If that isn’t what this statement means, what does it truly mean that Philip “preached unto him Jesus?” Like I’ve previously written and always preached, understanding the CONTEXT of a particular passage is absolutely essential in order to obtain the correct interpretation of the words. The CONTEXT of this particular event is the Lord sovereignly sending His servant Philip to declare the Gospel of God’s grace to one of His chosen sheep – “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.”(Acts 8:26-28) It is obvious from these words that this Ethiopian eunuch had become a proselyte of Judaism, seeing he “had come to Jerusalem for to worship.” Even though he might be what was considered a “good man”, even a “religious person”, he was still a lost person, seeing he was “ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish his own righteousness.” But thank God, He had moved on this man’s heart to be reading the words of the Prophet Isaiah concerning Messiah in Isaiah 53:7. Look at what the Spirit moved and sent Philip to do – “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?”(Acts 8:29,30) Keep in mind: “Faith cometh by HEARING, and HEARING by the word of God.” Men aren’t converted through reading the Scripture, but through the PREACHING of the Gospel. Notice the Eunuch’s honest answer to Philip’s question – “And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?”(Acts 8:31-34) It is in this CONTEXT that the Spirit moved the writer of Acts to record - “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”(Acts 8:35) Now most in false religion, if they encountered a person with this man’s attitude would immediately seek to get them to say “the sinner’s prayer.” This was not what Philip or ANY OF THOSE WHO TRULY KNOW GOD WOULD DO! Philip climbed up into that chariot, and from those verses this man was reading PREACHED to Him of Christ’s person and His work, exactly like Paul would say of his own message and method to all – “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”(I Cor.2:2) Philip preached from these verses of a RIGHTEOUSNESS that NONE could establish but Him who is Divine. He preached to this man how God’s Christ bore the sins of His people in His own body on the tree. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Philip reasoned with him “of righteousness, sin, and judgment to come.” The result of THIS MESSAGE and THIS METHOD are unmistakeable – “And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”(Acts 8:36-3 8) By God-given faith this moral, lost, religious sinner confessed - “I believe that JEHOVAH OUR SALVATION (which is what the name “JESUS” means) the ANOINTED IS the Son of God, the One sent of God to save His people from their sins.” This is what it means to PREACH JESUS!!!