Acts 8

 Acts 8 is one of the few examples of someone going off alone to do ministry. We see Jesus and later the Apostles going out into ministry with others with them. Paul was sent away without Timothy or Silas in Acts 17 but that was for his safety. He noted later that he was alone (though Luke was with him) in 2 Timothy 4:9-12 making it sound like a rare thing he wasn't surrounded by other believers. What is going on? Why groups when as we see here one person going off alone can do ministry? I believe the answer is seen in Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." We would like to think we can do it on our own but the truth is we usually need help. We need others to stand when we are weak and to watch when we are tired. Especially in the New Testament, believers are referred to as being part of a body. We are not as one pastor put is "called to be Lone Rangers." We are a part and we need each other. To say it as John Wesley did, "There is no holiness but social holiness."

This being said, we do see where God has called some to go out alone. This however isn't the norm it is the exception. There is a time to stand alone, but we had better make sure God told us to do it.