A Necessary Scattering: Philip
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there… So, there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:4-8)
You are warmly welcome!
If scattering is an indicator of God’s curse and displeasure, then how can we celebrate the scattering of the early Church as having been necessary and beneficial? Those with whom God was angry were scattered: out of Eden (Adam and Eve), in the wilderness (stubborn Israelites during the Exodus), and in the Babylonian Exile (rebellious Jews in the Promised Land) – all these showing that scattering is a serious consequence of God’s wrath when people commit outrageous sin, as Christopher Ash details in his good book ‘Remaking a Broken World’. When the early Church in Jerusalem faced hot persecution and was scattered, this was uncomfortable and painful – though this time it was not indicative of God’s curse. The consequences of this scattering can lead us to conclude that it was necessary.
Against the background of the Great Commission, ‘those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.’ We find Philip adventurously proclaiming the Messiah [beyond Jerusalem and Judea] in Samaria and to a returning Ethiopian. This is Philip the Evangelist, the deacon, one of the seven – not Philip the Apostle, one of the twelve, the friend of Nathanael. Philip the Evangelist preached, conducted healing and deliverance services and baptized those who believed including the Ethiopian eunuch. Philip was led by and obeyed the Holy Spirit in the mission work: in Acts 8 we find that ‘an angel of the Lord said to Philip…’, ‘the Spirit told Philip…’, and ‘the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away’ (vv. 26, 29, 39). We should draw three important lessons from these events:
First, the scattering occasioned by God is necessary to stop evil on the one hand, and to promote good on the other hand. The Old Testament scatterings mentioned above deterred evil from continuing unchecked, while the scattering of the early Church exposed the gospel to new areas and peoples. Secondly, the encounter with the Holy Spirit is a necessary prerequisite to performing God’s mission; Philip is another case illustrating this point. We found the colleague Stephen described as full of the Holy Spirit and involved in full-range ministry beyond his job description; now Philip follows the same trend. The indispensable role of the Holy Spirit is clearly conspicuous.
The third lesson pertains to the far-reaching scope of the responsibility taken in God’s Kingdom. Like Stephen, Philip is invited to serve as a deacon, but surpasses the scope of his task; he effectively shares in the prime ministry of the Word and Prayer. Thinking about the scatterings of our own days, where has God scattered you to? Behold the opportunities therein and serve the Lord with all in your power.
God bless you all.