Locating the Eunuch: Characterization

and Narrative Context in Acts 8:26-40

SCOTT SHAUF
Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA 24605

ALTHOUGH THE STORY of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) could
be called a hot spot in contemporary Acts scholarship only with some exaggeration, a number of interpretive issues concerning the story have beguiled exegetes
who have attempted to discover the point of the passage in its narrative context.
The account by itself is not difficult to understand. The issues of contention have
not been, for the most part, over understanding the passage as an independent story.
They have rather centered on the place that the episode occupies in the larger narrative of Acts, especially its place in the spread of the Christian movement from
Jews to Gentiles and from Jerusalem to "the end of the earth" (1:8). This place in
the narrative context will thus be the subject of the present investigation. Once the
question of narrative context is asked, however, a number of seemingly innocuous
details in the story itself suddenly seem to stand out as being of major significance.
Hence, without understanding the importance of certain details, one cannot grasp
the narrative context with any degree of success.
There are three chief questions around which the debate about the story's role
in the Acts narrative revolves. The first is the question of the religious and ethnic
identity of the eunuch, in particular whether he is a Jew, a Gentile, or something
in between. Opinions span the gamut, as we will see shortly. Related to this question is also the significance of the designation of the eunuch as an Ethiopian.
Second, the question of whether the designation of the Ethiopian as a
"eunuch" is to be interpreted physically or, rather, as identifying him as a government official has been a hot issue. Perhaps surprisingly, this question is related to
the first one, since Deut 23:1 indicates that a physical eunuch could not be a full
Jew. Many scholars, holding the figure indeed to be a physical eunuch, then take

762

LOCATING THE EUNUCH: ACTS 8:26-40 763

the story as a fulfillment of Isa 56:3-5, which promises eunuchs a place in the
eschatological community of God.
Third, what place does the event of the eunuch's reception of the gospel have
in the larger spread of the missionary movement in Acts? Clearly this question
depends on the answer to thefirsttwo questions, especially thefirst.If the eunuch
is only another Jewish convert, the event's importance is substantially different
than if he is a Gentile. Particularly important in the latter scenario is the relation
ship of the story to the events concerning Cornelius's conversion in chap. 10.
In this study I concentrate on thefirstand third questions. These two questions
are closely related to each other, and one cannot answer either adequately without
answering both. Although I will not be proposing an answer to either that is radi
cally different from what scholars havefrequentlyargued, I hope that, by show
ing precisely how the two questions are related, the answers to both will become
more lucid. In essence, my argument is that Luke's description of the eunuch, as
well as other details in the story, functions specifically to make the story fit in the
broader scheme of the expansion of the Christian mission in Acts. In this regard,
not only is the information provided to the reader important, but the information
that Luke does not disclose is also importantLuke does not give certain details,
the lack of which scholars often fuss over, because such details would disrupt his
story line.
The central problem in understanding the story in its narrative context can be
stated very simply: The information that Luke provides in the text about the
Ethiopian eunuch suggests that the eunuch is a Gentile, but the placement of this
story in the context of the narrative of Acts seems to require him to be a Jew. I will
begin, therefore, with an investigation of the eunuch's status as a Jew or Gentile.
I. Jew or Gentile
There are four clues to the eunuch's pre-Christian religious status. First, he is
an Ethiopian ( [v. 27]).11 discuss the full implications of this designation
below, but for now it suffices merely to point out that this term would, on its own
(i.e., without any further description), certainly identify the eunuch as a Gentile.
2
Being Jewish is not a natural corollary of being Ethiopian.
1
As isfrequentlynoted by commentators, Ethiopia in the ancient world did not correspond
to the same area as the modern country. The queen Candace referred to in v. 27 ruled over a region
approximate to the modern country of Sudan. See esp. David Tuesday Adamo, Africa and Africans
in the New Testament (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2006) 89-91, who suggests that
we should translate here simply as "African."
2
See F. Scott Spencer, The Portrait of Philip in Acts: A Study of Roles and Relations
(JSNTSup 67; Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1992) 129: "[H]is African heritage tips off his indisputable
Gentile identity." Putting it that strongly is debatable, however; Keith H. Reeves ("The Ethiopian

