Gospel spread to the Gentiles - (Acts 10: 1-16) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Gospel spread to the Gentiles - (Acts 10: 1-16)                              Date 3/30/2026

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries:Biblical Precepts & Gospel music

Cornelius’s prayer and vision

¹At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. ²He and all his family were devout and God fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. ³One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” ⁴Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the

poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 

⁵ Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. ⁸ He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s prayer and vision

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat.” ¹⁴ Surely not, Lord! Peter replied. “ I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” ¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” ¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. (vv.13-16)

 

 Verse 1 A centurion was a noncommissioned officer who was in command of one hundred men. Cornelius was a commander in the Italian Regiment. Here the Lord took a further step in His evangelistic work. By this He reached another utter Gentile, a man of Italy of the Roman Empire in Europe. Thus the door of the gospel was opened to all the Gentiles. It was difficult for the Jewish apostles and disciples, with their Jewish background and habit, to come near the Gentiles (v.28). Hence, this was an extraordinary move, needing the participation of an angel of God (v.3), just as when Philip approached the Ethiopian, a man from Africa, in 8:25. In the two cases the Spirit spoke to Philip and to Peter, respectively, in a particular way (8:29;10:19).

Verse 2 Like the Ethiopian eucueh, Cornelius, the Roman centurion, was seeking God, as Paul mentioned in 17:27. Cornelius was a semi-proselyte to Judaism accepting Jewish beliefs and practices but stopping short of circumcision.

Verse 3 Cornelius prayed around ninth hour  I.e., 3 pm

Verse 4 Though Cornelius was part of fallen mankind, sinful and condemned before God like all others, God accepted his prayers and his alms, whereas He rejected Cain’s (Gen4:3,5). This must have been because of the fact that God, based on Christ’s eternal redemption and in view of Cornelius’s believing in Christ in the ensuing days, forgave him (v.43) according ot His foreknowledge.

Verse 9 Peter pray around the sixth hour I.e., 12 noon. Cornelius received a vision in prayer (v.30), and Peter also received a vision (vv.17,19) in prayer, through which God’s plan and move were carried out. Man’s pray is needed a a means of cooperating with God’s move.

Verse 10 Signifying seeking after the things of God (Matt.5:6). God fills the hungry with good things (Luke1:53). Want to eat A word usually rendered tast.  Trance the Greek word means being put out of us place, referring to a state in which a man senses that he passes out of himself and from which he comes to himself, as a dream but without sleep. It differs from a vision as in vv.3,17, and 19, in which definite objects are visible to human eyes. However, in this ecstasy, or trance, Peter saw a vision.(11:5).

Verse 11 indicating that the Lord’sevangelistic move on earth is under His administration on the throne in heaven (Heb.8:1; Acts 7:56). All the apostles and evangelists were and still are carrying out the heavenly commission on earth for the spreading of the gospel of the kingdom of God. Vessel that was like a great sheet symbolizes the gospel spreading to the four corners of the inhabited earth to collect all kinds of unclean (sinful) people (Luke13:29).

Verse 12 symbolizing men of all kinds (vv.15,28).

Verse 13 in this sign, to eat is to associate with people (v.28).

Verse 14 As taught in Lev.11. Circumcision, Sabbath keeping, and a particular diet are the three strongest ordinances according to the law of Moses that make the Jews distinct and separate from the Gentiles, whom the Jews consider unclean. All these scriptural ordinances of the Old Testament dispensation became an obstacle to the spreading of the gospel to the Gentiles according to God’s New Testament dispensation (15:1;Col.2:16).

Verse 15 Referring to people whom God has cleansed through the redeeming blood of Christ (Rev.1:5) and the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; Acts 15:9).

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

 

 

Palm Sunday - Palm Branch - The Triumphal Entry of Jesus by Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Palm Sunday- Palm Branch -The Triumphal Entry of Jesus 

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce                                                                          

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music 

            The triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem as King, four gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John had same narrative, but “Palm branches” only John mentions the palm branches in John 12:13, “They took palm branches and went out to meet him shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel! Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion, see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” (John 12:12-15).

