BIBLE STUDY LESSON 11

SERIES U --- THE EARLY CHURCH

SAMARITANS BELIEVE!

SOMETHING THAT MONEY CANNOT BUY

From Acts 8:1-25

Saul the Pharisee thought it was completely right that Stephen had been stoned. At that time bitter persecution began against the believers. It was so intense that all the believers, except to the apostles, fled from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria. Some of the godly people in Jerusalem buried Stephen with great cries of sorrow. That didn’t affect Saul, for he was determined now to destroy this new religion. From house to house he went, dragging men and women alike into prison. However, there was some good news in all of this trouble, for the believers preached the Gospel wherever they went, moving from place to place with the message of Moshiach. Philip was one of the believers who moved into the city of Samaria and immediately began telling the people about Yeshua. Crowds swarmed around Philip to hear his message and to see the miracles he worked. Many who lived under the power of evil spirits came, and Philip forced those evil spirits to come out with a great cry. The paralyzed and lame people came, too, and they found healing. There was great joy in Samaria because of Philip. There was a man named Simon who lived in Samaria. He was a magician and claimed to be such a great man that the people were always thrilled to watch him perform. People from every class of society in Samaria listened intently to Simon, often saying, [This man is The One Sent by YHVH.] But now, when they had heard Philip preach, the people began to realize that Yeshua was [The One Sent by YHVH.] Many of the men and women believed in Yeshua and the Good News of YHVH’s Kingdom and were baptized. Even Simon, the magician, believed the Gospel and was baptized. Then he faithfully followed Philip, filled with wonder by the great miracles which Philip performed. Before long, the apostles in Jerusalem heard how the people of Samaria were receiving YHVH’s Word, so they sent Peter and John to investigate. When they arrived, Peter and John prayed for the new believers, that they might receive Ruach HaKodesh. Until that time, the believers in Samaria had been baptized in the Name of Yeshua, but they had not yet received Ruach HaKodesh. Peter and John placed their hands upon the believers, and one by one, they received Ruach HaKodesh. When Simon saw that Ruach HaKodesh came upon people when the apostles laid their hands on them, he tried to bargain with the apostles. [Here’s some money,] he said. [Now let me have this power, too, so that I can lay my hands on people and have them receive Ruach HaKodesh.] [You and your money will die together for thinking that you can buy YHVH’s gift!] Peter answered. [You don’t have a part or share in our work, for your heart is not right with YHVH. You’d better turn quickly from this evil plan and ask Adonai to forgive you, for I see that you are still gnawed by envy and a slave to your sin.] [Pray for me!] Simon cried out. [Don’t let all these terrible things happen to me!] After spending some time in Samaria, telling about Yeshua and preaching Adonai’s message, Peter and John began the journey back to Jerusalem. Along the way, throughout many of the Samaritan villages, they continued telling people the Good News.

COMMENTARY

SAMARIA AT THE TIME OF PHILIP

Many kings and governors have ruled from the ancient hilltop city of Samaria. Its history reaches back almost nine hundred years before Moshiach to the reign of Omri, ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel. He took over the bill overlooking the fertile valley of Esdraelon and built a walled city on its summit. By the time Philip arrived in Samaria, Omri’s city had long been destroyed. After the fall of the northern kingdom, Samaria passed through the hands of Assyrian, then Persian and Greek governors. As each conqueror swept through the land, Samaria was destroyed and rebuilt by its new rulers. After the Maccabean revolt had reduced the city to ruins once again, the Romans put Samaria under the control of Herod the Great. Herod began rebuilding the city for the fourth time in its turbulent history. After clearing away the debris, he erected a new city that he called {Sebaste.} Its name came from the Greek version of [Augustus,] the emperor to whom Herod dedicated the city. Like its predecessors, Herod’s city was doomed to destruction. Although he surrounded Sebaste with a fortified wall more than two miles long, the city was again reduced to ruins during the second Jewish revolt in 66 A.D.