764 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY | 71,2009

Second, he is a eunuch ( [v. 27]). As mentioned above, if this label
is understood in a physical sense, the question is basically settled: a eunuch could
not be a full Jew. Jewish disdain for eunuchs during this period is evident in numer
ous places beyond Deut 23:1.3 The primary reason for understanding the term in
the physical sense is that it is given alongside the designation of the Ethiopian as
a , the latter usually being translated as "chamberlain," "court official,"
or something similar. The argument is that indicates his official status,
and hence that would be superfluous if it were merely meant in a simi
lar sensetherefore it is best interpreted as referring to the person's physical sta
tus.4 The similarity of the words can perhaps best be seen by noting that the
Hebrew 00, the word for which is the normal LXX translation (e.g.,
Gen 39:1 and many other places), is translated in Jer 34:19 (LXX
41:19).5 In addition to this argument, it is often noted that it was common practice
in the ancient world for the officials of female rulers to be eunuchs in the physical
sense and thus it is natural to suggest that the Ethiopian's designation as
would indicate such here.6
With the designation of taken in this physical sense, many interpre
ters then see part of Luke's purpose in the story to be a fulfillment of Isa 56:3-5.7
Eunuch: A Key TransitionfromHellenist to Gentile Mission," in Mission in Acts: Ancient Narratives
in Contemporary Context [ed. Robert L. Gallagher and Paul Hertig; Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2004]
114-22) argues that an Ethiopian could be a Jew.
3
See Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 166-67. Reeves ("Ethiopian Eunuch") nonetheless
takes the Ethiopian to be both a eunuch and a Jew; Joseph A. Fitzmyer (The Acts of the Apostles: A
new translation with introduction and commentary [AB 31; New York: Doubleday, 1998] 410-12)
also allows the possibility, suggesting that Luke may have thought that Isa 56:3-4 actually negated
Deut 23:1.
4
This is an extremely common argument, especially in commentaries. See esp. Spencer,
Portrait of Philip in Acts, 166-67. Other examples include Hans Conzelmann, Acts of the Apostles:
A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles (Hermeneia; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987) 68; Erich
Dinkier, "Philippus und der ANHP (Apg 8,26-40)," in Jesus und Paulus: Festschrift fur
Werner Georg Kummel zum 70. Geburtstag (ed. E. Earle Ellis and Erich Grsser; Gttingen:
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1975) 85-95, esp. 92; Luke Timothy Johnson, The Acts of the Apostles
(SacPag 5; Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992) 155; John B. Polhill, Acts (New American
Commentary 26; Nashville: Broadman, 1992) 223-24; Gottfried Schule, Die Apostelgeschichte des
Lukas (THKNT 5; 3rd ed.; Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 1989) 210. Those arguing that it
should be taken as a reference not to his physical but only to his official status include Adamo,
Africa and Africans in the New Testament, 89; Jacob Jervell, Die Apostelgeschichte (KEK 3;
Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1998) 271; Rudolf Pesch, Die Apostelgeschichte (2 vols.;
EKK 5; Zurich: Benziger, 1986) 1. 289.
5
See Edwin Hatch and Henry A. Redpath, A Concordance to the Septuagint (2nd ed.; Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1998) 355,575. The point is noted by a number of commentators, e.g., Conzelmann,
Acts of the Apostles, 68.
6
See esp. Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 166-67, who adds a few other arguments for
seeing the designation as a physical one.
7
See, e.g., James D. G. Dunn, The Acts of the Apostles (Narrative Commentaries; Valley

LOCATING THE EUNUCH: ACTS 8:26-40 765

This passage, which occurs not farfromthe passage the eunuch is said to be read
ing in the story (Isa 53:7-8), promises the eschatological admittance of eunuchs
into the covenant community. Although the presence of this theme would add a cer
tain theological depth to the story, such a connection is never brought out in the
text, an issue to which I will return later.
The third and fourth clues to the eunuch's religious identity are related. We
are told both that he had gone to Jerusalem to worship and that he was reading, and
thus obviously that he also possessed, a scroll of Jewish Scripture. Although the
eunuch is not labeled a "God-fearer" in the story, F. Scott Spencer has shown that
the term "God-fearer" has no technical meaning in Luke-Acts, that it can be used
for both Jews and Gentiles, and that not all characters who could be called Godfearers in fact receive that appellation.8 Thus, the fact that Luke's description of the
eunuch indicates a strong piety toward the Jewish faith suggests that it is appro
priate to think of him along the same lines as the other Gentiles in Acts who wor
ship the Jewish deity.9 But could we say more: do the scroll and the Jerusalem trip
indicate that the eunuch should be considered to be a Jew or a Jewish proselyte?
It would be hard to argue that these details alone warrant such a conclusion.
Spencer has also shown that, unlike the term "God-fearer," the term "proselyte"
does have a technical sense in Acts.10 Hence, without an explicit designation, it is
unlikely that the eunuch is to be seen in this category.
The weight of the evidencefromreading the passage alone is thus on the side
of viewing the Ethiopian eunuch as a Gentile. The case is not decisive, however.
Luke simply does not state explicitly what the eunuch's religious status is; and
when we turn to a consideration of the story in its larger narrative context in Acts,
the picture becomes more complicated.
II. The Narrative Context
The main problem concerning the context is that the conversion of the eunuch
takes place before the conversion of Cornelius in chap. 10. There can be no doubt
that the conversion of Cornelius is the decisive breakthrough in the spread of the
Forge, PA: Trinity Press International, 1996) 113; Clarice J. Martin, "A Chamberlain's Journey and
the Challenge of Interpretation for Liberation," Semeia 47 (1989) 105-35, esp. 108-9; Dinkier,
"Philippus und der ANHP ," 85-86; Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 169-72; Gerhard
Schneider, Die Apostelgeschichte (2 vols.; HTKNT 5; Freiburg: Herder, 1980, 1982) 1. 500;
Robert C. Tannehill, The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation (2 vols.; FF;
Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986, 1990) 2. 109; Josef Zmijewski, Die Apostelgeschichte (RNT;
Regensburg: Pustet, 1994) 366.
8
Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 160-65.
9
Similarly F. F. Bruce, "Philip and the Ethiopian," JSS 34 (1989) 377-86, esp. 379; Paul W.
Walaskay, Acts (Westminster Bible Companion; Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1998) 86.
10
Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 160-65.

