Acts 8:5

Philip was apparently a Hellenistic Jew like Stephen. This was Philip the evangelist who was one of the Seven (cf. Acts 6:5), not the Philip who was one of the Twelve. He travelled north from Jerusalem to Samaria and followed Jesus’ example of taking the gospel to the Samaritans (cf. John 4). The other Jews did not like the people who lived in this area and had no dealings with them (John 4:9). They regarded them as racial and religious half-breeds. They did so since their ancestors were Jews who had intermarried with the Gentiles whom the Assyrians had sent to live there following Assyria’s conquest of Israel in 722 B.C. Furthermore the Samaritans had opposed the rebuilding of the temple in Ezra’s day and had erected their own temple on Mt. Gerizim in competition with the temple on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. In view of Stephen’s depreciation of the Jerusalem temple (Acts 7:44-50), it is not incredible to read that Philip took the gospel to Samaritans. The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch as authoritative and looked for a personal Messiah who would be like Moses.

We do not know exactly where Philip went because Luke did not identify the place specifically. [Note: See Hengel, pp. 70-76, for a full discussion of this enigmatic reference.] It was "down" from Jerusalem topographically, not geographically. Some ancient versions of Acts refer to "a city of Samaria" whereas others have "the city of Samaria." Probably "the city" is correct, though some scholars believe the region of Samaria is in view. [Note: E.g., Witherington, p. 282.] The capital town stood a few miles west and a little north of Old Testament Shechem and very near New Testament Sychar (cf. John 4:5). The Old Testament city of Samaria-Sebaste was its Greek name-had been the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Philip’s willingness to preach "the Christ" (cf. Acts 8:12) to the Samaritans demonstrates an openness that had not characterized Jesus’ disciples formerly (cf. John 4:9). Sometimes God moves us out of our comfort zone because He has a job for us to do elsewhere. A whole new people-group came to faith in Christ.