Living the Five

STUDY
NOTES
WE CAN’T KNOW
FOR SURE, BUT
IT’S LIKELY THE
ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH
WAS ORIGINALLY
A LOWER-CLASS
WORKER WHO CHOSE
TO BE CASTRATED SO
HE COULD WORK IN
THE ROYAL COURTS.
SOME OF THESE JOBS
REQUIRED MEN TO
BECOME EUNUCHS SO
THEY COULD NEVER
FATHER CHILDREN
AND POLLUTE THE
ROYAL BLOODLINE.
THE GREEK WORD,
“EUNOUCHOS,”
LITERALLY MEANS
“BED KEEPER.”
SOME SCHOLARS BELIEVE IT’S POSSIBLE THIS MAN HAD GIVEN
UP EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE OPTION OF HAVING HIS OWN
FAMILY SO THAT HE COULD ADVANCE IN HIS CAREER, AND THEN
LOOKED TO THE JEWISH FAITH FOR MEANING. UNFORTUNATELY,
GIVEN HIS PHYSICAL DEFORMITY, HE WOULD LIKELY NOT HAVE
BEEN ALLOWED IN THE TEMPLE. NOW, IN ACTS 8, HE’S DOING THE
ONLY THING LEFT TO HIM—READING SCRIPTURE (FROM WHAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY EXPENSIVE SCROLL) AND TRYING TO
MAKE SENSE OF IT.
110
SESSION FOUR