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Christian mission to the Gentiles. The story of Cornelius is narrated in extended
detail initially (10:1-48), retold by Peter with still a fair amount of detail (11:517), and narrated a third time in summary fashion (15:7-9). The story thus rivals
the thrice-told conversion of Paul in importance. Its centrality at the Jerusalem
conference in chap. 15 is probably the strongest indication of its status as the foundational event in extending the gospel to the Gentiles. The story of Philip and the
Ethiopian eunuch, on the other hand, does not receive any further mention. We
hear nothing regarding the Ethiopian anywhere else in Acts, and, although Philip
makes a brief reappearance in 21:8-9, his activities reported in chap. 8 are not
brought up there at all.
It is true that the Christian movement has extended beyond the orthodox Jewish circles by the time Philip receives his call to head down the road toward Gaza
(8:26). Philip himself was the lead player in taking the gospel to Samaria (8:4-25).
The Samaritans, however, are not Gentileswhether or not one accepts Jacob
JervelPs designation of the Samaritans as "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" as
a part of his broader understanding of Acts (with its decidedly Jewish focus),11
there is no indication in Acts that the mission to the Samaritans poses any real
theological problem. Philip goes there almost incidentally (8:4-5), and no justification is ever given for his actions, either by him or by the apostles who follow
him. No direct orderfromGod is required; no special missionary is appointed; and
no apostolic council is called to determine the conditions under which the Samaritans may become Christians. The only oddity in the circumstances is that the apostles in Jerusalem send Peter and John as a follow-up (8:14-17), who then pray for
the Samaritans and lay their hands on them so as to convey to them the Holy Spirit.
No indication is given, however, that there is any sort of problem with the acceptance of Samaritans as believers. Peter and John seem to be sent simply because the
gospel has moved beyond the apostolic confines of Jerusalem, not because of any
special status of the Samaritans.
One therefore cannot say that there has been any preparation for the evangelization of a Gentile by the time the eunuch enters the story, except for the general
knowledge that such evangelization would occur (as suggested in Luke 24:47 and
Acts 1:8). Nor is there any suggestion that anything fundamental in the Christian
movement has changed following the eunuch's conversion or in fact at any point
leading up to the story of Cornelius. Cornelius's conversion clearly comes as a
surprise to Peter and the others in Jerusalem. Although Paul is designated by God
as the apostle to the Gentiles in 9:15, he engages in no such missionary activity at
this stageall his activity in 9:20-30 concerns Jews. Likewise, Peter's miracles in
9:32-43 concern Christian Jews. Although they lead to further converts in 9:42,
11
Jacob Jervell, Luke and the People of God: A New Look at Luke-Acts (Minneapolis:
Augsburg, 1972)113-32.

LOCATING THE EUNUCH: ACTS 8:26-40 767

there is no indication that Gentiles are involvedthat does not occur until chap. 10.
A comparison of the narrator's summary statement in 9:31 with the programmatic
command of therisenJesus in 1:8 demonstrates well the status of the church prior
to Cornelius's conversion. In 1:8, Jesus tells the disciples that they will be his wit
nesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. In 9:31, the nar
rator's summary says that the church enjoyed peace throughout Judea, Galilee,
and Samariabut no mention is made of the end of the earth. Hence, even after
the eunuch's conversion, the church remains confined to the historic land and peo
ple of Israel.
The problem is thus clear. How can the story of Philip and the Ethiopian
eunuch fit into the scheme Luke has established? How can the conversion of a
Gentile happen before the decisive breakthrough with Cornelius in chap. 10? A
variety of solutions have been offered. I will leave aside source-critical solutions
(common though they are), since, although they may show us why problems in
the story line exist, they do not help us to solve them.12 One could suggest that the
story is simply an inconsistency in terms of the narrative context, but I and most
interpreters tend to think that we can make good sense of the episode.
One solution is to take the story line as the overriding factor, so that the
eunuch must be seen either as a Jew or as a proselyte to Judaism.13 The problem
of his status as a eunuch can be addressed as indicated above, that is, by suggest
ing that refers to his status as an official rather than to his physical sta
tus. Furthermore, one can point to the familiar stories of Jews serving in foreign
courts for support of the idea of an Ethiopian Jew serving a queen (e.g., Joseph,
Daniel, and Esther). The fact that Luke does not explicitly designate the eunuch as
a Gentile makes this solution a genuine possibility. As we have seen, however, it
does go against the weight of the evidence in the story itself. If a solution can be
found that accounts for all of the data, or at least more than this one does, then
such a solution is to be preferred.
A second solution is to see the eunuch as being clearly identified as a Gen
tile, although certainly a God-fearing Gentile; this has been the most popular solu
tion.14 The problem of setting the story in the larger context of Acts is usually dealt
12

