Matthew Henry on Acts 8:4-13
Samson's riddle is here again unriddled: Out of the eater comes forth meat, and out of the strong sweetness. The persecution that was designed to extirpate the church was by the overruling providence of God made an occasion of the enlargement of it. Christ had said, I am come to send fire on the earth; and they thought, by scattering those who were kindled with that fire, to have put it out, but instead of this they did but help to spread it.
I. Here is a general account of what was done by them all (Act 8:4): They went every where, preaching the word. They did not go to hide themselves for fear of suffering, no, nor to show themselves as proud of their sufferings; but they went up and down…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 8:6
the people with one accord gave heed to . . . Philip--the way being prepared perhaps by the fruits of our Lord's sojourn, as He Himself seems to intimate (see on Joh 4:31-38). But "we may mark the providence of God in sending a Grecian, or a Hellenistic Jew, to a people who from national antipathy would have been unlikely to attend to a native of Judea" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].
Adam Clarke on Acts 8:7
For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed - Hence it is evident that these unclean spirits were not a species of diseases; as they are here distinguished from the paralytic and the lame. There is nothing more certain than that the New Testament writers mean real diabolic possessions by the terms unclean spirits, devils, etc., which they use. It is absolute trifling to deny it. If we, in our superior sagacity can show that they were mistaken, that is quite a different matter!
John Gill on Acts 8:7
For unclean spirits,.... Devils, so called because they were unclean themselves, defiled others, add delighted in impure persons and places; See Gill on Matthew 10:1.
crying with loud voice; showing their unwillingness to remove, and the irresistibleness of divine power they could not withstand:
came out of many that were possessed with them; who had for a long time dwelt in them, and had greatly afflicted them:
and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed; by Philip, in the name of Christ, through a word speaking, or by touching them, without making use of any means or medicines.
