Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John:
when.
Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 11:1,19-22 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God…
Acts 15:4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
received.
Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Peter.
Acts 3:1-3 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour…
Galatians 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
that Samaria had received the word of God
Samaria was a region with a complex history of tension with the Jews, dating back to the Assyrian conquest and the subsequent intermarriage between Israelites and foreigners. The Samaritans were often despised by the Jews, making their acceptance of the Gospel a significant event. This reception of the word of God by the Samaritans fulfills Jesus' prophecy in Acts 1:8 about the Gospel reaching Samaria. It also echoes Jesus' own ministry, as seen in John 4, where He speaks with the Samaritan woman, indicating the breaking down of ethnic and religious barriers.
they sent Peter and John to them
Peter and John were two of the leading apostles, often seen together in the Gospels and Acts. Their mission to Samaria underscores the importance of apostolic authority and unity in the early church. This action also highlights the role of the apostles in confirming and supporting new believers, ensuring that the spread of the Gospel was consistent with the teachings of Jesus. The sending of Peter and John can be seen as a fulfillment of Jesus' promise to build His church (Matthew 16:18), with Peter playing a foundational role.
• The Twelve remained in Jerusalem as the recognized shepherds of the newborn church (Acts 1:12-14; 2:42).
• News of revival in Samaria traveled north to them, mirroring later reports they would receive about Caesarea (Acts 11:1-2).
• Their readiness to respond shows pastoral oversight, just as Paul later urged elders to “pay careful attention to all the flock” (Acts 20:28).
• Hearing first, then acting, reflects the principle of Proverbs 18:13—leaders gather facts before making decisions.
• “Received” signals genuine faith, the same verb used of Thessalonian believers who “received the word… not as the word of men but as it truly is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
• Centuries of hostility separated Jews and Samaritans (John 4:9); yet the gospel breaks barriers, fulfilling Jesus’ roadmap: “You will be My witnesses… in Samaria” (Acts 1:8).
• The harvest began with Philip’s preaching (Acts 8:5-8) and echoed Jesus’ earlier work at Sychar, where many Samaritans believed (John 4:39-42).
• Their acceptance of Scripture affirms that saving faith rests on God’s revealed word, not on ethnic lineage (Romans 10:17).
• Two leading apostles travel together, reflecting the “two or three witnesses” principle for confirming matters (Deuteronomy 19:15; Mark 6:7).
• Peter, entrusted with “the keys of the kingdom” (Matthew 16:19), and John, a “pillar” of the church (Galatians 2:9), bring recognized authority.
• Their mission included:
– Verification of the Samaritans’ faith and baptism (Acts 8:15).
– Corporate prayer for the Holy Spirit to be given (Acts 8:15-17), underscoring unity between Jerusalem and Samaria.
– Public affirmation that the Samaritan believers belonged fully to Christ’s body, preventing a divided church.
• This apostolic visit models deliberate follow-up to evangelism: proclamation is joined to pastoral care (Acts 14:21-23).
Acts 8:14 highlights the church’s early commitment to trustworthy leadership, scriptural faith, and gospel unity. Jerusalem’s apostles learn of Samaritan conversions, recognize the work as genuinely Spirit-wrought, and personally invest Peter and John to confirm and encourage it. The verse shows the Word breaking ancient walls, the apostles safeguarding doctrinal integrity, and the Spirit forging one people in Christ across former lines of division.
(14) When the apostles which were at Jerusalem. . . .--The tidings came to the Twelve as a proof that the limitation which had at first excluded Samaria from the range of their work as preachers of the kingdom had now passed away (Matthew 10:5), and that the time had now come when they were to be "witnesses" to Christ in Samaria as well as in Judaea (Acts 1:8). Old antipathies of race and worship disappeared, and without hesitation they sent the two who were, in many respects, the chief of the Apostles to sanction the admission of the new converts. The Apostle who in his zeal had once sought to call down the fire of the wrath of God on the village of the Samaritans (Luke 9:54), was now to bring to them that baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire (Matthew 3:11) which spoke not of wrath but of love. That his companion should be Peter, was natural, both from the position which the latter occupied as the leader of the apostolic company and from the friendship by which the two had been throughout their life united.The word of God is characteristically used by St. Luke, as in his Gospel, for the whole sum and substance of the gospel of Christ. (Comp. Luke 5:1; Luke 8:11; Luke 8:21.) . . .
Verse 14. - The apostles (see ver. 1). They sent unto them Peter and John. The selection of these two chief apostles shows the great importance attached to the conversion of the Samaritans. The joint act of the college of apostles in sending them demonstrates that Peter was not a pope, but a brother apostle, albeit their primate; and that the government of the Church was in the apostolate, not in one of the number.