For examples, see Conzelmann, Acts of the Apostles, 67-69; Ernst Haenchen, The Acts of
the Apostles: A Commentary (trans. Bernard Noble et al.; Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971) 314-17;
Bruce, "Philip and the Ethiopian," 377-86; Gerhard Krodel, Acts (ACNT; Minneapolis: Augsburg,
1986) 166; Schneider, Die Apostelgeschichte, 1. 498.
13
E.g., Fitzmyer, Acts of the Apostles, 410; Christopher R. Matthews, Philip: Apostle and
Evangelist (NovTSup 105; Leiden: Brill, 2002) 87; Jervell, Die Apostelgeschichte, 269-75; Reeves,
"Ethiopian Eunuch"; F. J. Foakes-Jackson, The Acts of the Apostles (MNTC; New York: Harper,
1931)75-76.
14
E.g., F. Scott Spencer, Acts (Readings; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997) 92 (also
idem, Portrait ofPhilip in Acts, 160-65); Martin, "Chamberlain's Journey," 114-20; Dunn, Acts of

768 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY | 71,2009

with in two ways. First, the eunuch is placed in as close a relation as possible to
Judaism, having a connection to Judaism similar to that of the Samaritans
somewhere between true Jew and true Gentile. Perhaps it is only his status as a
eunuch that prevents him from being an actual proselyte.15 Hence, the story's
placement before the Cornelius episode seems less problematic. Second, the
episode is seen in connection with 1:8 as foreshadowing the later carrying of the
gospel to the end of the earth.16 Here an emphasis is placed on the status of the
eunuch particularly as an Ethiopian. Ethiopia represented the southernmost point
of the world for Greco-Roman civilizationindeed being at "the end of the earth."17
Moreover, Ethiopians were revered as a wealthy, wise, pious, and mighty people;
numerous textsfromthe ancient world attest to this picture.18 Ethiopia is also of
interest in Jewish literature, and often in a positive sense; most importantly, perhaps, both Ps 68:31 and Zeph 3:10 tell of the future worship of God by Ethiopians. Thus, in addition to fulfilling Isa 56:3-5, the story could also be seen as the
fulfillment of these two prophecies.19 This solution, then, addresses the problem
of the narrative context both in a negative senseby playing down the fact of the
occurrence of the episode before chap. 10and in a positive senseby providing
a role for the story in the programmatic prophecy of 1:8. The latter represents a part

the Apostles, 113-14; I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Commentary (TynNTC; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980) 160-61.
15
E.g., Dunn, Acts of the Apostles, 113; Schneider, Die Apostelgeschichte, 1. 498-501;
Spencer, Acts, 91-92.
16
This is a major thesis of Martin ("Chamberlain's Journey"), who has been very influential
on this point. Others holding this interpretation include Bruce, "Philip and the Ethiopian," 379-80;
Jean-Franois Racine, "L'hybridit des personnages: Une stratgie d'inclusion des gentils dans les
Actes des Aptres," in Analyse narrative et Bible: deuxime Colloque internationale du RRENAB,
Louvain-la-Neuve, Avril 2004 (d. Camille Focant and Andr Wnin; BETL 191; Leuven: Leuven
University Press, 2005) 559-66; Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 151-52; Dunn, Acts of the
Apostles, 102; Johnson, Acts of the Apostles, 160; Polhill, Acts, 222; Schneider, Die Apostelgeschichte, 1. 500-501; Ben Witherington III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997) 293; Zmijewski, Die Apostelgeschichte, 360-61.
17
See Beverly Roberts Gaventa, The Acts of the Apostles (Abingdon New Testament
Commentaries; Nashville: Abingdon, 2003) 141-42; Matthews, Philip, 72-73; Martin, "Chamberlain's Journey," 118-20; Bruce, "Philip and the Ethiopian," 380; Spencer, Portrait ofPhilip in Acts,
149-52. The notion is attested as early as Homer Od. 1.23.
18
See Martin, "Chamberlain's Journey," 111-20; Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 149-52;
C. K. Barrett, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles (2 vols.; ICC;
Edinburgh: Clark, 1994, 1998) 1. 424; Adamo, Africa and Africans in the New Testament, 91;
Abraham Smith, "'Do You Understand What You are Reading?' A Literary Critical Reading of the
Ethiopian (Kushite) Episode (Acts 8:26-40)," Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center
22 (1994) 48-70, esp. 63-66.
19
See, e.g., Martin, "Chamberlain's Journey," 109; Marshall, Acts, 162; Charles H. Talbert,
Reading Acts: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles (Reading the
New Testament; New York: Crossroad, 1997) 89.

