Pastor David B. Curtis
Pastor David B. Curtis
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In Acts 8, we see the Gospel for the first time going beyond Jerusalem, and the Samaritans were becoming part of the body of Christ. What is the significance of the Samaritan's salvation? Philip's trip to Samaria to spread the Gospel is God's fulfillment of God's plan. God had promised that He would bring back the 10 tribes of Israel and that He would reunite the 12 tribes. In Acts 8, we see both houses united under Messiah. The book of Acts is about the redemption of Israel. God is fulfilling His promises to Israel.
Acts 8 opens on the heal of Stephen's martyrdom. "On that day," Saul instigated a persecution against the church in Jerusalem. He went house to house dragging off Christians who were tortured, imprisoned, or even killed. This led to the scattering of the Church. But rather than stopping the spread of the Gospel, Saul's persecution scattered the seed into new areas.
Up to this time, the knowledge of God had been primarily focused in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the single beacon of light which was to draw all the nations to herself. This is what happened at Pentecost. Jews from all the nations gathered together to meet the Lord. But this all changes now. Instead of the world's coming to the Church, now the Church will go to the world.
In the beginning verses of chapter 8, we see a Samaritan revival in verses 5-8, and a general overview of its results is given. Then, in verses 9-13, one man is in view—
a sorcerer by the name of Simon.
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. Acts 8:9 ESV
The word "magic" here is from the Greek word mageuo, defined by Strong's as "to practice magic: - use sorcery." It signifies practicing the rites of the Magi. It is only used here in the New Testament. Whether he had satanic power to perform miracles or whether he was a master magician who used trickery to amaze the masses, we can't say for certain. But it is clear that he was "amazing" the people of Samaria.
The word "amazed" is from the Greek word existemi ("to throw out of position, displace, to astonish, throw into wonderment, to be out of one's mind, beside one's self, insane"). To get a good sense of the word, look at how Mark uses it.
but when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, Mark 6:49-51 ESV
The Lord is walking on the water and when he gets into the boat, the sea is calm. The text says "And they were utterly astounded." Imagine how you would feel.
They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. Acts 8:10-11 ESV
Living among the Samaritans was a man named Simon, whose powers were such that he had mesmerized the people into following him.
Adam Clark writes,
There is a remarkable reading here in several MSS. which should not pass unnoticed. In ABCDE, several others, together with the AEthiopic, Armenian, later Syriac, Vulgate, Itala, Origen, and Irenaeus, the passage reads, This person is that power of God which is CALLED the GREAT. This appears to be the true reading; but what the Samaritans meant by that power of God which they termed the Great, we know not. Simon endeavored to persuade the people that he was a very great personage, and he succeeded.
They believed that Simon was an impersonated power of God, which, as the highest of powers, they designated as "The Great." But he had clearly been unable to do anything like Philip did. Note that it is repeated twice that he "amazed" the people and that they "paid attention to him." His grip was strong, but it was not sufficient to prevent them from turning to the Messiah Whom Philip proclaimed, for here they recognized was a much greater power.
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Yeshua the Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Acts 8:12 ESV
No matter where Simon's power came from, be it demonic or just trickery, it was no match for the power of the Gospel. When Philip arrived in Samaria, Simon's magic practice came to a screeching halt. This is a Samaritan revival. The Gospel moves out of Jerusalem, and the Samaritans gladly receive it. Now notice the next verse.
Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Acts 8:13 ESV
Take note of what the text says: "Simon himself believed." What happens when people believe?
The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Luke 8:12 ESV
When you believe, you are saved. While this sounds like Simon became a Christian, but the commentators nearly all agree that Simon's faith was not real. Why, when the Bible says he believed, do so many men say he did not? They say he was not a believer because of what Peter says to Simon.
But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." Acts 8:20-23 ESV
This is strong language, and because of this, many say that Simon was not a believer.
One writer states, "From Luke's words (even Simon himself believed, verse 13) we would conclude that he was saved, but from the words and actions of Simon himself, and from the severe warning of Peter, one would surely have some second thoughts on the matter."
Another writer states: "But when Peter says, 'You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God (Acts 8:21),' it is a pretty clear indication that Simon's belief was superficial and his baptism just a ceremony."
Referring to our text, John MacArthur claims: "If that passage teaches anything…if it teaches anything at all…it surely teaches that there is such a thing as non-saving faith. Faith that does not save." If this is true, how do we know if our faith is the saving kind?
