“And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
[The eunuch said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' And Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' The eunuch answered, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.'] - this verse is omitted in early manuscripts (Western and Alexandrian texts) but included in later Byzantine tradition, appearing as a confession of faith. Whether original or not, it represents the church's understanding of baptismal requirements: explicit confession of Jesus as 'Son of God' (huios tou theou) is the prerequisite for baptism.
Church Fathers on Acts 8:37
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what does hinder me to be baptized? Acts 8:36 Mark the eager desire, mark the exact knowledge. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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