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I love this part in the Bible about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. God evidently knew that the eunuch in a queen’s chariot on a desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza, was having trouble understanding a passage in Isaiah. God wanted Philip to go to the eunuch, and he did. Philip shared Jesus with him, and a baptism followed. Acts 8:36-38 reads,“36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[b] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.”
If you’re wondering what the water source was by that desert road, Wikipedia says, “One of the traditional sites of the baptism is the Ein Hanya Spring.[6] Others place the traditional site of baptism at the Dhirweh fountain, near Halhul.[2]”
What happened next most likely stunned the Ethiopian (and Philip). Acts 8:39-40 says, “39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.”
According to TheBibleSays.com, it’s roughly 30 miles between Gaza and Azotus. God teleported Philip quite a distance!
Even though we know where Philip ended up after the baptism, it might be that while on earth, the Ethiopian eunuch never found out where Philip went. However, in Heaven, the eunuch could see Philip, and hear details of the account we don’t know.
On this Memorial Day weekend, I’m thinking about Philip. Per a Heavenly angel’s command, Philip intercepted an Ethiopian in a chariot on the Jerusalem to Gaza road. Philip helped him understand Scripture and then baptized him. After they left the water, God teleported Philip to another place called Azotus. If Philip and the Ethiopian were at Gaza when God made Philip disappear, the NIV Study Bible says that would be roughly 20 miles away. Teleporting Philip over about 20 miles? I wonder what Philip was thinking. Maybe it was a memorable thrill ride that he described to others on Earth. And it’s possible that he could have told/can tell his teleportation tale to others in Heaven.
Big Bible Fan 