As the earliest church scattered outside of Jerusalem, the Book of Acts says those who were scattered preached the Word wherever they went (Acts 8:4-8), even into the despised area of Samaria. As Philip preached in Samaria, he also performed miraculous signs and the Samaritans paid close attention. Upon seeing the release from demons, i.e., spiritual healings, and the healing of physical ills, “there was great joy”.
Unless there was some sort of city-wide holiday declared so that everyone could come and listen, my guess is those who witnessed the spiritual and physical healings went back home and told their neighbors and friends what they had seen. Those who had been healed gave credit where credit was due and where Philip said credit belonged, i.e., to the work of the Holy Spirit through the risen Christ Jesus. They rejoiced in seeing the work of God among them, especially because they were a despised and ostracized group of people.
Imagine the great joy we could share today if we first recognized the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and second told others giving credit where credit was due. My tendency is to speak of my “luck” or even my “blessings”. I allude to the source but generally don’t explicitly point to Jesus.
Instead of tamping down my joy, how attractive would Christianity be if I was less careful?
Just Sayin' 