From: Acts 8:26-40
Philip Baptizes a Eunuch
[26] But an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the
south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a
desert road. [27] And he rose and went. And behold, an Ethiopian, a
eunuch, a minister of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of
all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship [28] and was
returning; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
[29] And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."
[30] So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet,
and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" [31] And he said,
"How can I, unless some one guides me?" And he invited Philip to come
up and sit with him. [32] Now the passage of the scripture which he was
reading was this: "As a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its
shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth. [33] In his humiliation
justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life
is taken up from the earth."
[34] And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, pray, does the prophet
say this, about himself or about some one else?" [35] Then Philip
opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture he told him the
good news of Jesus. [36] And as they went along the road they came to
some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to
prevent my being baptized?" [38] And he commanded the chariot to stop,
and they both went down into the water, Philip, and the eunuch, and he
baptized him. [39] And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit
of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went
on his way rejoicing. [40] But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing
on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesarea.
Commentary:
26-40. The baptism of the Ethiopian official marks an important step
in the spread of Christianity. St Luke's account underlines the
importance of Sacred Scripture, and its correct interpretation, in the
work of evangelization. This episode encapsulates the various stages in
apostolate: Christ's disciple is moved by the Spirit (v. 29) and
readily obeys his instruction; he bases his preaching on Sacred
Scripture--as Jesus did in the case of the disciples of Emmaus--and
then administers Baptism.
27. Ethiopia: the kingdom of Nubia, whose capital was Meroe, to the
south of Egypt, below Aswan, the first cataract on the Nile (part of
modern Sudan). Candace, or Kandake, is not the name of an individual;
it was the dynastic name of the queens of that country, a country at
that time ruled by women (cf. Eusebius, "Ecclesiastical History", II,
1, 13).
The term "eunuch", like its equivalent in Hebrew, was often used
independently of its original physiological meaning and could refer to
any court official (cf. for example, Gen 39:1; 2 Kings 25:19). This
particular man was an important official, the equivalent of a minister
of finance. We do not know if he was a member of the Jewish race, a
proselyte (a Jew not by race but by religion) or--perhaps--a God-fearer
(cf. note on Acts 2:5-11).
28. "Consider," St John Chrysostom says, "what a good thing it is not
to neglect reading Scripture even when one is on a journey.... Let
those reflect on this who do not even read the Scriptures at home, and,
because they are with their wife, or are fighting in the army, or are
very involved in family or other affairs, think that there is no
particular need for them to make the effort to read the divine
Scriptures. [...] This Ethiopian has something to teach us all--those
who have a family life, members of the army, officials, in a word, all
men, and women too (particularly those women who are always at home),
and all those who have chosen the monastic way of life. Let all learn
that no situation is an obstacle to reading the word of God: this is
something one can do not only when one is alone at home but also in the
public square, on a journey, in the company of others, or when engaged
in one's occupation. Let us not, I implore you, neglect to read the
Scriptures" (St John Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 35).
29-30. The fact that they are alone, that the road is empty, makes it
easier for them to have a deep conversation and easier for Philip to
explain Christian teaching. "I think so highly of your devotion to the
early Christians that I will do all I can to encourage it, so that
you--like them--will put more enthusiasm each day into that effective
Apostolate of discretion and friendship" (J. Escriva, "The Way", 971).
This was in fact one of the characteristic features of the kind of
apostolate carried out by our first brothers and sisters in the faith
as they spread gradually all over the Roman empire. They brought the
Christian message to the people around them--the sailor to the rest of
the crew, the slave to his fellow slaves, soldiers, traders,
housewives.... This eager desire of theirs to spread the Gospel showed
their genuine conviction and was an additional proof of the truth of
the Christian message.
31. "How can I understand it, unless some one guides me?": to a Jew of
this period the very idea of a Messiah who suffers and dies at the
hands of his enemies was quite repugnant. This explains why the
Ethiopian has difficulty in understanding this passage--and, indeed,
the entire song of the Servant of Yahweh, from which it comes (cf. Is
53).
Sometimes it is difficult to understand a passage of Scripture; as St
Jerome comments: "I am not," to speak in passing of himself, "more
learned or more holy than that eunuch who traveled to the temple from
Ethiopia, that is, from the end of the earth: he left the royal palace
and such was his desire for divine knowledge that he was even reading
the sacred words in his chariot. And yet...he did not realize whom he
was venerating in that book without knowing it. Philip comes along, he
reveals to him Jesus hidden and as it were imprisoned in the text
[...], and in that very moment he believes, is baptized, is faithful
and holy. [...] I tell you this to show you that, unless you have a
guide who goes ahead of you to show you the way, you cannot enter the
holy Scriptures" ("Letter 53", 5-6).
This guide is the Church; God, who inspired the sacred books, has
entrusted their interpretation to the Church. Therefore, the Second
Vatican Council teaches that "If we are to derive their true meaning
from the sacred texts," attention must be devoted "not only to their
content but to the unity of the whole of Scripture, the living
tradition of the entire Church, and the analogy of faith. [...]
