Scattered with the Gospel for the Joy of the City

At this point in Acts, the church has experienced significant growth. Thousands of people have come to faith. At the same time, the Apostles have faced significant trouble: arrests, imprisonment, questioned before the authorities, threatened, and beaten.

Chapters 6-8 begin a transition of people and places. The ministry of the gospel begins to spread through the lives of everyday disciples of Jesus, not only the Apostles. And the gospel spills out of the city of Jerusalem and into the surrounding areas of Judea and Samaria, in fulfillment of what Jesus said in 1:8.

In this text we see four “people,” two who went out preaching the gospel and two who respond to the gospel. Philip is an everyday disciple; Simon is a would-be disciple. The Samaritans are joyful receivers of the gospel, and Peter and John extend the mission of the gospel.

The big idea? God uses everyday disciples sharing the word of Christ and showing the love of Christ in their community to bring great joy to all people, for God’s glory!

Scripture: Acts 8:4-25; John 4:1-42