"Acts 8:37 is widely seen by Textual Critics to be a later interpolation into the text. [...] It has generally been assumed that the verse was initially a margin added by those who found the narrative of Acts 8 lacking, which later found its way into the body of the text." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confession_of_the_Ethiopian_Eunuch)
As a result, it has been removed from most of the modern English versions of the Bible:
- New American Standard Bible (NASB 2020) - Nestle-Aland 28: Ommitted
- English Standard Version (ESV) - Nestle-Aland 28: Ommitted
- New King James Version (NKJV) - Textus Receptus:
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God.”
- Christian Standard Bible (CSB) - Nestle-Aland 28: Ommitted
- New International Version (NIV) - Nestle-Aland 28: Ommitted
If v37 narrative was never inspired by the Holy Spirit, never occurred in the first place, and was wrongly added to old English versions (Textus Receptus), then that leaves us with the following sequence of events:
- Philip asked the Ethiopian if he understood Isaiah.
- The Ethiopian responded no using a rhetorical question and asked Philip for help.
- Philip preached Jesus.
- They came to some water unintentionally.
- The Ethiopian asked if he could be baptized.
- [v37 ommitted text]
- The Ethiopian ordered the chariot to stop.
- Philipe baptized the Ethiopian.
And when the text is read without the ommitted verse (v37), it seems like a piece of the story of the Ethiopian conversion (Acts 8:26-40) is missing now. Can the story still stand well from a Koine Greek grammar standpoint without looking perplexing or doubtful?
Additonal resources