John Piper declares: "First, there is a 'faith,' there is a 'believing,' that does not save, even though it rises in the presence of true preaching and true miracles. And yet Luke says in verse 13a, 'Even Simon himself believed.' The point I draw out of this is that there is a 'faith' or a 'believing' that does not save."
Ray Steadman writes:
If this were the only statement about Simon in the Scriptures, we would have to conclude that he had become a Christian, because the language used to describe him is the same as that used for genuine believers. "Simon himself believed, and was baptized." He took upon himself the symbol of identification with Jesus Christ and thus openly joined this company who said they belonged to Jesus. But the rest of the account makes crystal clear that this man was not a believer.
Another writer states: "When Luke reports that Simon believed, he is describing what Simon professed, not how God viewed matters. Just because a person claims to believe in Christ and gets baptized does not mean that he is truly saved."
Another commentator contends: "Obviously, Simon did not even realize that he was a false believer instead of a true one!"
Why, when the text of Scripture says that Simon believed, do so many men say that he didn't? They do so based upon their pre-supposition known as "Lordship Theology" which teaches that if a person is truly a Christian, they MUST live a righteous, obedient life. Without this practical righteousness, there is no reason for a person to think that he/she is a Christian. No fruit, no root, would be their mantra.
So, those who hold to the Lordship view would say that true Christians live a life characterized by obedience to all that the Father has commanded. And if a person's life is not characterized by obedience, then there is no salvation.
Please get this: Yeshua is the only person who ever lived in complete obedience to the Father. All other men have sinned and continue to sin. The only reason that people can get into heaven is because Yeshua's obedience is imputed to their account by faith.
For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 ESV
I am righteous because of Christ's obedience that becomes mine by faith!
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
Positionally, in my standing before God, I am completely righteous and totally obedient because I am in Christ! Christ's obedience and righteousness has been imputed to my account. That is my position or standing. But when men talk about obedience being necessary to enter heaven, they are referring to practical obedience.
Does a person need to live an obedient life in order to be saved?
The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:17 ESV
Does that sound like a call to obedience to you? If obedience is involved, how much is needed? How obedient do we have to be? How much do we have to sacrifice? Is 80% good enough? Is it 90%? or maybe 95% obedience? We know that it's not 100% obedience because nobody does that. Nobody.
How much obedience is enough? Nobody can answer that question which means we never know if we are doing enough. Ultimately, it means that we can never know if we are going to make it to heaven if getting to heaven is based upon our obedience. If complete obedience to the will of God is necessary, then I think we are all in trouble. Notice what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5.
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Yeshua for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
What is God's will here? It is that we be thankful "in all circumstances"! Are you? Is a person who is not thankful in everything under God's wrath? They are not doing the will of God! Do you see how complicated it gets when you require obedience as a necessary element of salvation?
The Lordship view has become very widespread in the Church today, but is it Biblical? The main issue in the Lordship debate concerns the nature of faith. In other words, the debate centers around this critical question: What must a person do to be saved?
What exactly is saving faith? Saving faith requires the understanding and assent to the propositions of the Gospel. It is not some special kind of faith in the sense that its quality or essence is different from other kinds of faith. There are not different kinds of faith; there are just different objects of faith.
We all know what faith is. For example, if I said "He told me the check is in the mail, and I believed him." Are you going to ask me if I believed with my head or my heart? Of course not! You understand what I mean when I say that I believed him. But when it comes to Christianity, we look for some other understanding of faith. Saving faith is taking God at His Word. It is believing what God has said.
No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Romans 4:20-21 ESV
God made Abraham a promise, and Abraham believed Him. That is faith. He believed that God would do what He said He would.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 ESV
If I believe God's testimony about His son, I receive God's righteousness and have everlasting life. I'm not saying that everyone who says he is a Christian is one. It seems like everybody in this country thinks he/she is a Christian. I was talking to a man a while ago who told me that he was a Christian. I asked him, "If you were to die right now and stand before God, and He asked you, 'Why should I let you into heaven?' what would you tell Him?" He said, "I'm not sure, I haven't been to confession lately." This man, though he said he was a Christian, had no clue of what the Bible taught about salvation. I proceeded to share the Gospel with him.
