The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 329: The Ethiopian Eunuch (2025)
Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode Overview

This episode journeys through Acts 8 (including the story of Simon the Magician and the Ethiopian Eunuch), Romans 13-14, and Proverbs 27:15-17. Fr. Mike explores the church’s growth amid persecution, the transformative encounter on the desert road, the importance of guided interpretation of scripture, and St. Paul’s exhortation to Christian charity and freedom. The reflections center on the dynamics of suffering, evangelization, authority, and living the law of love.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Spread of the Church in the Midst of Persecution

• Acts 8 opens with the aftermath of Stephen’s martyrdom and increased persecution:

  • Saul is introduced as consenting to Stephen’s death and actively persecuting Christians.
  • “That’s one. The next thing, on that day, a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem. That’s two. Persecution. And then three, ... they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” (Fr. Mike, 13:35)
  • Fr. Mike highlights how this persecution fulfills Jesus’ earlier commission: the Gospel moves from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, ultimately going “to the ends of the earth” (cf. Acts 1:8).

• Reflection on suffering and God's plan:

  • “Sometimes we think, well, if I’m going to have the blessing of God… There’s going to be less pain, there’s going to be less persecution. There’s going to be only blessing. … Persecution… sparks the next step of evangelization, that sparks the next step of the growth of the church…” (Fr. Mike, 14:35)
  • Suffering is not always a sign that “things have gone wrong”; it might be the very means by which God’s purposes are fulfilled.

2. Simon the Magician and the Sin of Simony (Acts 8:9-24)

• Simon, who amazed Samaria with his magic, believes and is baptized after witnessing the apostles’ miracles.
• Simon offers money for the power to give the Holy Spirit:
  • “‘Your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money.’” (Acts 8:20)
• Fr. Mike explains “simony”:
  • “Simony is the buying and selling of religious things or buying and selling of sacred things, or the buying and selling of like blessings. That kind of idea, it is a sin. And that comes from chapter 8…” (Fr. Mike, 16:45)
  • Lighthearted aside: “Can you imagine your name becoming the name of a sin?” (Fr. Mike, 17:25)

3. The Ethiopian Eunuch: The Need for Guidance in Scripture

• Philip is told by an angel to approach an Ethiopian official reading Isaiah:

  • The eunuch, though devout, is excluded according to Jewish law but still comes to worship.
  • The eunuch says, “‘How can I [understand] unless someone guides me?’” (Acts 8:31)

• Fr. Mike’s Reflection on Interpretation:

  • “This is so important for us… Yes, the 73 books… are God’s infallible word… But we all know that they can be misinterpreted… So what we need is what the Ethiopian eunuch pointed out. How am I supposed to understand this unless someone can guide me, unless someone can teach me? And that is the role of the Church.” (Fr. Mike, 18:30)
  • Emphasizes role of the Church's Magisterium in safeguarding and interpreting scripture.
  • Foreshadows how interpretation plays a role in later Acts—in debates about baptism, circumcision, etc.

4. Romans 13–14: Authority, Love, and Christian Freedom

• On Government and Authority:

  • “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1)
  • Christians honor, respect, and pay dues to earthly authorities as part of living faithfully.

• The Fulfillment of the Law in Love:

  • “Owe no one anything except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
  • Fr. Mike highlights “the law is the law of love”—it’s not about rigid rules, but about what helps or harms others:
    • “If what you choose to do is going to hurt the faith of your brother or your sister, then don’t do it. Why? Out of love for them.” (Fr. Mike, 23:50)
  • This applies to disputes in the early Church over clean/unclean foods—what matters is care for each other’s conscience and well-being.

• Living in the Light:

  • “Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:11-12)
  • “Just to live as in daylight, to walk in the light and recognize the Lord loves you. God loves you who are listening right now. He’s very proud of you.” (Fr. Mike, 26:45)

5. Proverbs 27:15–17 and Final Reflections

• “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
• Brief comment on the value of mutual support and correction in the Christian life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On suffering and evangelization:
  • “Persecution… sparks the next step of evangelization, that sparks the next step of the growth of the church, not just in Jerusalem, but… to the ends of the earth.” (Fr. Mike, 14:50)
• On scriptural authority and guidance:
  • “An infallible book without an infallible interpreter is a worthless book, because if I can get the interpretation wrong, then it’s kind of useless, right?” (Fr. Mike, 18:50)
• On Christian freedom and love:
  • “It’s not just kind of rigid. It’s not just a bunch of rules. It’s about saying, will this help or will this hurt? If it hurts, I won’t do it; if it helps, maybe I will.” (Fr. Mike, 25:05)
• On living in God’s approval:
  • “The Lord loves you. God loves you who are listening right now. He’s very proud of you. The Father is very, very proud of you.” (Fr. Mike, 26:45)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Acts 8, Stephen and Persecution: 13:10–15:25
• Simon the Magician and Simony: 15:30–17:40
• The Ethiopian Eunuch and the Need for Teaching: 17:55–19:45
• Romans 13–14; Law, Love, and Scruples over Food: 20:15–25:10
• Living in the Light—Final Encouragement: 26:00–end

Final Thoughts

Fr. Mike draws a powerful thread through today’s passages: God brings good from suffering, the Gospel advances in challenging contexts, and the Spirit works through unexpected people and situations. The Church’s teaching office remains vital in guiding believers to rightly understand and live the scriptures. Most of all, the fulfillment of God’s law is love—a dynamic, ever-relevant call to put others ahead of ourselves, build one another up, and walk as children of the light.

Summary by Podcast Summarizer AI — For listeners and non-listeners alike, this summary captures key biblical moments, powerful spiritual insights, and the distinctive warmth and wisdom of Fr. Mike’s teaching.