Holy Spirit leads us to speak to people where they are in their understanding of the Scriptures.

Acts 8:29-35

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“Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.” Acts 8:29-31

As read in the previous post Acts Acts 8:26-28, the eunuch had just left the Scripture readings in Jerusalem and on his way home he pulled over alongside the road to read a portion from the Prophecy of Isaiah. In today’s world, people who have a sincere desire to know the word of God feel something lacking in the fallen churches, so they search scriptures for themselves. That is the Holy Spirit within us seeking for Jesus Christ within the Scriptures, but the fallen churches of today have abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit knew the eunuch was searching for Jesus within the passage of Isaiah 53:7-8 and sent Philip to the eunuch’s chariot. That is the way the Holy Spirit works in us today; He leads us to those who want to know Jesus and are searching for Him within their soul. In today’s atheistic culture, the majority have closed the door to the word of God and want nothing to do with Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives. They have shut the Holy Spirit out of their life. There has been a global falling away from the Gospel of Jesus, as described in 2 Thessalonians 2.

Philip heard the eunuch reading the Prophet Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” As followers of Jesus Christ, we must speak to people where they are in their understanding of the Bible and their search for Jesus Christ. A person would think that the eunuch would have accepted the teachings of the Pharisees during the Scripture reading services, but he didn’t. The Holy Spirit was leading him to seek for a more satisfying explanation of God’s word than what the Pharisees [who rejected Jesus Christ] could provide. Today, there must be some in the fallen churches who realize that something is seriously amiss about the message and fellowship happening there. In the presence of the Holy Spirit, they want to know the Truth, they want to know our Lord Jesus, but they end up saying, “How can I understand, unless someone guides me?” They say to we who live for Jesus in the presence of the Holy Spirit, “Come up and sit with me to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.

“The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” Acts 8:32-33

The place in the Scripture was Isaiah 53:7-8. This is remarkable that the same Scriptures being read then are the same Scriptures we read today in the Old Testament. In fact, anytime the Scripture is mentioned in the New Testament it is referring to the Old Testament Scripture. I wonder if those writing about our Lord Jesus ever thought that those writings would become the Scripture of the New Testament Bible?

The translation quoted in the verse above is a bit different than the translation we have today. This is what today’s translation says, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” Isaiah 53:7-8

The eunuch was reading the Old Testament Scripture about the Prophecy of our Lord Jesus being oppressed and afflicted and did not open His mouth in protest. He was like a sheep led to the slaughter. Jesus was cut off from the land of the living as He was crucified to atone for our sin [as the Lamb of God]. The question is asked, “…who will declare His generation?” Who will declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Why couldn’t the eunuch come to the Pharisees and Scribes for an explanation of those verses? Because they are the ones who oppressed, afflicted, and conspired to have Him put to death. They refused to declare the testimony of Jesus. How could they possibly have given a satisfying answer to the eunuch as to what those verses mean?

In today’s fallen churches, they have abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ to partner with the community agenda. They are those who spiritually oppress and slaughter the Lamb of God and refuse to declare the message of the Cross. They are not able to properly explain the Scriptures to those seeking to serve God through Jesus Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

“So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” Acts 8:34-35

Philip gives a very straightforward answer to the eunuch’s question, “…whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” The answer is Jesus Christ. Philip began preaching Jesus to the eunuch from exactly where the eunuch was in his search for Him. That is exactly how the Holy Spirit works through us, to reach people exactly where they are in their understanding and desire to know the Scriptures and to be introduced to Jesus the Christ.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1