Everything to do with the interpretation of Scripture is ultimately
subject to the judgment of the Church, which exercises the divinely
conferred communion and ministry of watching over and interpreting the
Word of God" (Vatican II, "Dei Verbum", 12).
35. "The eunuch deserves our admiration for his readiness to believe,"
St John Chrysostom comments. "He has not seen Jesus Christ nor has he
witnessed any miracle; what then is the reason for his change? It is
because, being observant in matters of religion, he applies himself to
the study of the sacred books and makes them his book of meditation and
reading" ("Hom. on Acts", 19).
36. "What is to prevent my being baptized?": the Ethiopian's question
reminds us of the conditions necessary for receiving Baptism. Adults
should be instructed in the faith before receiving this sacrament;
however, a period of "Christian initiation" is not required if there is
a good reason, such as danger of death.
The Church's Magisterium stresses the obligation to baptize children
without delay. "The fact that children are incapable of making a
personal profession of faith does not deter the Church from conferring
this sacrament on them; what it does is baptize them in its own faith.
This teaching was already clearly expressed by St Augustine: 'Children
are presented for the reception of spiritual grace, not so much by
those who carry them in their arms--although also by them, if they are
good members of the Church as by the universal society of saints and
faithful. [...] It is Mother Church herself who acts in her saints,
because the whole Church begets each and all' ("Letter 98", 5; cf.
"Sermon 176", 2). St Thomas Aquinas, and after him most theologians,
take up the same teaching: the child who is baptized does not believe
for itself, by a personal act of faith, but rather through others 'by
the faith of the Church which is communicated to the child' ("Summa
Theologiae", III, q.69, a.6, ad 3; cf. q. 68, a. 9, ad 3). This same
teaching is expressed in the new rite of Baptism, when the celebrant
asks the parents and godparents to profess the faith of the Church 'in
which the children are being baptized'"("Instruction on Infant
Baptism", 20 October 1980).
The Instruction goes on to say that "it is true that apostolic
preaching is normally addressed to adults, and that the first to be
baptized were adults who had been converted to the Christian faith.
From what we read in the New Testament we might be led to think that it
deals only with adults' faith. However, the practice of Baptism of
infants is based on an ancient tradition of apostolic origin, whose
value must not be underestimated; furthermore, Baptism has never been
administered without faith: in the case of infants the faith that
intervenes is the Church's own faith. Besides, according to the Council
of Trent's teaching on the sacraments, Baptism is not only a sign of
faith: it is also the cause of faith" ("ibid.").
Christian parents have a duty to see that their children are baptized
quickly. The Code of Canon Law specifies that parents are obliged to
see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks. As soon
as possible after the birth, indeed often before it, they are to
approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child,
and to be themselves duly prepared for it" (can. 867).
37. This verse, not to be found in some Greek codexes or in the better
translations, was probably a gloss which later found its way into the
text. In the Vulgate it is given in this way: "Dixit autem Philippus:
Si credis ex toto corde, licet. Et respondens ait: Credo, Filium Dei
esse Jesum Christum", which translated would be: "Philip said, If you
believe with all your heart, you may. And he replied, I believe that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God." This very ancient gloss, inspired by
baptismal liturgy, helps to demonstrate that faith in Christ's divine
worship was the nucleus of the creed a person had to subscribe to in
order to be baptized. On this occasion Philip, guided by the Holy
Spirit, lays down no further condition and he immediately proceeds to
baptize the Ethiopian.
39. St John Chrysostom pauses to note that the Spirit takes Philip away
without giving him time to rejoice with the man he has just baptized:
"Why did the Spirit of the Lord bear him away? Because he had to go on
to preach in other cities. We should not be surprised that this
happened in a divine rather than a human way" ("Hom. on Acts", 19).
The official "went on his way rejoicing" that God had made him his son
through Baptism. He had received the gift of faith, and with the help
of divine grace he was ready to live up to all the demands of that
faith, even in adverse circumstances: quite probably he would be the
only Christian in all Ethiopia.
Faith is a gift of God and is received as such at Baptism; but man's
response is necessary if this gift is not to prove fruitless.
Baptism is one of the sacraments which imprints an indelible mark on
the soul and which can be received only once. However, a baptized
person needs to be continually renewing his commitment; this is not
something to be done only during the Easter liturgy: in his everyday
activity he should be striving to act like a son of God.
It is natural and logical for the Ethiopian to be so happy, for Baptism
brings with it many graces. These St John Chrysostom lists, using
quotations from the Gospels and from the letters of St Paul: "The newly
baptized are free, holy, righteous, sons of God, heirs of heaven,
brothers and co-heirs of Christ, members of his body, temples of God,
instruments of the Holy Spirit.... Those who yesterday were captives
are today free men and citizens of the Church. Those who yesterday were
in the shame of sin are now safe in righteousness; not alone are they
free, they are holy" ("Baptismal Catechesis", III, 5).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.