them “whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). The apostles did not cease their preaching, and the Sadducees became more agitated. In Acts 5 all of the apostles were put in prison and when standing before the Sadducees, showed no intentions of ceasing their preaching.
Their determination so infuriated the Sadducees that they would have killed them except for the intervention of Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher from among the Pharisees. Inevitably, the teaching of the gospel also brought opposition from that sect and a great persecution against Christians arose, beginning with the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7:1-60). The disciples (except the apostles) were scattered abroad. Yet if the persecutors thought scattering these disciples abroad would silence their preaching, they were mistaken. Acts 8:4 says, “They that were scattered abroad went everywhere, preaching the word.”
Among those “scattered abroad” was Philip, one of the seven (Acts 6:5-6). Luke, the historian, records, “Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ” (Acts 8:5). There are several references to “Samaritans” in the gospels. They were a people who lived in an area of land which lay between Galilee and Judea, regions populated by Jews. During Jesus’ personal ministry He had commanded His apostles to “Go not into any way of the Gentiles and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:5-6). However, in Jesus’ great commission to His apostles He charged them, “Ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Samaria was to be included in having the gospel preached to them; they were “creatures” and part of “every nation” and these were to have the gospel preached to them (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16). Philip was the first recorded evangelist who did so.
Acts 8 tells the activities of this man who is specifically called an evangelist (Acts 21:8). Philip’s preaching was identified as “preaching Christ” and “glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:5, 12). Luke gives the results of Philip’s preaching: “But when they believed Philip’s preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12).
“Preaching Jesus” involved several things. To “preach Jesus” is to preach who He is, and when later in Acts 8 Philip preached Jesus to the Eunuch as they went their way, they came to a body of water and the eunuch asked, “Here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36). Philip responded, “If thou believest, thou mayest.” The eunuch said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). No man truly believes who does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
It is not enough to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. No one can be saved who does not believe that Jesus was God’s sacrifice to take away their sins. John the Baptist said of Him, “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus not only came to die for our sins; He came to set up the kingdom the prophets had spoken about.
John’s message was “Repent ye, for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus and His apostles preached the same message. Jesus said He would set up His kingdom during the lifetime of men then living (Mark 9:1). If He did not set up a kingdom during the lifetime of the apostles, He is a liar. Why some who insist that Jesus hasn’t yet set up His kingdom do not realize that they, in essence, make Jesus a liar is inexplicable. If Jesus did not set up a kingdom during the lifetime of His apostles, He is a fraud, not worthy to be believed.
To preach Jesus is to preach about His authority — His name. He claimed to have all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). Peter said that God had made Him Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). God has said to Him, “Sit thou on my right hand till I make all thy enemies the footstool of thy feet” (Psalm 110:1).
Preaching Jesus to the Samaritans, brought a definite reaction from them: “They believed Philip’s preaching … and were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). The Samaritans were converted. To be converted means one has been born again, born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). They had been born of the Spirit when they believed Philip’s preaching. They had been born of water when they were baptized. The Samaritans were converted the same way 3,000 were on Pentecost: They were born of the water and Spirit.
Jim McDonald