Bible Strands
Acts 8:40
But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Luke narrates Philip’s movements immediately after the Spirit removes him from the Gaza road following the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch. The account shifts from a single supernatural encounter to Philip’s continued itinerary along the Mediterranean coast.
The words — The Greek ευηγγελιζετο (euēngelizeto) literally means “he was evangelizing,” denoting continuous action. It is grammatically tied to διερχομενος (dierchomenos), “passing through,” which physically links his transit to his preaching work.
The thread — This geographic progression ends in Caesarea, the same location where Acts 21:8 places Philip as a resident evangelist and where Acts 10:1 introduces the centurion Cornelius. The textual trajectory establishes Caesarea as the terminus of this specific missionary circuit.
Why it lands — The text records that divine removal does not terminate a mission but redirects it to new urban centers. It requires the reader to track the pattern of sustained proclamation across multiple towns rather than isolating the verse as a standalone miracle.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea.
Cross-references
- Acts 21:8 Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.
- Acts 10:1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
- Acts 23:23 Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
- Acts 23:33 When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.
- Acts 25:4 But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
- 1 Samuel 5:1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
- Joshua 15:46 from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, along with their villages;
- Zechariah 9:6 A mixed race will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines.
- Luke 10:1 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.
- Acts 8:25 And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.