Acts 8 tells us about the persecution that the Christians in Jerusalem underwent. They had to flee from Jerusalem and spread out to many other places. The chapter also tells about the preaching of Philip. It further tells us about the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. We are also told about the conversion of Simon the Sorcerer.
Within the context of those accounts, we are given several different names or titles of our Lord, the second person of the Godhead. In verse 5, Philip was preaching Christ. In verse 12, he was preaching about Jesus Christ. In verse 16, we are told that the Samaritans had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
In verse 20, we are told that Peter was able to pass on the gift of God, miraculous powers. In verse 32, Jesus is represented as a sheep and a lamb. In verse 25, He is referred to as simply Lord. In verse 35, He is simply called Jesus. In verse 37, the eunuch said he believed that Jesus is the Son of God.
In verse 26, it is very likely that Jesus is referred to as the angel of the Lord. In the Old Testament, there are several instances where this designation is for the second person of the Godhead. Notice in this context it is not “an” angel of the Lord but “the” angel of the Lord. A specific individual is indicated. The word “angel” means “messenger.” Jesus is the Messenger, the Word.
That brings us to another possible name used in this chapter. In verse 4, we are told the Christians went everywhere preaching “the word.” It is possible that there is parallelism here with verse 5 where we are told Philip went preaching “Christ.” With the fact so many names and titles for Jesus are in this chapter, it is not impossible that “the word” is a designation for Him here as it is in John Chapter One.
Study your Bible. Learn all you can about our Lord, Jesus, Christ, the Angel of the Lord, the Word, Who is God. Learn about the One who became like a sheep and a lamb. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
