“The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.”
Acts 8:31 (NLT)
After Philip’s ministry in Samaria, the Lord leads him—at noon—down the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. And when he arrives, he finds an Ethiopian eunuch riding home from worship in Jerusalem, reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Holy Spirit tells Philip to walk beside the carriage, and Philip asks the question God set up for him: “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
The eunuch doesn’t pretend. He doesn’t posture. He answers with humility: “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” He wasn’t just reading—he was ready to be preached to. He recognized a need he couldn’t meet on his own, so he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit beside him and explain the Scriptures.
That’s the example we’re meant to follow, and John 16:13 is the promise that makes it possible. Before Jesus went to the cross, he told his apostles that when Holy Spirit comes, he will guide you into all truth. Holy Spirit doesn’t speak on his own—he speaks what he has heard, and he instructs with authority. And this isn’t just for “Bible people” or seasoned leaders. This is the gift Jesus promised for the everyday believer who opens the Word and says, “I need help.” God didn’t leave you alone with a closed book.
If you belong to Jesus, you have access to the Helper—the Counselor—who is willing to come near, sit beside you, and teach you what God’s Word is saying. So don’t settle for hearing a sermon and staying unchanged. Open the Scriptures, recognize your need, and urge Holy Spirit like the eunuch urged Philip: come sit beside me. Teach me. Explain this to me. And as he guides you into truth, you’ll be able—like Philip—to point people to Jesus from whatever passage is in front of you, without hesitation.