Understanding

When was the last time you read a scripture and thought, "I just don't understand this?" Occasionally, one of those scriptures for some has been from Acts 8:38-40, "Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea." - Acts 8:38-40 (NIV) It seems clear the two men went into the water, but "suddenly" Philip was taken away and preached in towns along the way to Caesarea. What does "suddenly" mean. Those seeking wondrous activities of the Holy Spirit propose he was lifted up in the air and flown to another place. I propose a different explanation. Philip was probably not picked up at all, he left the eunuch, exited the road, and continued his journey home, the one he had begun. Luke's point here is not a miracle to cause belief, but one to explain how the Gospel was preached as the disciples went from place to place. Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit inspires, convicts, empowers, emboldens, directs, guides, and leads God's servants in sharing the story of Jesus in much of the Roman Empire. The Holy Spirit does not always act in mystical ways.