The Meaning of Acts 8:5 Explained

Acts 8:5

KJV: Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

YLT: And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching to them the Christ,

Darby: And Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached the Christ to them;

ASV: And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Philip  went down  to  the city  of Samaria,  and preached  Christ  unto them. 

What does Acts 8:5 Mean?

Study Notes

city of
The Jews having rejected Stephen's witness to, and of, them, the Gospel now begins to go out to "all nations." Cf. Luke 24:47 .

Verse Meaning

Philip was apparently a Hellenistic Jew like Stephen. This was Philip the evangelist who was one of the Seven (cf. Acts 6:5), not the Philip who was one of the Twelve. He travelled north from Jerusalem to Samaria and followed Jesus" example of taking the gospel to the Samaritans (cf. John 4). The other Jews did not like the people who lived in this area and had no dealings with them ( John 4:9). They regarded them as racial and religious half-breeds. They did so since their ancestors were Jews who had intermarried with the Gentiles whom the Assyrians had sent to live there following Assyria"s conquest of Israel in722 B.C. Furthermore the Samaritans had opposed the rebuilding of the temple in Ezra"s day and had erected their own temple on Mt. Gerizim in competition with the temple on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. In view of Stephen"s depreciation of the Jerusalem temple ( Acts 7:44-50), it is not incredible to read that Philip took the gospel to Samaritans. The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch as authoritative and looked for a personal Messiah who would be like Moses.
We do not know exactly where Philip went because Luke did not identify the place specifically. [1] It was "down" from Jerusalem topographically, not geographically. Some ancient versions of Acts refer to "a city of Samaria" whereas others have "the city of Samaria." Probably "the city" is correct, though some scholars believe the region of Samaria is in view. [2] The capital town stood a few miles west and a little north of Old Testament Shechem and very near New Testament Sychar (cf. John 4:5). The Old Testament city of Samaria-Sebaste was its Greek name-had been the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Philip"s willingness to preach "the Christ" (cf. Acts 8:12) to the Samaritans demonstrates an openness that had not characterized Jesus" disciples formerly (cf. John 4:9). Sometimes God moves us out of our comfort zone because He has a job for us to do elsewhere. A whole new people-group came to faith in Christ.

Context Summary

Acts 8:1-13 - Fruits Of The Scattered Seed
Evidently Stephen was beloved outside the precincts of the Church, for it would seem that the devout men who lamented his early death and carried his poor body to its burial were godly Jews who had been attracted by his earnest character. In the furious persecution that ensued under the leadership of Saul, neither sex nor age was spared. According to the subsequent statement of the arch-persecutor, the disciples of Jesus were dragged before the magistrate, thrust into prison, exposed to cruel torture, and compelled to blaspheme His holy Name. During those terrible days scenes were enacted which were destined to fill the heart of the future Apostle with most poignant sorrow.
This persecution was overruled to scatter the Church, which had grown too prosperous and secure, and needed to be reminded of the Lord's injunction to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. The light must be diffused; the salt must be scattered. How often God has to drive us by trouble to do what we ought to have done gladly and spontaneously! It was impossible to keep the deacons to the office of serving tables. Philip must needs go to Samaria, and that city welcomed what Jerusalem had refused. Here we enter upon the second circle of Acts 1:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 8

1  By occasion of the persecution in Jerusalem, the church being planted in Samaria,
4  by Philip the deacon, who preached, did miracles, and baptized many;
9  among the rest Simon the sorcerer, a great seducer of the people;
14  Peter and John come to confirm and enlarge the church;
15  where, by prayer and imposition of hands giving the Holy Spirit;
18  when Simon would have bought the like power of them,
20  Peter sharply reproving his hypocrisy and covetousness,
22  and exhorting him to repentance,
25  together with John preaching the word of the Lord, return to Jerusalem;
26  but the angel sends Philip to teach and baptize the Ethiopian Eunuch

Greek Commentary for Acts 8:5

Philip [Πιλιππος]
The deacon (Acts 6:5) and evangelist (Acts 21:8), not the apostle of the same name (Mark 3:18). [source]
To the city of Samaria [εις την πολιν της Σαμαριας]
Genitive of apposition. Samaria is the name of the city here. This is the first instance cited of the expansion noted in Acts 8:4. Jesus had an early and fruitful ministry in Samaria (John 4), though the twelve were forbidden to go into a Samaritan city during the third tour of Galilee (Matthew 10:5), a temporary prohibition withdrawn before Jesus ascended on high (Acts 1:8). Proclaimed (εκηρυσσεν — ekērussen). Imperfect active, began to preach and kept on at it. Note ευαγγελιζομενοι — euaggelizomenoi in Acts 8:4 of missionaries of good news (Page) while εκηρυσσεν — ekērussen here presents the preacher as a herald. He is also a teacher (διδασκαλος — didaskalos) like Jesus. Luke probably obtained valuable information from Philip and his daughters about these early days when in his home in Caesarea (Acts 21:8). [source]
Proclaimed [εκηρυσσεν]
Imperfect active, began to preach and kept on at it. Note ευαγγελιζομενοι — euaggelizomenoi in Acts 8:4 of missionaries of good news (Page) while εκηρυσσεν — ekērussen here presents the preacher as a herald. He is also a teacher (διδασκαλος — didaskalos) like Jesus. Luke probably obtained valuable information from Philip and his daughters about these early days when in his home in Caesarea (Acts 21:8). [source]
Philip []
The deacon (Acts 6:5). Not the apostle. On the name, see on Mark 3:18. [source]
Christ [τὸν Χριστόν]
Note the article, “the Christ,” and see on Matthew 1:1. [source]
He did [ἐποίει]
Imperfect.Kept doing from time to time, as is described in the next verse. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 8:5

