³⁸And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. ³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the Gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

Genuine faith leads spontaneously to identifying outwardly with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that is, in baptism. At Pentecost, Peter explained the close connection between faith and baptism. When his listeners responded to his gospel message, they asked, “What shall we do?” He answered, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin” (Acts 2:37-38). He did not at all mean be baptized “in order to become saved,” but rather, “in order to show you are forgiven.” The Ethiopian eunuch had already confessed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and now as a response, he wanted to be baptized for a demonstration that he was identifying with the Lord.

Although baptism is not necessary for salvation, it is none-the-less very important for the new believer. As many have put it, baptism is the first step of obedience. We could also say that being baptized demonstrates to others publicly that you are a genuine believer. It is the first testimony a believer gives.

Notice the simplicity of Philip’s and the eunuch’s actions. There was no waiting time to prove his faith was genuine. This passage strongly suggests that the act of baptism itself was the public proof of the genuineness of faith. Of course, skepticism will always question this way of thinking, but Philip shows no hesitancy. But how public was this testimony? The eunuch was an official of the Queen of Ethiopia, so he was most likely traveling with an entourage. This testimony would have been quite significant, and it is highly unlikely that he would have been baptized if his faith was not genuine. In fact, the man went away “rejoicing.” His was a changed life! No one is beyond the Gospel’s reach.

Following this baptism of the eunuch, God continued to guide and direct Philip in the general area of Israel, but the only further mention of him is in Scripture is in Acts 21:8 where he is called “the evangelist.” He was not one like Timothy, who was later instructed by Paul to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5). Philip was among those gifted to preach the Gospel and win souls to Christ. (Eph. 4:11). He needed no instruction or urging. And he continued faithfully preaching the Word, not only to all who would listen, but also effectively with his own family (Acts 21:8).

Lord, thank You for those You have called to evangelize the lost. Because of them, I have been saved. Help me to do the work of an evangelist, also.