执事腓利
使徒行传八章4至8节，26至40节
4那些分散的人往各处去传道。
5腓利下撒马利亚城去宣讲基督。
6众人听见了，又看见腓利所行的神迹，就同心合意地听从他的话。
7因为有许多人被污鬼附着，那些鬼大声呼叫，从他们身上出来；还有许多瘫痪的、瘸腿的，都得了医治。
8在那城里就大有欢喜。
26有主的一个使者对腓利说：“起来！向南走，往那从耶路撒冷下迦萨的路上去。那路是旷野。”
27腓利就起身去了。不料，有一个埃提阿伯（注：即古实，见以赛亚18章1节）人，是个有大权的太监，在埃提阿伯女王干大基的手下总管银库，他上耶路撒冷礼拜去了。
28现在回来，在车上坐着，念先知以赛亚的书。
29圣灵对腓利说：“你去贴近那车走。”
30腓利就跑到太监那里，听见他念先知以赛亚的书，便问他说：“你所念的，你明白吗？”
31他说：“没有人指教我，怎能明白呢？”于是请腓利上车，与他同坐。
32他所念的那段经，说：“他像羊被牵到宰杀之地，又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下无声，他也是这样不开口。
33他卑微的时候，人不按公义审判他（注：原文作“他的审判被夺去”）；谁能述说他的世代？因为他的生命从地上夺去。”
34太监对腓利说：“请问先知说这话，是指着谁？是指着自己呢？是指着别人呢？”
35腓利就开口从这经上起，对他传讲耶稣。
36二人正往前走，到了有水的地方，太监说：“看哪，这里有水，我受洗有甚么妨碍呢？”
（注：有古卷在此有37腓利说：“你若是一心相信，就可以。”他回答说：“我信耶稣基督是神的儿子。”）
38于是吩咐车站住，腓利和太监二人同下水里去，腓利就给他施洗。
39从水里上来，主的灵把腓利提了去。太监也不再见他了，就欢欢喜喜地走路。
40后来有人在亚锁都遇见腓利。他走遍那地方，在各城宣传福音，直到凯撒利亚。
信息分享
基督曾经吩咐门徒，要将福音传遍世界；可是，他们却一直留在耶路撒冷聚会。直至司提反被害之后，教会面临大规模逼迫，门徒才被逼四散出外。
腓利下到撒马利亚。他虽是犹太人，却有负担将福音传给失丧的人，包括撒马利亚人。自重的犹太人都尽量避免前往撒马利亚。但腓利知道耶稣基督的心意，基督带领他来到这个未必有可能的地方，结果为那里带来美好的祝福。
正当彼得和约翰前来撒马利亚，教导初信者认识真理，腓利却被主差到另一个地方。神看见一个饥渴慕义的人，他正从耶路撒冷上路回到非洲，显然没有找到他期望得到的东西，只得到一本圣经。但他虽然用心去读，却并不理解。
腓利简洁有力地向那人传福音，他马上明白、悔改，且要求腓利为他施洗，作为他相信的凭据。那人回到自己的国家之后，会发挥甚么影响力，又有谁能料到呢？
接着，腓利又被圣灵送往其他地方，继续传扬福音。我们最后看见他是在凯撒利亚，他有几个女儿，同样参与教导福音的工作。保罗到处宣教的时候，至少有一次与他同住 （二十一8），他俩一定有许多美好的回忆和相交。
腓利一生的转捩点，在于他认识基督之后，决意在任何境况、任何地方事奉祂。他实在为我们留下一个美好的榜样。
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.