"He Had Come To Jerusalem To Worship"
Reformation Rumblings
BUFF SCOTT, JR.
One of the most revealing conversions to the Christian faith is chronicled in Acts 8. An Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Ethiopian's queen and in charge of all her treasure, "had come to Jerusalem to worship." The narrative does not seem to imply that the queen was traveling with him—perhaps a few servants and/or guards, but not the queen.
The eunuch was without a "New Testament" (as well as Philip), but he did have a copy of some of the old scriptures, for "he was reading from the prophet Isaiah." Apparently, he was a proselyte to the Jewish faith, because he had been to Jerusalem, the capital or chief city of Jewish worship, to honor and praise the Lord God. In contrast, the only "capital" or "chief city" of worship for the Christian believer is the heart. Consequently, under the grace era we cannot designate a time, a place, or a formality for worship, for it is the whole—the nucleus—of a believer's life.
The eunuch knew little or nothing of Jesus, and Philip the evangelist was instructed by "an angel of the Lord...to go over and join this chariot" and explain to him the prophecy. "Then Philip opened his mouth [spoke clearly and distinctly], and beginning with this scripture he told him the good news about Jesus."
The eunuch accepted Philip's message, believed in the Messiah of which he was reading about in Isaiah, and when "they came to some water, the eunuch said, 'See, here is water! What prevents me from being immersed?' And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed him." Up to that juncture, he was a proselyte to the Jewish faith only. He is now a Christian believer.
We must not confuse the eunuch's immersion in water with Jewish water rituals. His immersion in water was a witness—an affirmation—to his accepting Jesus as his Messiah. The claim that he experienced a Jewish water ritual when He was immersed is not worthy of scholarly examination. After the new order was founded, immersion in water on the part of believers was never a Jewish ritual. Why? Because all Jewish rituals and ordinances informally ended at the cross (Eph. 2:14-15), and formally ended when the Christian community was founded (Acts 2).
The following points are conspicuous in the eunuch's conversion because of their absence:
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Philip did not tell him to "pray the sinner's prayer" with him.
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Philip did not tell him to bow his head and "receive Jesus into your heart."
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He did not tell the eunuch to "get up from your seat and come forward."
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He did not instruct the eunuch to "raise your hand if you have received Jesus as your Savior."
My apologies to Evangelical Pastors, but I'm afraid these counterfeit "admonitions" breed far too many superficial—shallow—believers. Sensational and "easy" pleas that appeal largely to the emotions usually leave the recipient empty and spiritually hungry. The Ethiopian eunuch was not subjected to this kind of "Good News." Instead of emptiness and hunger, he "went on his way rejoicing."
To connect to Buff Scott's Web site, click on www.mindspring.com/~renewal
Frank Coleman
Frank@ChicagoFrank.com
773-410-1483
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