Searching for Truth

Acts chapter 8 closes with the very familiar account of Philip the evangelist leading the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ.

Most of us have read this story many times, but as God’s Word often does, the more we study, truths we’ve missed in the past jump out at us in amazing ways.

This happened to me recently while studying and preaching through this account, and I would like to share some of those thoughts.

I’d like to point out four things about the eunuch and make some concluding thoughts on how greatly convicted I was when I considered some of the parallels that apply in our modern context.

His Duty

… a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure … (Acts 8:27 KJV).

Aside from what we have in Scripture, we don’t know a great deal about this man.

Verse 27 tells us he was a man “of great authority,” which is a phrase that comes from a Greek word that suggests our English word potentate, denoting a very powerful person.

His particular responsibility was outlined in vs 27 where we find he “… had the charge of all her treasure …”

So he was what we might call today, a Minister of Finance, or the Secretary of the Treasury.

His Desire

The same verse reveals that he “… had come to Jerusalem for to worship.”

Somehow, he had come into contact with, and was under the influence of, Judaism, and thus was convinced of the truth of God, and convinced that God was only to be found among the Hebrew people.

Most commentators agree this eunuch was a proselyte to Judaism, however, there was something that limited him from being a full proselyte enjoying all the perceived benefits of the religion of the Jews.

Deuteronomy 23 outlines people who would have been excluded from the “congregation of the Lord.”

He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, (that means, one who has been emasculated or had his male organ cut off – a eunuch) shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD (Deuteronomy 23:1).

Though his desire was clearly to know more about God and worship him, as John MacArthur points out, he would have:

“… been unable to participate fully in the Jewish worship services. Further, he would not have been allowed to become a full proselyte to Judaism. He would have been limited to the status of a God-fearer – one who attended the synagogues and read the Scriptures but stopped short of becoming a full proselyte.”

He would have been, as one scholar put it, “… permanently on the fringes of the religion in which he was showing great interest.”

At any rate, what is clear about this man is that he was on a noble search to learn more about, and worship, the one true God.

And as a result, as Kent Hughes describes, “He had just completed a thousand-mile religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem and had a searching heart.”

His Disappointment

Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias … (Acts 8:28-31 KJV).

We have a picture in our minds of this powerful man, on a long journey, searching for God.

He has made a long trip to Jerusalem, and what did he find?

It appears he left there disappointed, longing for further explanation and understanding.

Think about it. He had just been to the heart, the capital so to speak, of Judaism, of God worship, the place that should have been able to explain the profound Scriptures he had questions about, and answer all his questions and longings, but he left there without understanding.

That’s clearly illustrated when Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, and he responded by saying “… how can I, except some man should guide me …” (Acts 8:31).

If anyone should have been equipped to answer the eunuch’s questions regarding the Old Testament Scriptures it should have been those at Jerusalem, but the passage indicates that he was leaving with no better understanding than when he arrived.

He is “returning,” (28) home disappointed.

John MacArthur says of the eunuch: “He made a long, arduous journey from his homeland to Jerusalem, searching for the true God. Unfortunately, given the state of contemporary Judaism, he probably went away still empty.”

Try to imagine this eunuch’s excitement and anticipation as he traveled mile after mile on his pilgrimage to the Holy City. Imagine his thoughts as he is being drawn, and thus searching for God.

As the miles unfolded, surely he thought, “When I get there I’ll learn all the truths I seek to know. All my questions will be answered.”

Instead, he found only disappointment.

John Phillips described what the eunuch likely encountered in Jerusalem: “The materialism, the hypocrisy, the intolerance, the narrow exclusivism, the squabbles and sectarianism, and, above all, the deadness of Judaism.”

Campbell Morgan said, “In Jerusalem he found that whole system of worship materialized, under Sadducean influence; materialized, ritualistic, dead.”

His Discontent

At first, it may seem strange to describe this man as being discontented, given his status in life.

Recall, he was a man of “… great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure …” (Acts 8:27).

As we consider this man and learn of his position, we understand that he had risen about as high as any man could rise in society, short of being a king.

He had power and influence. He had prestige.

He had wealth. We know that because he obtained a scroll of Isaiah, which is something only the wealthy and influential could obtain in that day.

Yet he was being drawn to something greater, still searching, so much so that he was willing to make a 1,000-mile trek to Jerusalem for answers.

Campbell Morgan said, “In some of the things this man said to Philip on his return journey, one can hear the echo of discontent with everything he found in Jerusalem.”

Another commentator said, “Despite his power and prestige, he had a vast emptiness in his soul.”

Why was he discontent, why was he empty? Ultimately, it’s because he didn’t yet have Christ.

I believe he was doing what all men do. He was trying to answer life’s most basic questions.

At some point in life, all men deal with a handful of basic questions:

• Is there a God?
• Who am I and where did I come from?
• Why am I here?
• What is my purpose in life?
• Where am I going, or what happens after I die?

All are going to deal with those basic questions or variations of those questions, which explains why all the world’s religions attempt to answer them in some way.

But it’s no surprise that man is never able to find lasting joy in all the false religions of the world, because they fail and fall apart when examined with scrutiny.

But let me tell you a sad truth, and this is where I was so convicted when I studied and considered this passage differently.

In the same way that this man found himself searching in a place where people should have been equipped to give him some answers, yet left disappointed and discontent, so many today are going to the right place – the church – yet are walking away just like this man; disillusioned, disappointed, and discontent.

It’s not because we, as the body of Christ, don’t have the answers – we do; we have The answer.

They walk away like the eunuch disappointed because the church is not faithfully presenting the Truth accurately and consistently.

We’ve watered down the gospel so as not to offend.

We’ve watered down God’s high standards for the sake of inclusivity.

We’ve watered down what it means to be holy so that people can live in their sins with seemingly no consequence.

We’ve watered down the authority of God’s Word so that it becomes subjective and thus says what the reader wants it to say.

People come to God’s church looking for answers, and because the standards have been lowered so much, they find squabbling and infighting, poor attitudes, professing Christians who know little more than they do, and worse than that, professing Christians who are living more sinful lives than they are.

They come to God’s house and it’s smoke and lights and skits and plays and a big grand production, with little to no Truth presented.

And then they leave, and they think to themselves, “What I just experienced is no different than the world. I don’t have to go to God’s house and be amongst God’s people to get what I just got.” So their quest for answers continues, and they move on.

What an indictment on the modern church. We have the answer to all the world’s problems – His name is Jesus.

People are out there searching, filling their lives with everything the world has to offer; and it offers a lot. But at the end of the day, they have a void that only God can fill.

Philip, when he encountered such a man, was ready to give him what he was looking for.

So here’s my admonition to us as Christians and to us as the body of Christ.

May we live our lives in such a way, and may we function as a church in such a way, that when people show up, if they leave discontent, it’s not because we haven’t done our part, but because they’ve rejected our wonderful God.

Jesus Christ is the only hope.

We are the instruments He has chosen to use to spread that good news.

May it not be said of us, “I came to you looking for answers and hope, and you gave me none.”

May it not be said of our churches, “I came here looking for answers and hope, but I left with none.”

Let us be ready and faithful in our Father’s business so that when they come to us, we give them the Truth they so desperately need.