The Unlikely Advancement (Acts 8:4-25)

Stephen is dead, persecution is spreading, and the church is being scattered. Yet the gospel does not stop. In Acts 8, Philip goes to Samaria—a place the Jews would hardly have expected to receive the gospel. There we see both the surprising reach of God's grace and the danger of an outward profession without genuine faith. The gospel is not for the worthy, nor can God's Spirit be manipulated for our ambitions. Christ himself preserves and advances his church, calling sinners to repentance and faith in him.