John 4:38 I sent [εγω απεστειλα]
Emphatic use of εγω — egō and first aorist active indicative of αποστελλω — apostellō common in John for to send. Whereon ye have not laboured Perfect active indicative of κοπιαω — kopiaō for which see John 4:6. So also κεκοπιακασιν — kekopiakasin in next line. The disciples had done no sowing here in Sychar, only Jesus and the woman. Others And ye Emphatic contrast. Have entered Perfect active indicative of εισερχομαι — eiserchomai Into their labour Into the fruit and blessed results of their toil This is always true as seen in Acts 8:5-7, Acts 8:14. [source]
Acts 8:14 Samaria. []
The country, not the city. See Acts 8:5, Acts 8:9. [source]
Acts 8:14 That Samaria had received [οτι δεδεκται η Σαμαρια]
The district here, not the city as in Acts 8:5. Perfect middle indicative of δεχομαι — dechomai retained in indirect discourse. It was a major event for the apostles for now the gospel was going into Samaria as Jesus had predicted (Acts 1:8). Though the Samaritans were nominally Jews, they were not held so by the people. The sending of Peter and John was no reflection on Philip, but was an appropriate mission since “many Christian Jews would be scandalized by the admission of Samaritans” (Furneaux). If Peter and John sanctioned it, the situation would be improved. John had once wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village (Luke 9:54). [source]
1 Thessalonians 1:1 The church [ἐκκλησίᾳ]
From ἐκ outand καλεῖν tocall or summon. Originally with a secular meaning, an assembly of citizens regularly summoned. So Acts 19:39. lxx uses it for the congregation of Israel, either as convened for a definite purpose (1 Kings 8:65; Deuteronomy 4:10; Deuteronomy 18:16), or as a community (2 Chronicles 1:3, 2 Chronicles 1:5; 2 Chronicles 23:3; Nehemiah 8:17). The verbs ἐκκλησιάζειν and ἐξεκκλησιάζειν tosummon formally, which do not occur in N.T., are found in lxx with συναγωγὴν gathering λαόν peopleand πρεσβυτέρους elders Συναγωγὴ is constantly used in lxx of the children of Israel as a body (Exodus 12:6, Exodus 12:19, Exodus 12:47; Leviticus 4:13, etc.), and is the more common word in N.T. for a Jewish as distinguished from a Christian assembly; sometimes with the addition of the Jews (Acts 8:5; Acts 14:1; Acts 17:1). It is once used of a Christian assembly (James 2:2). Ἑπισυναγωγὴ gatheringtogether, occurs 2 Thessalonians 2:1; Hebrews 10:25. The Ebionites retained συναγωγὴ in preference to ἐκκλησία . The lxx translators found two Hebrew words for “assembly” or “congregation,”: עֵדָה and קָהָל, and rendered the former by συναγωγὴ in the great majority of instances. Ἑκκλησία does not appear as the rendering of עֵדָה. They were not as consistent in rendering קָהָל, since they used both συναγωγὴ and ἐκκλησία , though the latter was the more frequent: see Leviticus 4:13; Deuteronomy 5:22, etc. The A.V. renders both words by “congregation” and “assembly” indiscriminately. Ἑκκλησία is only once used in N.T. of a Jewish congregation, Acts 7:38; yet there are cases where there is an apparent attempt to guard its distinctively Christian sense against being confounded with the unconverted Jewish communities. Hence the addition; ἐν Χριστῷ inChrist, Galatians 1:22; ἐν θεῷ πατρὶ και, κυρίῳ Ἱησοῦ Χριστῷ inGod the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 1:1; comp. 2 Thessalonians 1:1. In both Hebrew and N.T. usage, ἐκκλησία implies a community based on a special religious idea, and established in a special way. In N.T. it is also used in a narrower sense, of a single church, or of a church confined to a single place. So Romans 16:5, etc. [source]
2 Timothy 4:5 Of an evangelist [εὐαγγελιστοῦ]
Here, Acts 21:8and Ephesians 4:11. In the last passage, a special function, with apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers. A traveling, minister whose work was not confined to a particular church. So Philip, Acts 8:5-13, Acts 8:26-40. A helper of the apostles. An apostle, as such, was an evangelist (1 Corinthians 1:17), but every evangelist was not an apostle. In The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (about 100 a.d.) it is prescribed that an apostle shall not remain in one place longer than two days, and that when he departs he shall take nothing with him except enough bread to last until his next station (ch. xi). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 8:5 mean?

Philip now having gone down to - [a] city - of Samaria was proclaiming to them the Christ
Φίλιππος δὲ κατελθὼν εἰς τὴν πόλιν τῆς Σαμαρείας ἐκήρυσσεν αὐτοῖς τὸν Χριστόν

Φίλιππος  Philip 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Φίλιππος  
Sense: an apostle of Christ.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
κατελθὼν  having  gone  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κατέρχομαι  
Sense: to come down, go down.
τὴν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πόλιν  [a]  city 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πόλις  
Sense: a city.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Σαμαρείας  of  Samaria 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Σαμάρεια 
Sense: a territory in Palestine, which had Samaria as its capital.
ἐκήρυσσεν  was  proclaiming 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κηρύσσω  
Sense: to be a herald, to officiate as a herald.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Χριστόν  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.