- Just before this, Stephen was martyred after preaching to the Jews of their rejection of the Righteous One: Jesus Christ.
- The gospel had now been repeatedly presented to the Jews, and their rejection of the cornerstone of Christ had now extended to Christ's church, scattering them.
- In God's providence, now the gospel would expand to the Greek, as Paul later records in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek".
- Philip encounters the "Greek" twice in this passage, first with the Samaritans, and then to the Ethiopian eunuch.
- Both the Samaritans and the eunuch were considered unclean, yet here we see Philip, a Jewish Christian, proclaim the gospel to both.
- Among these two proclamations, we see a difference in response between Simon and the eunuch.
- Simon is baptized for his belief, but when he witnesses the gifting of the Holy Spirit to the baptized Samaritan believers, he tries to purchase this power and authority through laying on of hands, he is sharply rebuked, causing him to ask for prayer that he may not come under God's discipline.
- When the eunuch asks to be baptized, Philip grants his request, the eunuch goes off rejoicing, and Philip is taken supernaturally to continue preaching the gospel.
- Let our response be like the Eunuch and not like that of Simon, accepting the gospel with humble and genuine faith, rather than selfish desire.