Examples of Faith in the New Testament (Continued)

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch - Pinterest

Ethiopian eunuch - An angel of the Lord told Philip to "arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."

Philip arose and went.  A man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the Ethiopian queen who was in charge of all her treasury had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning.  He was sitting in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit told Philip to go near and overtake the chariot.  Philip ran to the eunuch and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah.  He asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

The eunuch replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?"  Then, he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.  He was reading Isaiah 53:7, 8 when the prophet spoke of Jesus being led as sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb silent before its shearers so He opened not His mouth.  In His humiliation His justice was taken away.  And who will declare His generation?  For His life is taken from the earth.

The eunuch asked Philip if the prophet was speaking about himself or someone else.  Philip, using that Scripture as the beginning, preached Jesus to him.  As they went down the road, the eunuch saw the water and said, "See, here is water.  What hinders me from being baptized?"

Philip said to him, "If you believe with all your heart, you may."

And the eunuch answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

He commanded the chariot to stop and Philip and he went down into the water and Philip baptized him.  When the came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away so that the eunuch didn't see him anymore.  He went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:26-39).

Barnabas - The church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch.  When he got there and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all with purpose of heart that they should continue with the Lord.  Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.  And a great many people were added to the Lord (Acts 11:22-24).

Lydia - Lydia heard Paul and the others speaking to the women by the riverside on the Sabbath day.  This was where prayer was customarily made.  Lydia was a seller of purple and was from Thyatira.  She worshipped God.  The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.  When she and her household were baptized she begged them, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay."  And she constrained them (Acts 16:13-15).

Philippian jailer - Paul and Silas are in jail and at midnight when they were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them, suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.  Immediately, the doors were opened and all the prisoners' chains were loosed.

The jailer awoke from his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, he supposed that the prisoners had escaped.  He drew his sword intending to take his life but Paul stopped him, saying, "Do yourself no harm for we are all here."

The jailer called for a light, ran in and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.  He brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

They said to him, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who were in his house.  And he took Paul and Silas that same hour of the night and washed their stripes.  Immediately, he and all his family were baptized.  When he brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household (Acts 16:25-34).

Paul - "For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve, saying, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you."

"Therefore, take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me" (Acts 27:23-25).

Paul spoke these words when they had been at sea for many days and the others had given up all hope that they would be saved.  In verse 21, he said to them, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.  And now I urge you to take heart (courage), for there will be no more loss of life among you, but only of the ship" (verse 22).  

In verse 41, we see that the ship was ran aground and in verse 44, everyone escaped safely to land.  The Word of God came to pass as revealed by the angel.  We an trust completely in God and in His precious Word.