LOCATING THE EUNUCH: ACTS 8:26-40

769

of the spread of the gospel to the end of the earth and as a foretaste of the Gentile
mission to come.
The third solution is to argue that Luke has been intentionally vague. Although
this approach is combined by such interpreters as Ernst Haenchen and Hans
20
Conzelmann with the source-critical solution, it need not be. The main point is
that Luke cannot honestly call the eunuch a Jew, yet neither can he take away the
thunder from Peter by calling him a Gentile. So he simply leaves the question open.
He gets across the point that the mission is expanding without yet having to address
the tougher theological issues.
Hence we have three main possibilities for how the disparity between episode
and context may be resolved. My own solution will bear the most similarity to the
second possibility. I will also add some elements of the thirdthough in a more
complex and integrated fashion than it has usually been argued. I will argue that
the key for seeing how the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch fits in the
larger narrative context lies in understanding the location of the eunuch. The sense
of "location" is multifaceted, encompassing literary, geographical, and social
dimensions.
III. The "Location" of the Eunuch
The main weakness with the second solution above, which is the one most
commonly held by scholars, is in the first of the dual arguments made as a part of
the solution, namely, that of playing down the problems caused by the Gentile
identity of the eunuch. Referring to the eunuch as a quasi-Gentile or seeing him as
belonging somewhere between the Samaritans and Cornelius simply does not
work. Cornelius, it must be observed, is not just some pagan. Rather, Luke heaps
religious praise on him: he is devout (), God-fearing (
), gives alms to the people (i.e., Israel), and prays to God constantly (all stated
in 10:2); he is righteous () and respected "by the whole Jewish nation" (
[10:22]). The angel of God says specifically in
10:4 that his piety in the form of prayers and alms is the reason he is to be evan
gelized by Peter. Cornelius cannot therefore be said to represent the hard-line, idolworshiping Gentiles, so that the Ethiopian eunuch can then represent some kind of
position closer to Judaismin fact, it would be difficult to imagine a Gentile closer
to Judaism than Cornelius.21 As C. K. Barrett has rightly stated, the eunuch is in
20
Conzelmann, Acts of the Apostles, 67-69; Haenchen, Acts of the Apostles, 314. See also
Alfons Weiser, Die Apostelgeschichte (2 vols.; kumenischer Taschenbuchkommentar zum Neuen
Testament 5; Gtersloh: Mohn, 1981,1985) 1.209. Racine ("L'hybridit des personnages," 559-66)
takes the ambiguity in a different direction, arguing that it is part of a larger Lucan program to
deconstruct the difference between Jew and Gentile.
21
Racine ("L'hybridit des personnages," 562-65) overreaches and thus misses the point,

770

THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY | 71,2009

fact "a stage more remote from the people of God" than Cornelius.22 Furthermore,
whereas Cornelius lives among the Jewish people, the eunuch is from a faraway
land. The eunuch can in no sense be said to be somewhere between the Samaritans
and Corneliushe is more remote than Cornelius in terms of his proximity to the
people of God in multiple ways.
Ironically, it is this last fact that provides the way forward. It is the very
remoteness of the eunuch that allows the story its place in the Acts narrative. This
is why understanding the location of the eunuch, is so crucial.
A. Literary Location
I begin with the literary location. The often-noted connection between the
story and Jesus' programmatic statement about the spread of the Christian mission
in 1:8 is certainly a key point. Given the common notion in the ancient world of
Ethiopia as being situated at the "end of the earth," the Ethiopian eunuch seems the
perfect character to illustrate the spread of the gospel as Jesus describes it in 1:8.
To understand the connection properly, however, one must remember the narrator's
summary in 9:31: the church at this point has grown only in Judea, Galilee, and
Samaria. Luke does not narrate any Ethiopian expansion of the church upon the
eunuch's return to his homeland after his conversion.23 There is no church at the
end of the earth yet, only one eunuch. As Clarice J. Martin observes, the story's ful
fillment of 1:8 is symbolic and partial. 24 It is not a complete realization of the
gospel's worldwide spread, but rather a foreshadowing, a foretaste of what is still
to come.
It is the solitariness of the events and characters constituting the episode that
makes this work, most importantly, that of the eunuch himself. The loneliness of
the site where the story takes place is noted by Luke himself (the of 8:26).
As far as the reader knows, nobody is around to see or hear the conversation
between Philip and the eunuch (except perhaps a driver in v. 38). The same is the
case for the baptism (w. 38-39). Moreover, as soon as the baptism is over, Philip
himself is snatched away by the Spiritnot even the evangelist himself can have
any more contact with the new convert. Then the eunuch truly is isolated! He thus
goes on his own way, presumably back to Ethiopia, to the end of the earth, where
he will certainly have no further contact with the growing Christian church, at least