Palm branches symbolize…

   Palm branches were symbols of Jewish nationalism. Significantly, in the glimpse of heaven in Rev. 7:9 Palm branches are being waived by people of every nation, tribe, people and language. For believers, true nationalism is allegiance to the people of God everywhere. John saw a multitude with palm branches in heaven according to Revelation 7:9-12.

    “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding PALM BRACHES in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thinks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever Amen!” (Rev.9-12)  

     Psalm branches signify the victory of the saints over tribulations, which they have undergone for the Lord’s sake. (John12:13). Palm trees are also a sign of satisfaction gained through being watered. As Exodus 15:27 said, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.” (Exo.15:27)

     Palm branches were used for the feast of Tabernacles, in which the people of God rejoiced because of the satisfaction of their enjoyment as Leviticus 23:40 said,

     “On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. (Lev.23:40).

    And that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from Olive and wild Olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths “as it is written. (Nehemiah8:15).

        The Feast of Tabernacles was a type that will be fulfilled by this great multitude of God’s redeemed enjoying the eternal Feast of Tabernacles. In the temple of God this multitude will flourish like the palm tree as Psalm 92:12-15 says, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “the Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:12-15)

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

The Spreading of Peter’s Ministry (Acts 9:32-43) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

The Spreading of Peter’s Ministry (Acts 9:32-43)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce   

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

Scriptures reading Acts 9:32-43

³² Now as Peter was passing through all those parts, he came down also to the saints dwelling at Lydda. ³³ And he found there a certain man named Aeneas, who for eight years had been lying on a mat, for he was paralyzed. 

³⁴ Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. 

³⁵ And all those dwelling in Lydda and Sharon saw him; and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: This woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

³⁷ And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

³⁸ And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 

³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 

⁴⁰ But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

⁴¹ And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widow, presented her alive.

⁴² And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

⁴³ And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

      Verse 32 Lydda is eleven miles SE of Joppa also called Lod in the Old Testament (1 Chron.8:12; Ezra2:33) . Sharon. The plain extending southward for fifty miles along the Mediterranean Sea from modern Haifa, which stands on Mt. Carmel. Tabitha means “gazelle” (Dorcas is Greek for the same).

            

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

Saul preached Christ after his conversion (Acts 9:20-31) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Saul preached Christ after his conversion (Acts 9:20-31)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

Scriptures reading (Acts 9:20-31kjv)

 

²⁰ And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

²¹ But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?

²² But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

²³ And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him;

²⁴ But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

²⁵Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

²⁶And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples:but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

²⁷ But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the ay, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

²⁹ And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Gracians:but they went about to slay him.

³⁰ Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.

³¹ Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walkin gin the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

 

Through Ananias’s placing his hands on Saul, Paul is identified with the people he had been persecuting. After many days had gone by. Druing this time Paul went to Arabia (Gal.1:17) so that three years elapsed between his conversion and his going to Jerusalem (Acts9:26). Acts 9:31 Since at that time the church had spread only to the regions of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and since the word whole covers all the places where the church existed, church in singular is used here in the universal sense, although there must have been churches in the local sense in a number of the cities of these three regions. They had peace inwardly, although there was persecution outwardly. The church is afraid not of being persecuted outwardly but of not having peace inwardly, for only when there is peace can there be the building up. The building up proceeded after the establishing of the church. Not in the fear of men, although there were persecutions, but in the fear of the Lord lest the church offend the Lord by being put down or even subdued by the persecution, and lest she offend Him in other things. “comfort” indicating that the church was suffering affliction through the persecutions, in which she feared the Lord and enjoyed the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 

 

Bibliography,

King James, The Holy Bible (KJV), Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

The Conversion of Saul- Jesus sent Ananias to open his eyes (Acts 9 :10-19) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

The Conversion of Saul- Jesus sent Ananias to open his eyes (Acts 9 :10-19)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce    

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel music

Scriptures reading Acts 9:10-19

 

¹⁰And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ¹¹And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, ¹²And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. ¹³ Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: ¹⁴And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. ¹⁵ But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel; ¹⁶ For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. ¹⁷ And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. ¹⁹And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

Verse 11 The Lord sent Ananias, one member of His Body, to Saul that Saul might be initiated into identification with the Body of Christ. This too must have impressed Saul with the importance of the Body of Christ, helping him to realize that a saved believer needs the members of the Body of Christ.

