After the death of Stephen, Saul brought great persecution upon the Church chasing its’ leaders throughout Samaria and Gentile cities as they spread the gospel. Saul’s plan to eradicate Christianity didn’t work the way he had desired as Christianity only gained more followers. One of these church leaders was Philip. In Acts 8, Luke tells two stories about Philip, the first is his encounter with a sorcerer who tries to buy the power of the Holy Spirit, and the other involves teleportation and an Ethiopian Eunuch.

The death of Ananias and Sapphira is often misunderstood, being less about what was given and more about hypocrisy. How this was addressed is clearly the work of God. The Apostles continued proclaiming the truth, however the Jewish leadership reacted negativily to this. However, the results were not what the Jewish leadership expected. But a highly respected Pharisee advised them how they should address these new teachings.

The Holy Spirit comes down, and those in the upper room are baptized in the Holy Spirit, as God had promised. What is this Baptism of the Holy Spirit and what is the effect on those who receive it? There were various gifts given to them, which we will discuss and make clear as to what they were. We discuss these gifts, how they were manifested, and how the Jewish leadership responded. And we discuss the major benefits to the Church then and today of this baptism.