Vol.VI No.X Pg.3
December 1969

The Eunuch's Secret

Joe Fitch

Look at a man who found the way of salvation (Acts 8: 26-39). Do you know the secret of his success?

He had AN OPEN BOOK. We first meet him reading from the scriptures (Ver. 28). "Have you not read" (Mt. 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:16; etc.) and "What saith the scriptures?" (Rom. 4:3) are inspired appeals for open Bibles. Jesus said the Sadducees were wrong about the resurrection not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God (Matt. 22:29). Is it strange to find people wrong about spiritual things when they never open their Bibles?

"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Eph. 3:4). Confusion is banished by knowledge. Reading an open book — is the first key to understanding what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:17).

Many people avow they are looking for truth yet they never open their Bibles. They claim to love truth but refuse to discuss the scriptures. Something is wrong somewhere! ... "thy word is truth" (Jno. 17:17).

The man from Ethiopia also had AN OPEN MIND. Many people protest they cannot understand scripture. The problem may not be so much hard scripture as hard hearts. People observed the miracles of Jesus but just couldn't see that he was Christ. Why? "They closed their eyes" (Matt. 13:15). It is hard to see anything with your eyes closed!

Consider the parable of the good Samaritan (Lk. 10: 29-36). Why couldn't the priest and Levite see the wounded man? Was he hidden? No, they knew he was there. The Samaritan had no problem finding him. Suppose we move the wounded man into the middle of the road where you can't walk around him — the priest and Levite will just look up, step over, and keep walking! Attitude makes the difference. The Samaritan was willing to see.

Prejudice (pre-judging) is an enemy of the quest for truth. A verdict is reached before the evidence is heard. Nathaniel didn't ask Phillip how he knew Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ; he just said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (Jno. 1:45, 46). He made up his mind when he heard Nazareth mentioned. Likewise, Jesus was discredited in Nazareth — his family were all common people (Mk. 6: 2-4). Stephen preached the truth and was killed (Acts 7:51-60). These people were — as he charged — "stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears" (closed minded).

"Come and see" (Jno. 1:46) is the only answer to prejudice. An honest heart will consider the facts — and change when wrong. Others will find excuses or ignore the situation completely.

An OPEN MIND and an OPEN BOOK can be the secret to your success. It was for the Bereans. They "received the word with all readiness of mind" — an open mind — and "searched the scriptures daily" — an open book — "whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). Or you can close your mind and Bible and drift gently on waves of self satisfaction to hell!