The Ethiopian eunuch confessed, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
After Philip asked if he believed with all his heart, the eunuch answered with exactly those words in Acts 8:37. Les Feldick repeatedly stresses that the confession contains no further phrase such as "who died for me, was buried, and rose from the dead."
Acts 8:37 — This is the verse containing the Ethiopian eunuch's exact confession of faith.
Acts 8:36 — This sets up the eunuch's question about baptism immediately before his confession.
In Acts 8, after Philip joins the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot and preaches Jesus to him from the Old Testament, they come to water. The eunuch asks, "See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" Acts 8:37 records Philip's reply and the confession: "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." The biblical narrative records no other words from the eunuch at this point. The confession given is a single clause identifying Jesus Christ as the Son of God. The previous verse, Acts 8:36, provides the setting that prompted the confession, and Acts 8:35 says Philip "preached unto him Jesus."
Les Feldick is emphatic about reading Acts 8:37 literally. He stops at "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Period." He points out that the commonly added statement—"who died for me, was buried, and rose from the dead"—is not in the text. He calls this the crucial part of the whole account. Les places this confession in the same stream as Peter's confession in Matthew 16 and Martha's confession in John 11. All three declared that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, without confessing death, burial, and resurrection. Les says this was the profession of faith while Israel was still under the law, and it recognized Jesus as the Messiah and King of Israel. According to Les, Philip's message to the eunuch was Jesus, from the Old Testament, not "Christ crucified." He says Paul later wrote "But we preach Christ crucified," but that revelation had not yet been given as the gospel in Acts 8.
No. Les Feldick reads the text and emphasizes that the eunuch's recorded answer is only, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Period." He points out that the words "who died for me, was buried, and rose from the dead" are not there. What Philip had told him from Isaiah 53 included Jesus being put to death and raised, but the confession itself was limited to identifying Jesus as the Son of God.
Les repeatedly places the Ethiopian eunuch in line with Peter at Caesarea Philippi and Martha at Lazarus's tomb. Each one confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Les uses these examples to show that the statement of faith in these gospel accounts did not yet include Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection; it identified Jesus as the Messiah, and in the eunuch's case, the King of Israel.
Les emphasizes that Acts 8:35 says Philip "preached unto him Jesus" from the Old Testament, not "Jesus crucified." In the Acts 8 context, the revelation of death, burial, and resurrection as gospel had not yet been given. Philip's message brought the eunuch to the confession that Jesus is the Son of God, and this was the profession of faith that led to baptism.
Peter and Martha Confessions
This clip provides the earlier Peter confession that Les places alongside Martha's and the eunuch's—all using the same declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Eunuch's Exact Confession
Les directly states the eunuch's response and its limitation: he says "I believe that Jesus the Christ was the Son of the Living God. Period," and does not say "Who died for me and rose from the dead."
Only the Written Words
Les calls this the crucial part of the account: the eunuch said only "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," with no mention of death, burial, and resurrection.
Philip Preached Jesus
Les points out that Philip did not preach Christ crucified to the eunuch; he preached Jesus, and the eunuch began to say "I believe."
Profession Under the Law
This clip emphasizes that the eunuch's confession was "I believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God," and that this was still under the law.
Text Does Not Say Crucified
Les stresses that Philip "preached unto him Jesus," not "Jesus crucified and resurrected from the dead," and connects the eunuch's belief to Jesus as King of Israel.
One of Four Confessions
Les lists the eunuch among the same confession pattern as Peter and Martha: simply that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, with no death and resurrection phrase.
Saul's Parallel Confession
Les repeats the eunuch's confession—"I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God"—and contrasts it with Saul's later proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God.
Acts 8:35: Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
This verse shows the content of Philip's message right before the eunuch asked about baptism.
Acts 8:36: 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?
This verse records the eunuch's immediate response after hearing Philip preach Jesus.
Acts 8:37: 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.
This is the exact confession of faith made by the Ethiopian eunuch.
Matthew 16:16: And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Les compares this earlier confession with the eunuch's confession, showing the same recognition of Jesus as the Christ.
No. Les Feldick points to Acts 8:37 and says the eunuch only stated, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." There is no recorded phrase about Jesus dying for him, being buried, or rising from the dead.
Les connects the eunuch's words with Peter's words in Matthew 16 and Martha's words at Lazarus's tomb. In each case, the confession was that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, with no mention of Jesus' death and resurrection.
Les says Philip opened the Old Testament, began at the same Scripture (Isaiah 53), and preached Jesus to the eunuch. He did not preach Christ crucified, because that was not yet revealed as the gospel; he brought the eunuch to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.
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