however, in his assertion that it is actually difficult to determine the religious status of Cornelius.
On the contrary, he is clearly a Gentilethat is the point!
22
Barrett, Acts, 1. 420. Similarly, Spencer, Portrait ofPhilip in Acts, 173.
23
Irenaeus and Eusebius both affirm that the eunuch evangelized his homeland upon his return
(Irenaeus Haer. 4.23.2; Eusebius Hist. eccl. 2.1.13), but this is not Luke's concern.
24
Martin, "Chamberlain's Journey," 117. Similarly, Tannehill, Narrative Unity, 2. 108.

LOCATING THE EUNUCH: ACTS 8:26-40

771

not so far as Luke tells us. We hear neither of the eunuch nor of anything else that
happens south of Judea throughout the rest of Acts.
Philip also disappears from the story. After his removal from the scene by the
Spirit in v. 39, we are told that he ends up in Azotus and from there continues evan
gelizing, one would assume, in the coastal towns, until he reaches Caesarea (v. 40).
None of this work has any direct bearing on the rest of Acts. Even when the scene
returns to Caesarea in chap. 10 with the story of Cornelius, Philip's work there and
Philip himself have no role in the narrated events. The only other mention of Philip
in Acts is made when Paul is said to stay in Philip's house in Caesarea in 21:8-9,
but no activity of Philip is reported there and none of his earlier deeds is men
tioned.25
The contrast with the characters and setting of the events surrounding Cor
nelius could hardly be greater. Unlike the eunuch, Cornelius is not an isolated fig
ure but fears God together with his whole household (10:2)the lack of a family
is at least one way in which being a eunuch is significant for the story (if taken
physically). The centurion is well known by Jews and has friendly relationships
with them, providing them with alms and receiving their respect in return. When
he invites Peter to his house, he gathers together his family and close friends for
the occasion ( [10:24]). Thus, it is
not only Cornelius himself who is converted but all those with himthe Holy
Spirit falls upon all who hear Peter's preaching (10:44). After the event, Peter stays
on at Cornelius's house for a few days ( [v. 48]), and the church in
Jerusalem subsequently hears about the event (11:1). Both of these points clearly
contrast with the way the eunuch episode concludesPhilip's contact with the
eunuch is abruptly cut off, and the church never hears of the incident. It is this
close relationship of Cornelius, his household, Israel, Peter, and the church that
makes the theological implications of the conversion of Cornelius and his associ
ates so pressingand the lack of such relationships that make the eunuch's con
26
version not so. In other words, the issue of the spread of the gospel is not only a
theological matter; it is also a sociological matter.
B. Social Location
Related to this sociological issue is the status of the Ethiopian as .
If, as the evidence seems to suggest, we see this designation as referring to his
25

See further Bruce, "Philip and the Ethiopian," 377-86. It may be that Philip's isolation from
the rest of the story is ultimately more important than the eunuch's. Cornelius, after all, is no more
a major character outside of chaps. 10-11 than the eunuch is outside of 8:26-40. Chapters 10-11 are
more connected with the overall story of Acts than 8:26-40 because of the centrality of Peter, which
differs greatlyfromPhilip's narrower role.
26
Similarly, Barrett, Acts, 1. 421; Tannehill, Narrative Unity, 2. 110.

