Similar to the conversion of the Samaritans, the conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch is another confirmation that God’s church is catholic (universal). It is not limited to a particular people, time, or place but it includes all kinds of people—men and women, Jews and Samaritans.

The Ethiopian eunuch was a black man. Under the terms of the old covenant, he was limited to attending the court of the Gentiles due to the fact that he had been emasculated. He was thus welcome to worship the Lord, but he did not have the same privileges and access that was afforded to Jewish men. This seems to be one of the reasons why he had questions regarding the interpretation of Isaiah 53:1–12. Quite possibly, whilst he was in Jerusalem, he was told that Isaiah has something to say about the future redemption or inclusion of eunuchs. As a result, he purchased a copy of this scroll and began to read it. As he did so, he had many questions that remained to be answered.

When Philip spoke to the man, he was able to explain how the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He was also able to baptize the man, thereby showing that he has full part in the Christian community and is not an outcast or an outsider. His baptism also served to confirm that the promises that God has made in the past about the inclusion of people from Ethiopia was now being realized in the Christian church.