Acts 8:5 kjv
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
Acts 8:5 nkjv
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
Acts 8:5 niv
Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.
Acts 8:5 esv
Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
Acts 8:5 nlt
Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.
Acts 8 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 1:8 | ...you will receive power...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." | Jesus' mission command, explicitly mentioning Samaria. |
| Acts 6:5 | ...and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip... | Philip's initial selection as one of the seven. |
| Acts 8:1 | And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church... | The persecution in Jerusalem leading to the scattering. |
| Acts 8:4 | Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. | General evangelism by scattered believers. |
| Jn 4:5-26 | So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar...The woman said, "I know that Messiah is coming..." Jesus said, "I who speak to you am he." | Jesus' own ministry to Samaritans, foreshadowing Acts. |
| Lk 9:51-56 | And he sent messengers ahead...But they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. | Initial Samaritan rejection of Jesus, now reversed by Philip. |
| Isa 49:6 | I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." | Prophetic vision of Israel's mission to Gentiles (Samaritans seen as quasi-Gentile). |
| Amos 9:11 | "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches..." | Prophecy of restoring God's people, inclusive of diverse groups. |
| Rom 10:9 | ...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. | Core message of salvation, applicable to all who believe. |
| Acts 2:36 | Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." | The essential message preached by the apostles (Jesus is Christ/Messiah). |
| Acts 3:6 | ...Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" | Example of ministry centered on Christ's power. |
| Acts 4:20 | For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." | Believers compelled to proclaim Jesus. |
| 1 Cor 1:23 | but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles... | The heart of the early Christian message. |
| Gal 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Overcoming ethnic and social divisions in Christ. |
| Mk 16:15 | Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. | Great Commission, emphasizing global reach of Gospel. |
| Matt 10:5-6 | "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." | Jesus' earlier, more limited commission to His disciples; later expanded. |
| Acts 11:19 | Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch... | Further examples of persecution leading to Gospel spread. |
| Zech 8:20-23 | "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities... | Prophecy of many nations coming to seek God. |
| Joel 2:28-29 | "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh..." | Fulfillment of God's Spirit being poured out, enabling broad proclamation. |
| Ez 16:3 | ...Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. | Ezekiel's reminder of Israel's mixed origins, implicitly challenging claims of racial purity against Samaritans. |
| Ezra 4:1-2 | Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple... | Historical origin of Samaritan opposition to Jerusalem temple and pure Jewish faith. |
| Neh 4:7-8 | ...Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem... | Further historical examples of Samaritan (represented by Sanballat) opposition to rebuilding. |
Acts 8 verses
Acts 8 5 Meaning
Acts 8:5 signifies a pivotal moment in the early Christian movement: following intense persecution in Jerusalem, Philip, one of the seven deacons, travels to a city in Samaria and begins openly proclaiming Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) to its inhabitants. This action marked the intentional expansion of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem and Judea, challenging established social and religious boundaries between Jews and Samaritans, and initiating the fulfillment of Jesus' command to be His witnesses in Samaria.
Acts 8 5 Context
Acts 8:5 is situated immediately after a significant turning point in early church history. Following Stephen's martyrdom and the subsequent great persecution initiated by Saul (Acts 8:1-3), the believers in Jerusalem were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. This verse describes Philip's specific mission as a direct response to this persecution, serving as a catalyst for fulfilling Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8. Historically, Jews and Samaritans harbored deep-seated mutual animosity, stemming from theological differences (e.g., location of worship, scriptural canon) and ethnic/historical separation dating back to the Assyrian conquest. Philip's evangelistic outreach in Samaria was therefore a courageous and revolutionary act, breaching longstanding cultural and religious barriers by proclaiming the unifying message of Christ.