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physical status, his social isolation is reinforced all the more. A eunuch could not
be a Jew. Whereas some interpreters use this point to suggest a theme in the story
of the inclusiveness of Christianity over against the Judaism of the time,27 the more
directly pertinent result of this fact is that the eunuch's conversion to Christianity
could never be paradigmatic for Gentiles as a whole. The ultimate impact of the
conversion of Cornelius, foreshadowed in 11:2-3 and established by the Jerusalem
council in chap. 15, is that Gentiles do not need to become Jews in order to be
Christians. This result would have had little weight if it had not been possible for
Cornelius to have become a Jew in thefirstplace.28 The conversion of the eunuch
thus could not have helped the early Christians answer the urgent theological ques
tion of on what grounds a Gentile might be admitted to the people of God. It may
have been physically possible for the eunuch to be circumcised, but apart from the
meaning of the act as providing entrance into the people, such a possibility could
have little bearing on the larger theological question.
It should be noted that this result of the designation mainly relates
to understanding why the story of the eunuch is not as consequential as that of
Cornelius. The eunuch's story itself does not highlight any social isolation caused
by his physical status. His geographical and social location is much more the key.
There is no evidence in the text that the eunuchthis eunuch, at leastoccupies
a despised place in the world.29 In fact, Luke emphasizes just the opposite: the
eunuch is from a revered ethnic group; he is a high official of a queen; he owns a
chariot and a scroll of Scripture; he commands a driver; and he has the leisure to
travel all the way to Jerusalem.30 Thus, the story also does not function well as a
fulfillment of Isa 56:3-5the eunuch seems to be neither a "dry tree" nor an out
cast. It is not surprising, then, that Luke does not make use of the Isaian passage.31
27

E.g., Mikeal C. Parsons, Body and Character in Luke and Acts: The Subversion of
Physiognomy in Early Christianity (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006) 123-41; Spencer, Acts, 93; Dunn,
Acts of the Apostles, 102-3 (concentrating more specifically on the exclusionary nature of the
temple); Witherington, Acts of the Apostles, 296.
28
1 am grateful to comments made by Jerry Sumney following a presentation at the 2006 SBL
Southeastern Regional Meeting for stimulating my thoughts on this point.
29
Pace Spencer, Portrait of Philip in Acts, 174-83; Parsons, Body and Character, 123-41.
30
Adamo {Africa and Africans in the New Testament, 91) comments that he "has demonstrated
the very symbols of great status as far as the Roman social status is concerned, mainly literacy,
possession of a carriage and horses, and personal servants." Similarly, Gaventa, Acts of the Apostles,
142-43; Zmijewski, Die Apostelgeschichte, 362.
31
It would have been rather unreasonable for Luke to have expected his readers to import an
otherwise unreferenced passage and make it a central thematic aspect of the story. The passage is
not so close to the one quoted in the story (53:7-8) that such an association would be obvious for
most readers. This does not mean that it is inappropriate for interpreters today (or in the past) to see
such a prophetic fulfillment. One might even wish that Luke had included such an idea, as it is
richly theologically suggestive. Barrett (Acts, 1.421) and Weiser (Die Apostelgeschichte, 1.212) also
question the relevance of the passage for interpreting Luke's story.

LOCATING THE EUNUCH: ACTS 8:26-40 773

This lack of any clearly expressed consequence of the eunuch's physical status is
also why one may question whether is even intended to have a physical
sense and therefore why the possibility that it is meant rather as a designation of
office cannot be excluded.
C. Geographical Location
The multifaceted isolation of the eunuch and his conversion means that the
eunuch's story can have no immediate or direct impact on the church in Luke's
account. It is not that the Ethiopian eunuch is located somewhere between the
Samaritans and Cornelius that gives the story its place in Luke's narrative. Rather,
it is the location of the eunuch so far away from either the Samaritans or the righ
teous centurion that is the key. It is so far away that his conversion can pose no
threat to the church, can cause no theological second-guessing by the church. The
location of the eunuch is important in a geographical senseboth the place of con
version and the eunuch's homeland are in remote locations. But more important is
the social sensehis conversion will have no effect on the rest of the church.
IV. The Meaning of the Story in Acts
The isolation of the characters and events does not mean, however, that the
scene should be seen as irrelevant to the story told in Acts. It is only a question of
how the scene fits and functions in Acts. Rather than representing a middle step
between the outreach to Samaritans and the outreach to Gentiles, the episode
should be seen as a foretaste of a much larger step, a step that is in fact told only
in incipient fashion in Acts. As is becoming more commonly recognized today,
the promise of the gospel's reaching "the end of the earth" in 1:8 probably should
not be thought of as being fulfilled by the end of Luke's storyRome is unlikely
to represent the end of the earth for Luke or his readers.32 It is thus really only the
story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts that suggests the ultimate accomplishment
of Jesus' prophecy in 1:8, and it does so only in the form of a foretaste.
The primary way in which the episode is connected to the larger story in Acts
is through the divine direction of the action, a rather striking feature of the incident
to most readers.33 An "angel of the Lord" initiates the entire encounter with ver32
See, e.g., Tannehill, Narrative Unity, 2. 17-18,108-9; Polhill, Acts, 85-86; Marshall, Acts,
60-61. For a defense of the idea that "the end of the earth" does mean Rome, see Fitzmyer, Acts of
the Apostles, 206-7. For a more detailed study of the question, see W. C. van Unnik, "Der Ausdruck
(Apostelgeschichte i 8) und sein alttestamentlicher Hintergrund," in Sparsa
Collecta: The Collected Essays ofW. C van Unnik, part 1, Evangelia, Paulina, Acta (NovTSup 29;
Leiden: Brill, 1973) 386-401.
33
See further Gaventa, Acts of the Apostles, 145-46; Robert F. O'Toole, "Philip and the

