According to Les Feldick, the Ethiopian eunuch was a proselyte - a religious Gentile who had gone to Jerusalem to worship but had not yet been saved.
Les bases this on Acts 8:27, noting the eunuch had been to Jerusalem to worship. Les says he was a proselyte who had religion but not salvation, and that Philip was sent by the Holy Spirit to join his chariot and preach Jesus, beginning at the same Scripture he was reading (Isaiah 53). The eunuch's response was to believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Acts 8:27 — Introduces the Ethiopian eunuch as a high-ranking official of Candace who had come to Jerusalem to worship.
Acts 8:35 — Shows that Philip preached Jesus to the eunuch, beginning at the same scripture he was reading.
In Acts 8, Philip is directed to go toward Gaza and encounters an Ethiopian eunuch. The text identifies him as "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" (Acts 8:27). The man was reading the prophet Isaiah, and the Spirit told Philip, "Go near, and join thyself to this chariot" (Acts 8:29). Philip then "began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus" (Acts 8:35). The Bible itself does not use the word "proselyte" for this man, nor does it specify whether he was ethnically Jewish. It presents him as an Ethiopian official traveling home from worship in Jerusalem who, after Philip explained the Scripture, believed and was baptized.
Les Feldick teaches that the Ethiopian eunuch was a proselyte - a Gentile who had converted to the Jewish religion. He says, "I'm quite sure that he was a proselyte, because you see up there in verse 27, he was returning from Jerusalem where he had been worshiping" (Clip 1). Les repeats this in Clip 7, saying the eunuch "had been to Jerusalem to worship at one of the feast days." Les also makes a striking point about the eunuch's spiritual condition: he was religious but not saved. As Les puts it, "Oh, he was religious... He hadn't been saved. He was a proselyte, but he didn't have salvation" (Clip 7). In Clip 5, Les generalizes: "most proselytes never really had salvation. They had religion, but they didn't have salvation," citing the Ethiopian eunuch as the proof. When Philip met the eunuch, he was reading Isaiah. Les explains that Philip showed him from Isaiah 53 who the prophet was talking about, and that the eunuch's confession was "I believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Clip 2).
Les Feldick says he was a proselyte, not an ethnic Jew. He states he is "quite sure that he was a proselyte, because you see up there in verse 27, he was returning from Jerusalem where he had been worshiping" (Clip 1). He repeats in Clip 7 that the eunuch "was a proselyte" who had gone to Jerusalem to worship. The Bible text does not use the word "proselyte" for him, but Les infers it from the fact that he traveled to Jerusalem to worship.
No, according to Les. He says the eunuch "was religious" and "had been to Jerusalem to worship at one of the feast days," but on his way back to Ethiopia, "Philip leads him to the place of salvation. He hadn't been saved" (Clip 7). Les also says "most proselytes never really had salvation. They had religion, but they didn't have salvation" (Clip 5). For Les, the eunuch is an example of religion without salvation.
The Holy Spirit told Philip to "Go near, and join thyself to this chariot" (Acts 8:29). Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah, asked if he understood, and then "began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus" (Acts 8:35). Les says Philip showed the eunuch from Isaiah 53 that the prophet was speaking about Jesus, and the eunuch's confession was that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God (Clip 2).
What Did the Ethiopian Eunuch Actually Believe? Acts 8
Now the thing I want you to notice, as we left then last program, in verse 25, after all that has taken place up here at Samaria, which is only a few miles north of Jerusalem, remember. Israel is a small little country. We always think in terms of distance, as we know it in America, but that's not the case in Israel. Samaria is only a few miles due north of Jerusalem.
A Proselyte Who Worshipped in Jerusalem
Les says he is quite sure the Ethiopian eunuch was a proselyte because he was returning from worship in Jerusalem.
Faith Confession from Isaiah 53
Les explains that Philip used Isaiah 53 to show the eunuch that Jesus was the Christ, and the eunuch's confession was that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The Holy Spirit's Direction to Philip
Les recounts that the Holy Spirit directed Philip to join the eunuch's chariot and that Philip explained who Isaiah was talking about.
Paul's Gospel of Grace: From Acts to Romans Explained
And at the city of Ephesus, where Paul, of course, had started a church, and that letter to the Ephesians was to that congregation. And now this Jewish couple have ended up in Ephesus, and are evidently laboring there. And then you pick it up in verse 24, that a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria, that of course would be down in Egypt, an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures.
Proselytes Had Religion, Not Salvation
Les uses the Ethiopian eunuch as evidence that proselytes could have religion without having salvation.
Acts 4 Explained: No Other Name — Only Jesus Saves
Ye rulers of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent, or the crippled man, by what means he is made whole, if this is what we're on trial for, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel. You see that? Who is he talking to? Jews. I don't want to override, but I want to make the point. Do you see Gentiles involved in here? Not a one. Not a one.
Religious but Not Saved
Les says the eunuch was religious and had worshiped in Jerusalem, but had not been saved until Philip led him to the place of salvation.
Acts 8:27: 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,
This is the verse Les cites to show the eunuch was from Ethiopia and had come to Jerusalem to worship.
Acts 8:29: Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Shows the Holy Spirit directing Philip to approach the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch.
Acts 8:35: Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
This is the verse that describes Philip preaching Jesus to the eunuch from the passage he was reading.
Les Feldick says he is quite sure the eunuch was a proselyte because he had come from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship (Acts 8:27). He repeats this in later teaching, saying the eunuch was a proselyte who had not yet been saved.
Yes. After Philip explained Isaiah 53 and preached Jesus, the eunuch's confession was, as Les puts it, "I believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Bible records that Philip then baptized him.
The encounter happened before Saul's conversion and shows Philip preaching Jesus from the Old Testament. For Les, it also illustrates that being religious or a proselyte was not the same as being saved.
Watch the Teaching: What Did the Ethiopian Eunuch Actually Believe? Acts 8