Philip: Transported by the Spirit
Acts 8:26–40
The Story
An angel directed Philip to go to a desert road. There he found an Ethiopian official reading from Isaiah in his chariot. Philip ran to him, explained the Scripture, and led him to faith. They stopped at water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The Ethiopian did not see him again and went on his way rejoicing. Philip appeared in the city of Azotus.
Did You Know
Philip is the only person in the New Testament explicitly described as being physically transported by the Holy Spirit from one location to another. The distance from the Gaza road to Azotus is approximately 18–20 miles. Philip did not walk it.
Takeaway
Total availability to God removes all distances. Philip's willingness to leave a successful revival in Samaria and go to an empty desert road led to the gospel reaching the continent of Africa. When we say yes to God's small promptings, we never know what continent-wide impact will follow.
Context
Church tradition holds that the Ethiopian official brought Christianity to Ethiopia, making the Ethiopian church one of the oldest in the world. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church traces its origin to this encounter on a desert road. One deacon's moment of obedience — leaving a city revival for an empty road — may have established a Christianity that has endured 2,000 years on another continent.