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bal instructions to Philip in 8:26. The Spirit provides more verbal instructions to
him in v. 29, which result in the actual meeting, and of course the Spirit concludes
the encounter by physically removing him from the scene in v. 39. As many interpreters have noted, Philip appears and acts throughout the incident in line with the
prophetic portrayal given to all of the major characters in Acts.34 Given this level
of divine direction, it would be hard to argue that the episode is not an important
part of the story. This is why the connection of the episode to Jesus' words in 1:8
should be taken quite seriously. Also along these lines, the way the encounter
demonstrates Jesus' fulfillment of OT prophecy is another important theme in the
story (w. 30-35), though it is not of great concern for the argument here.
The eunuch's conversion is thus an important moment in Actsit does represent a significant step in the Christian mission. This step is focused on geographical expansion rather than on the transition from Jews to Gentiles.35 The
location of the eunuch allows Jesus' prophecy of 1:8 to be carried out in a way not
accomplished in the rest of Acts, but without compromising the centrality of Peter's
witness to Cornelius. It makes sense in this scenario that Luke describes the
eunuch's religious status in somewhat oblique fashion. The primary point of the
story is about carrying the gospel to the end of the earth, not about establishing a
mission to Gentiles. He thus does not bring the Gentile status of the Ethiopian into
the foreground. Being slightly vague serves his purposes. At the same time, the
suggestion that the eunuch is or at least might be a Gentile in the story, by both his
ethnic and possibly physical description, serves to tantalize the reader with the
mystery of the situation. This relates to the idea of the story as a foreshadowing or
foretaste of the future mission, both to Gentiles and to the end of the earth. The
eunuch goes off and is never heard from again. But surely this will not be an isolated momentthe reader can have no doubt as to whether God is directing the
Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts VIII25-40)," JSNT1 (1983) 25-34, esp. 29-30; Spencer, Portrait ofPhilip
in Acts, 154-58.
34
On Philip's prophetic portrayal in this passage, see esp. Spencer, Portrait ofPhilip in Acts,
135-41; Rick Strelan, "The Running Prophet (Acts 8:30)," NovT43 (2001) 31-38; Bruce, "Philip and
the Ethiopian," 378; also Dunn, Acts of the Apostles, 115; Wilfried Eckey, Die Apostelgeschichte:
Der Weg des Evangeliums von Jerusalem nach Rom (2 vols.; Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener
Verlag, 2000) 1. 206; Weiser, Die Apostelgeschichte, 1. 214; Zmijewski, Die Apostelgeschichte,
366. On the prophetic portrayal of characters generally in Acts, see my overview of scholarship in
Theology as History, History as Theology: Paul in Ephesus in Acts 19 (BZNW 133; Berlin/New
York: de Gruyter, 2005) 31-36. Probably the most important works are Paul Sevier Minear, To Heal
and to Reveal: The Prophetic Vocation According to Luke (New York: Seabury, 1976) and Luke
Timothy Johnson, The Literary Function ofPossessions in Luke-Acts (SBLDS 39; Missoula, MT:
Scholars Press, 1977).
35
See Tannehill (Narrative Unity, 2.107), who suggests that the story "does not represent the
next logical step, a 'stepping-stone' between the conversion of the Samaritans and the Gentiles, but
a leap to the extreme."

LOCATING THE EUNUCH: ACTS 8:26-40 775

rendezvous, as the frequent participation of divine agents in the story suggests.
What is God up to here? If the gospel will go even to Ethiopia, where else might
it go? If to an Ethiopian eunucha Gentile?then what about the rest of the Gentiles? The reader's suspicions, of course, are well vindicated by the rest of the story.
V. Conclusion
We see, then, that Luke has narrated the story of Philip and the Ethiopian
eunuch in such a way as to add to his theme of the spread of the gospel to the end
of the earth without compromising his scheme of expansion and without taking
awayfromthe centrality of Peter's episode with Cornelius. He has done this primarily by his description of the eunuchboth by what he observes and by what
he does not. The location of the scene itself is also important, as are the facts that
the eunuch and Philip are both removedfromthe rest of the story line and that the
conversion takes place in isolationfromthe rest of the church. Although such tactics may give the attentive reader much to wonder about, this wonder itself allows
the scene to function as the foretaste of future glory that it is supposed to be. Thus,
at the conclusion of the episode, we see the eunuch going on his way rejoicing, but
rejoicing only in his solitude, in a faraway place.

^ s
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