Verse 12 Or, regain. The blinded Saul’s receiving of signt was his being saved in full. This was exceedingly important to him. It was especially important that his inner eyes were opened to see the things of God concerning His mysteries and His economy.

Verse 14 Indicating that in the early days calling upon the Lord’s name was a sign of the Lord’s followers (1Cor.1:2). This calling must have been audible, so that others could hear, thus it became a sign.

Verse 15 “ for this man is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name” Because of this, Saul had been set apart from his mother’s womb and called by the Lord (Gal.1:15). The Lord is sovereign and able, according to His choosing in eternity, to make the most fierce among His persecutors a vessel, a leading apostle, to carry out His commission in preaching the gospel and taking the way he had opposed and persecuted. Eventually, the opposing Saul became, in his victorious ministry of the gospel, Christ’s vanquished captive in the triumphal procession celebrating Christ’s victory over all His enemies (2 Cor.2:14). The Lord’s perfecting of His chosen vessels in such a way is excellent and glorious.

Verse 17 Saul’s case was a particular one also because, as the most significant persecutor, he had been saved directly by the Lord from heaven while on his way to persecute the believers. Hence, like the Samaritan believers (8:14-17) and the twelve disciples in Ephesus (19:1-7), he needed a member of the Body of Christ to initiate him into identification with the Body of Christ by the laying on of hands. Filled outwardly. According to the principle of salvation in God’s New Testament economy, Saul must have received the Holy Spirit of life essentially at the time of his conversion, prior to Ananias’s coming and laying his hands on him. Before Ananias came, Saul was praying to the Lord (v.11) indicating that he had believed in the Lord and was calling on Him (Rom.10:13-14) like those believers whom he had ravaged and was going to arrest (vv.21,14). But since he had not been saved through any member of the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit did not fall upon him economically (2:17) until Ananias came as the representative of the Body to identify him with the Body of Christ.

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

The Conversion of Saul (Acts 9 :1-9) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

The Conversion of Saul (Acts 9 :1-9)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce    

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel music

Scriptures reading Acts 9 : 1-9

 Lord appeared to Saul 

¹ But Saul, still breathing threatening and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked for letters from him to Damascus for the synagogues, so that if he found any who were of the way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ And as he went, he drew near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ And he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? ⁵ And he said, who are You, Lord? and He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. ⁶ But rise up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.⁷ And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. ⁸ And Saul rose from the ground; and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. And they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ And he was three days without seeing, and he neither ate nor drank.

 

Verse 2 Denoting the Lord’s full salvation in God’s New Testament economy. It is the way God dispenses Himself into the believers through Christ’s redemption and the Spirit’s anointing; it is the way the believers partake of God and enjoy God; it is the way the believers worship God in their spirit by enjoying Him and follow the persecuted Jesus by being one with Him; and it is the way the believers are brought into the church and built up into the Body of Christ to bear the testimony of Jesus.

Verse 4 A corporate “ME” comprising Jesus the Lord and all His believers. Saul did not have this revelation. He thought that he was persecuting Stephen and other Jesus-followers, who were in the way, which he considered heresy (24:14). He did not know that when he persecuted these, he persecuted Jesus, for they were one with Him by being united to Him through their faith in Him. He considered that he was persecuting people on earth, never thinking that he touched anyone in heaven. To his great surprise a voice from heaven told him that He was the One whom he was persecuting and that His name was Jesus. To him this was a unique revelation in the universe! By this he began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person- the wonderful “Me”. This must have impressed and affected him for his future ministry concerning Christ and the church as the great mystery of God (Eph.5:32) and laid a solid foundation for his unique ministry.

