Acts 8:14

The apostles. They had remained in Jerusalem (v. 1), directing the activities of the church. The Lord had once placed a geographic limit upon the preaching of the message of the kingdom (Matt. 10:5). He had canceled those limits by the gospel commission (Matt. 28:19, 20) and by the instruction in Acts 1:8. Word of Philip’s success in Samaria came to the Twelve as proof that the removal of limitations was a fact. The time had now come to witness for Christ in Samaria.

Heard. In spite of persecution, communication between the scattered workers and headquarters appears to have been faithfully maintained.

Samaria. Philip’s message was carried throughout the district by his enthusiastic converts.

Word of God. The expression is here used by Luke, as in his Gospel, for the whole sum and substance of the gospel of Christ (cf. Luke 5:1; 8:11, 21).

Peter and John. Evidently there was no particular pre-eminence assigned to any one of the Twelve in those early days. By the decision of the whole apostolate, Peter and John were sent on their Samaritan mission. It was logical to choose these two, for they had been most active in the beginning work of the church (cf. chs. 1:15; 2:14; 3:1; 4:8; etc.). There is no evidence here of the supremacy of Peter; he was under the direction of the body of the apostles, who “sent” him and John on this mission. John, who had once sought to call down fire upon the Samaritans (Luke 9:54), was now, in love, to bring them the baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire (Matt. 3:11). The suggestion that the John here mentioned might have been John Mark (see on Acts 13:5, 13) is hardly tenable. Had John Mark already gone through the experiences described in the following verses, he would scarcely have turned back from Paul and Barnabas (ch. 13:13).