Simon The Sorceror
SIMON THE SORCEROR
ACTS 8:9-24
Simon was a fraud who hadn’t grasped that the gospel was free and had to be accepted as a gift.
Verses 9-13 concentrate on one special case among the multitudes (8:6) who showed interest in Philip’s preaching and healing. Simon had already acquired a reputation before Philip appeared (8:10-11), and quite likely saw his popularity about to wane and his livelihood to be in danger by his competitor’s success. He therefore suggested an alliance, and feigned belief (8:12-13; but 8:21 is clear on his motive) even to the extent of openly identifying himself with the Christian cause.
8:14-24 show how Simon fared when the apostles came to visit Samaria. Note the purpose of their coming. And what followed in regard to those Samaritans who had professed faith in Christ. Were they believers before Peter and John laid hands on them?
The clash between Peter and Simon well illustrates the spiritual gift of percipience which the apostle had (see 5:3-4). Simon betrays his secret motive in a request for the Holy Spirit’s power as though it were like a piece of magic (8:19). He wanted the power to enhance his own reputation as a wonder-worker. Peter tartly refuses, and speaks right to the point (8:20-23). Verse 23 means in modern language: “I see you are still an unconverted reprobate” (J.A. Findlay)—so much for his earlier profession of belief and his acceptance of baptism! Simon’s reaction is vague (8:24), but probably it means a weak plea to escape punishment, like King Saul’s (1 Samuel 24:16; 26:21).
Notes 8:9: Simon the magician plays an important rôle in early Chustian literature as the father of heresy. 8:10: means that he regarded himself as the unique agent of “the supreme God” (probably a syncretistic name for God in some Oriental-Greek religions). 8:13: was he sincere, or (as suggested above) a charlatan? Lucian was later to write about such bogus “believers” who traded upon simple Christians and made an easy living that way. 8:14: John had been to Samaria before (cf. Luke 9:54). 8:15: for other sequences of believing, baptizing and receiving the Spirit, see Acts 10:44ff.; 19:5f.; Ephesians 1:13. 8:16: “it”—RSV needs correction here. The Holy Spirit is a Person. 8:17: this has been called a Samaritan “Pentecost” (by G.W.H. Lampe), and apostolic authorization is thus given to a new phase of the church’s outreach as “a new nucleus of the missionary Church has been established” (Lampe).