執事腓利
使徒行傳八章4至8節，26至40節
4那些分散的人往各處去傳道。
5腓利下撒馬利亞城去宣講基督。
6眾人聽見了，又看見腓利所行的神蹟，就同心合意地聽從他的話。
7因為有許多人被污鬼附著，那些鬼大聲呼叫，從他們身上出來；還有許多癱瘓的、瘸腿的，都得了醫治。
8在那城裡就大有歡喜。
26有主的一個使者對腓利說：“起來！向南走，往那從耶路撒冷下迦薩的路上去。那路是曠野。”
27腓利就起身去了。不料，有一個埃提阿伯（註：即古實，見以賽亞18章1節）人，是個有大權的太監，在埃提阿伯女王干大基的手下總管銀庫，他上耶路撒冷禮拜去了。
28現在回來，在車上坐著，念先知以賽亞的書。
29聖靈對腓利說：“你去貼近那車走。”
30腓利就跑到太監那裡，聽見他念先知以賽亞的書，便問他說：“你所念的，你明白嗎？”
31他說：“沒有人指教我，怎能明白呢？”於是請腓利上車，與他同坐。
32他所念的那段經，說：“他像羊被牽到宰殺之地，又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下無聲，他也是這樣不開口。
33他卑微的時候，人不按公義審判他（註：原文作“他的審判被奪去”）；誰能述說他的世代？因為他的生命從地上奪去。”
34太監對腓利說：“請問先知說這話，是指著誰？是指著自己呢？是指著別人呢？”
35腓利就開口從這經上起，對他傳講耶穌。
36二人正往前走，到了有水的地方，太監說：“看哪，這裡有水，我受洗有甚麼妨礙呢？”
（註：有古卷在此有37腓利說：“你若是一心相信，就可以。”他回答說：“我信耶穌基督是神的兒子。”）
38於是吩咐車站住，腓利和太監二人同下水裡去，腓利就給他施洗。
39從水裡上來，主的靈把腓利提了去。太監也不再見他了，就歡歡喜喜地走路。
40後來有人在亞鎖都遇見腓利。他走遍那地方，在各城宣傳福音，直到凱撒利亞。
信息分享
基督曾經吩咐門徒，要將福音傳遍世界；可是，他們卻一直留在耶路撒冷聚會。直至司提反被害之後，教會面臨大規模逼迫，門徒才被逼四散出外。
腓利下到撒馬利亞。他雖是猶太人，卻有負擔將福音傳給失喪的人，包括撒馬利亞人。自重的猶太人都盡量避免前往撒馬利亞。但腓利知道耶穌基督的心意，基督帶領他來到這個未必有可能的地方，結果為那裡帶來美好的祝福。
正當彼得和約翰前來撒馬利亞，教導初信者認識真理，腓利卻被主差到另一個地方。神看見一個飢渴慕義的人，他正從耶路撒冷上路回到非洲，顯然沒有找到他期望得到的東西，只得到一本聖經。但他雖然用心去讀，卻並不理解。
腓利簡潔有力地向那人傳福音，他馬上明白、悔改，且要求腓利為他施洗，作為他相信的憑據。那人回到自己的國家之後，會發揮甚麼影響力，又有誰能料到呢？
接著，腓利又被聖靈送往其他地方，繼續傳揚福音。我們最後看見他是在凱撒利亞，他有幾個女兒，同樣參與教導福音的工作。保羅到處宣教的時候，至少有一次與他同住 （二十一8），他倆一定有許多美好的回憶和相交。
腓利一生的轉捩點，在於他認識基督之後，決意在任何境況、任何地方事奉祂。他實在為我們留下一個美好的榜樣。
THE OTHER PHILIP
Acts 8: 4-8 & 26-40
4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
5 Then Philip went down to the[a] city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.
27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”[b]
34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”[c]
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Message
Christ had told the disciples to preach the Gospel throughout the world. But instead of moving out, they had congregated mostly in Jerusalem and it took the persecution which arose around the time of Stephen's death to force them out.
Philip went down to Samaria. He was a Jew but he had a burden for the lost and that included the people in Samaria. That was a place no self-respecting Jew would ever go to if he could help it. But Philip knew Jesus Christ and Christ led him to go to this unlikely spot. The result was a wonderful time of blessing.
Then just as the new Christians were being helped by the teaching ministry of Peter and John, Philip was suddenly called away. God had seen a hungry heart, a man from Africa leaving Jerusalem obviously without having found what he had expected. All he had to show for his visit was a copy of the Scriptures, but he was reading that carefully without understanding it.
Philip was so effective in sharing the Gospel that the man was immediately converted and asked for baptism as a sign of his new faith. Who knows what influence he might have when he finally reached home!
Then another sudden move and Philip went on to other towns preaching the good news. We last see him in Caesarea and we learn he had several daughters who were also teachers of the Gospel. Paul stayed with him on at least one occasion. (Acts 21 :8) What a happy time of memories and fellowship they must have shared.
It all began because Philip had found Christ and was willing to serve Him in any capacity and anywhere. What an example he has left behind for us.