Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 8:5

"And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ." — Acts 8:5 (ASV)

Philip, the second of the seven enumerated in 6:5 (cf. 21:8) and one of the Hellenistic believers expelled from Jerusalem in the persecution directed against Hellenistic Christians, traveled to the north and proclaimed “the Christ” to Samaritans. The text is uncertain as to which city of Samaria he preached in, for every direction from Jerusalem is “down.” Luke was evidently not interested in giving a precise geographical identification for that city.