…On [Philip’s] way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). Acts 8:27 (NIV)

Since I’m preaching next Sunday, I will make this blog short and hopefully sweet. Jesus’ commission in Acts 1:8 was for His apostles to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Philip just left Samaria, and in the ancient world, Ethiopia was considered the ends of the earth.

A great deal of ink has been used to discuss what Luke doesn’t tell us. I want to focus on what he does tell us, and how Luke’s readers would have naturally understood the story about this Ethiopian.

He was a Black Sub-Saharan African. Luke expects his readers to know their Scriptures (Jeremiah 13:23). The Ethiopians’ most discussed characteristic in the ancient world was that they were black-skinned. Luke does not speak of his skin color, because it would be understood, and because it didn’t matter then as much as it seems to matter today.
He was a eunuch, and that mattered. Although not all those called eunuchs were castrated, Luke’s readers would have naturally understood him to have been so. They would know that this man would not have been welcome into the inner courts of the Temple (Deuteronomy 23:1). Yet, they would also know that Isaiah looked to a day of eunuchs full inclusion, with a name that shall not be “cut off” (Isaiah 56:3-5).
High officials in the East were often eunuchs, and, as treasurer to the Queen, he was a very high official. He is a stark contrast to Simon Magus, who tried to buy God’s favor. This Ethiopian was obviously wealthy, traveling in high style for his day. Yet, he welcomed Philip; listened to Philip; and humbly submitted to baptism.
Unlike Simon, he wasn’t simply wowed by miracles, but won by Jesus, the Suffering Servant.
He went on his way as a joyful missionary, whose witness bore fruit to the ends of the earth.

There are no second-class followers of Jesus! There are only sisters and brothers. Another witness to the ends of the earth, put it this way. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NIV). AMEN!