Verse 5 Saul call Him “Lord”, even without knowing Him (Rom.10:13).

Verse 6 The Lord would not directly tell Saul immediately after his conversion what He wanted him to do. This was because he needed a member of His Body to initiate him into identification with the Body, for he had been saved and brought to the Lord directly by Him, not indirectly through any channel. Unless a member of His Body had been sent by the Lord to contact him, it would have been difficult for any member of the Body to receive Saul. This is related to Saul’s knowledge concerning the Body of Christ and to his ministry for the Body of Christ later (Col.1:24)

Verse 8 This was the Lord’s dealing with Saul. Before this, Saul would have considered himself marvelously knowledgeable, as one who knew all things concerning man and God. Now the Lord made him blind so that he could see nothing until the Lord opened his eyes, especially his inner eyes, and commissioned him to open the eyes of others (26:18).

 

Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

Philip preached on the Gaza Road (Acts 8:26-40) By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

 Philip preached on the Gaza Road (Acts 8:26-40)        3/24/2026

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music

  

Scriptures reading Acts 8:26-40

      ²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road- the desert road-that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷So h started out, anon his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, as important official in charge of all the treasury of Canace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,²⁸ and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ³¹ “How can I”, he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ³³ In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”³⁵ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” ³⁷ And Philip said, “if you believe from all your heart, you will be saved.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ³⁸And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

 

Verse 25 To testify the word of the Lord is to witness according to personal experience of the Lord, and to speak the word of the Lord is to preach and teach according to the revelation of the Lord.

Verse 26 The desert road. Possibly the road to Desert Gaza, the old city that had been destroyed in 93 B.C. and that was inland from the Gaza of N.T. times.

Verse 27 Ethiopian. Not from present –day Abyssinia but ancient Nubia, south of Aswan. The story shows how far the gospel was spreading. Candance. The hereditary title of Ethiopian queens. Ethiopia is Cush (Isa.18:1) the land of the descendants of Cush, the son of Ham (Gen.10:6). The gospel had spread from the racially pure Jews to the racially mixed Samaritans through Philip and Peter and John (vv.5-25). Now the angel of the Lord directed. Philip to contact an utter Gentile from Ethiopia. Through this the gospel spread southward to Africa. Proving that the Ethiopian eunuch was seeking God.

Verse 29 The mentioning of the Spirit here, as in v.39; 10:19;13:2; and 16:6-7, indicates that in this book the Lord’s move in spreading His kingdom through the preaching of the gospel was by the Spirit’s leading and directing, not by man’s device and schedule. Hence, this move was not the act of man but the act of the Spirit. This is altogether different from today’s degraded practice.

Verse 32 Referring to Christ the Redeemer. It must have been sovereignly of the Spirit’s teaching that the eunuch opened to the passage concerning Christ as the sinners’ redeeming Lamb, a passage good for gospel preaching.

Verse 35 Told him the good news about Jesus. Before the coming of Jesus, the Jews understood Isa.53 as referring to the Messiah. This interpretation was abandoned as Christians applied the prophecy to Jesus of Nazareth, and Isa. 53 was then considered by the Jews to be referring either to Isaiah himself or to the people of Israel, who would be a light to the nations. etc.

Verse 36 This indicates that Philip preached water baptism to the eunuch. In this gospel case, water baptism was particularly emphasized, but no mention was made of Spirit baptism. This should give us strong instruction that we must pay attention to water baptism, which signifies the believers’ identification with Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom.6:3-5; Col.2:12), as well as to Spirit baptism. Spirit baptism produces the reality of the believers’ union with Christ in life essentially and in power economically, whereas water baptism is the believers’ affirmation of the Spirit’s reality. Both are needed (10:47), and neither can replace the other. All believers in Christ should properly have both, just as the children of Israel were baptized in the cloud (signifying the Spirit) and in the sea (signifying water) 1 Cor.10:2

Verse 37 Many ancient MSS omit this verse. 

 Bibliography,

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.