Acts 8:9-25 Simon Magus
Good morning! Turn with me once again to Acts chapter 8. This morning we’re going to look at verses 9-25, and that’s on page number ______ in the pew Bibles.
This is a unique text that we are going to look at this morning. We are still following the work of Philip in Samaria preaching the gospel. Our text includes a particular incident where an influential guy named Simon comes to faith in Jesus, well, almost.
This account brings up some really important questions. And as we look at this together I want to point out that as we work through the book of Acts that chapters 1 through 10 describe a time of transition, with the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost following Jesus’ ascension into heaven, to the spread of the gospel beyond the Jews to the Samaritans and eventually the Gentiles.
The reason to remember that this was a time of transition for the Church is because some of the things that are described in those chapters aren’t done the way that things are done afterwards. Meaning, things like not receiving the Holy Spirit at the point of faith in Christ but only after the Apostles laid their hands on people, and receiving the baptism of John the Baptist, a baptism of repentance and not a baptism of faith in Jesus.
This particular account is concerned with the early reach of the gospel into Samaria, the first effort to preach the Good News to a nation outside Israel. And as such has some peculiar events described in it.
Those peculiar events are not really the main point that we are going to consider this morning but they are still important to be aware of as we read these early chapters of Acts.
Let’s pray.
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
So here we have two men, Philip, who amazed people with the power of God through the gospel, and Simon Magus, Simon the Sorcerer, who amazed people with his magic tricks.
Luke does not give us any information about whether or not Simon’s power was real, whether he was empowered by demons to actually perform literal magic, or if he was just a sideshow prestidigitarian doing parlor tricks for the masses.
What we do know is that he was a person of influence in that area and he liked it, he liked the power of influence over people.
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
Simon may well have just been exploiting the superstitions of the people but in doing so he made a name for himself as somebody great and powerful. In truth, he was no different that the Wizard of Oz, no more powerful than anybody, but exerted influence over the naive.
But then along comes somebody with real power, Philip. Only the power that he displayed was not his own but the power of God and people shifted from Simon to Jesus through Philip’s preaching, and accompanying signs.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
This is great, right? And they all lived happily ever after! It would be great if the story ended there, Philip preaches the gospel, everybody believes in Jesus, including the former scam artist sorcerer, they all get baptized and gather into local churches, end of story… Unfortunately it doesn’t go that way.
The story continues, and I’m glad it does because it forces us to wrestle with a pretty uncomfortable question regarding faith, and the single point of this sermon.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
I just want to pause here to address this issue of the Holy Spirit not being received immediately by these new believers when they came to faith as we know that it happens that way now.
We have to remember that Acts chapter 8 was the first time the gospel was preached to anybody outside of Israel, it may not be new to us, but it was new to them.
Jesus told the Apostles in Matthew 16:19, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This is what He was talking about. The work of the gospel to the Samaritans needed their approval in order to move forward and that’s exactly what they did here, they authenticated the work of the gospel to the Samaritans and thus accepted them into the Church.
This meant there would be no more schism between Jewish Christians and Samaritan Christians, there would be no distinction between nations. This work would continue in Acts 10 and expand to the Gentiles, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Now we come to the real issue, and that’s the quality of the faith of Simon Magus.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
Now verse 13 clearly says, Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Does what Peter says to Simon make it sound like he was truly saved?
Does Simon’s response to Peter make it sound like he was truly saved?
JP Lange wrote, “To be touched by the truth, to assent to it, to commend it – all this is insufficient, unless the heart and mind be renewed, and abide in the ways of truth.”
Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
Simon Magus did not experience this renewal because he merely agreed with the facts about Jesus. Simon’s error was not the substance or object of his faith but the nature of his faith was what was the problem. He may have believed that Jesus lived and died and rose again but he did not trust in Jesus the person.
His belief was in his mind not in his heart.
Romans 10:9-10 says, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Simon may well have declared that Jesus is Lord, but without believing in his heart that God raised Him from the dead, meaning that he didn’t believe that Jesus is alive and that he was connected to Him in real relationship.
The problem is we run the same risk.
How many people do you know that have claimed Jesus is Lord, maybe even got baptized, but eventually turned away from the Lord?
Maybe this is even you. Maybe you say that Jesus is Lord, maybe you even got baptized like Simon, but your connection to Jesus as a living Savior isn’t really real.
Simon believed, but as James 2:19 says, “Even the demons believe, and shudder.”
The demons believe but they don’t trust the living Savior, Jesus. Do you?
The difficult question we must wrestle with is, “How do I know my faith is true saving faith?”
Simon Magus didn’t received the Holy Spirit. He was still controlled by his own selfish motivations, he still wanted power and influence for himself and his own gain. He hadn’t changed at all, he was still bound by bitter envy and jealousy.
Simon was terrified of the prospect of being destroyed along with his money like Peter said, but instead of repenting of his sin and turning to Jesus and asking Him for forgiveness, he begged Peter to pray for him that he might be spared the punishment that was due him.
I know that we are often encouraged when our unbelieving friends ask us to pray for them but this only shows that they recognize that God exists and that they don’t believe that they can actually have a relationship with Him.
Don’t just pray for them, pray with them, and show them that a personal relationship with Jesus is possible for them.
Simon becomes a great example for us when it comes to considering the quality of our own faith in Jesus. Simon had no sincere repentance, no real turning from sin, no godly sorrow for his sin and sinfulness, no conversion, no renewal.
So what about you? Have you sincerely repented of your sin, turned away from your sinful lifestyle to follow Jesus? Do you feel godly sorrow over your sin, does sinning upset you at all?
Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord? Do you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? Do you talk to Him as if He is alive?
If the answer is “no,” it is not too late to trust in Him, to turn from your sin, to follow Him as your living Lord and Savior.
…to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Amen.
