A Biblical Theology of Mission (Philip’s Mission Trips)

Persecution in Jerusalem forced many leaders in the church to flee the city. Philip, one chosen by the church to oversee the distribution to the widows, fled Jerusalem but to a place where Jews were regularly persecuted, Samaria. He had no intention of cowering in hiding.

⁴ Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. ⁵ Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. ⁶ When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷ For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸ So there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:4-8)

Philip is later labeled an “evangelist” (Acts 21:8), and we might identify him as using power evangelism, casting out demons and healing illnesses as a testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel. This is not miracles instead of the gospel, but miracles in service to the gospel.

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. ¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)

 Philip did not plant churches that were independent from apostolic authority. The Holy Spirit made sure that the schismatic Samaritans recognized apostolic authority by only baptizing these believers when the apostles laid hands on them.

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” ³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³⁵ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”  ³⁸ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40)

Philip does not do miracles with the Ethiopian eunuch. The man is, essentially, already a believer, a convert to Judaism, who believes the Word of God. He believes Philip’s explanation of Isaiah 53 pertaining to Jesus Messiah and is baptized. Philip is led by the Holy Spirit in his mission endeavors and preaches in all the towns of Samaria and Galilee.

The mission movement has begun.