Acts 8 5 Word analysis
Philip (Φίλιππος, Philippos): This is not Philip the Apostle, but Philip the evangelist, one of the seven deacons chosen in Acts 6:5-6. His Greek name suggests a background distinct from purely Aramaic-speaking Jews, potentially facilitating his outreach to Samaritans who had a more Hellenistic leaning than Jerusalem Jews. His commissioning for practical service also extended to powerful evangelistic ministry.
went down (κατέβη, katēbē): The verb implies both geographical descent (Jerusalem is situated on a mountain plateau, so one always "goes down" from it) and a potential symbolic departure from the perceived spiritual center to the 'fringes' or despised territories. This "down" motion marks a literal and missional movement, taking the Gospel outside the Jewish heartland.
to a city of Samaria: The Greek text does not specify which city ("πόλιν τῆς Σαμαρείας," polin tēs Samareias - "a city of Samaria"). It could have been the city of Samaria (Sebaste) itself, or more likely, Shechem/Sychar (known from Jn 4). The unspecified nature emphasizes the broader region, indicating the message was not confined to a single locality, but extended across the Samaritan territory. This deliberate move signifies breaking societal barriers and reaching out to a marginalized group.
and proclaimed (ἐκήρυσσεν, ekēryssen): This imperfect tense verb indicates a continuous and public action of preaching, not a mere private discussion. The word kērussō means "to preach as a herald" or "to officially announce." Philip's activity was formal, authoritative, and central to his mission. It highlights a proactive, bold, and open declaration of the message.
Christ (τὸν Χριστόν, ton Christon): The definite article "the" emphasizes the Christ, meaning the Anointed One, the promised Messiah. Philip presented Jesus specifically in His role as the awaited deliverer. This was a message directly tailored to Samaritan expectations, as they too anticipated a Messiah (Jn 4:25). For Philip to preach "Christ" to Samaritans implies challenging their truncated biblical canon (which accepted only the Pentateuch) and demonstrating Jesus' fulfillment of broader messianic hope rooted in God's promises.
Words-group analysis:
- "Philip went down to a city of Samaria": This phrase highlights proactive obedience and missionary initiative amidst adversity. The shift from Jerusalem, the stronghold of initial belief and later persecution, to Samaria, a land of ancient animosity, marks a pivotal expansion foreseen by Jesus in Acts 1:8. It underscores Philip's willingness to cross geographical and cultural divides.
- "and proclaimed Christ to them": This succinct statement captures the essence of Philip's message and mission. "Proclaiming Christ" means announcing Jesus as the promised Messiah, demonstrating both courage and the power of the Gospel to transcend long-standing ethnic and religious hatred. It reveals that the core of the early Christian message, regardless of audience, was the identity of Jesus as God's anointed Savior.
Acts 8 5 Bonus section
The mention of Samaria in this context holds significant polemical undertones. For devout Jews, Samaritans were seen as an ethnically and religiously defiled people, partially descended from foreign colonizers and retaining only a part of the Law. Their temple on Mount Gerizim was a rival to Jerusalem. By deliberately going to "a city of Samaria" and preaching Christ – the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies – Philip was implicitly declaring that God's salvation through Jesus was for all, irrespective of ancestry, worship location, or rigid legalistic adherence. This was a profound statement against ethnocentrism and religious exclusivity that pervaded the era, affirming the inclusiveness of the Gospel as foreshadowed by the Old Testament prophets and Jesus' own encounters with Samaritans.
Acts 8 5 Commentary
Acts 8:5 is a foundational verse showcasing the church's first major step in cross-cultural evangelism, driven by the Spirit and ironically catalyzed by persecution. Philip's ministry in Samaria not only fulfilled Jesus' commission but also dismantled centuries-old prejudice by offering a universal Messiah to a scorned people. It highlights that true Gospel proclamation transcends human-made barriers and focuses on the person of Christ as the central, unifying message. This episode demonstrates that scattering, though borne of suffering, can become a means for accelerated kingdom expansion, modeling a mission strategy that is Spirit-led and contextually sensitive in its delivery of Christ. The boldness of proclaiming Christ in such a culturally charged environment attests to the conviction and divine enablement of early evangelists.