The Lordship view has redefined saving faith, so it's more than just taking God at His word. Saving faith, according to those adhering to this approach, involves surrender, commitment, submission, repentance, and sacrifice. These additions are linguistically and biblically invalid. Faith is simply believing.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36 ESV
The word translated as "whoever does not obey" in the ESV and as "he who does not believe" in the KJV and the NKJV is the verb apeitheo. The leading Greek Lexicon of the New Testament by Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker makes a very insightful comment about apeitheo that sheds light on John 3:36: "Since in the view of the early Christians, the supreme disobedience was a refusal to believe their Gospel, apeitheo may be restricted in some passages to the meaning disbelieve, be an unbeliever (BAGD, p.82)."
A person who trusts in Christ alone obeys completely the will of the Father to believe in Yeshua the Christ alone for eternal salvation. Saving faith is accepting the testimony of God. Do you believe that Yeshua is the Christ? If you do, then on the testimony of Scripture, you are saved, and you possess everlasting life.
John Robbins, in the foreword of Gordon Clark's book, Faith and Saving Faith, writes, "Belief of the truth, nothing more and nothing less, is what separates the saved from the damned. Those who maintain that there is something more than belief are, quite literally, beyond belief."
This view that declares that Simon was not a Christian most likely gained support from Church history. Church history speaks a great deal about a Simon Magus who was a great heretic and was supposed to have founded a Gnostic sect. But there is no certainty that it was this particular Simon. Simon Magus' name first occurs in the writings of Justin Martyr, who was himself a Samaritan. But Justin does not make any identification with Acts. His name is cited by Irenaeus and Hippolytus and is found in The Acts of Peter and in other fictional works. Many things are said in ancient and modern commentaries of his subsequent career, but there is nothing that is sufficiently authenticated to deserve our serious attention. At best, we can only speculate about him, so we are best served by confining our understanding of him to our text.
Speaking of the text, let me ask you a very important question: Are we to see Luke's words, "Simon himself believed," as verbally inspired Scriptural truth? I'd like to take some time here to talk about biblical inspiration. Biblical inspiration may be defined as God's superintending of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities (and even their writing styles), they composed and recorded without error His revelation to man in the words of the original autographs. Inspiration means that the Holy Spirit of God superintended the human writers in the production of Scripture so that what they wrote was precisely what God wanted written.
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 ESV
The word "carried along" in this verse literally means "to be borne along." Peter says that men were carried along by the Holy Spirit, much as a wind fills the sails of a ship and moves it forward. The personality of the authors can be seen in their works, but, ultimately, the Bible is supremely correct in what it affirms, and it is without error because God is the superintending author. It is the very revelation of God Himself.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
"All scripture is breathed out by God." The word translated "breathed out" here is the Greek word theopneustos. It means "God breathed." In other words, God breathed out Scripture. God spoke it. It is the very breath of God.
The essential point here is that when men wrote the Scriptures, their statements did not originate in their own thinking, but were put into their minds by the direct action of the Holy Spirit. They wrote the Word of God in the sense that they wrote words that came directly from God. This is what the "Westminster Confession" means when it says that the original text of the Bible was "immediately inspired by God" (1.8).
Paul tells us that "all Scripture is God-breathed," and there is a sense in which all Scripture is "true." But we must distinguish between Scriptures where the very words are themselves teaching divine truth and Scriptures where the words are correctly recorded and are a true record of what was said but are not themselves to be seen as expressing divine truth.
Let me illustrate what I mean by this. In the book of Job, we have words spoken by Job and his four friends. It is necessary for us to consider which of their words are divine truth and which are simply an accurate record of false ideas being put forward by his friends. The words accurately present what was said but without necessarily themselves expressing divine truth.
Job's so-called friend, Eliphaz, says to him:
"Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? Job 4:7 ESV
Eliphaz is here basically telling Job that the innocent do not suffer. He contends, therefore, that Job must be guilty of something. Eliphaz is basically teaching the health/wealth Gospel that assets that as long as one lives in a right manner, he will have no problems—he will be healthy and wealthy. Eliphaz continues this thought in Job 22.
Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you? Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities. For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing. You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it. You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed. Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you, Job 22:4-10 ESV
Eliphaz is basically telling Job that because he is suffering, he must have done something wrong. If he were a good man, he would not be in this situation. Is what Eliphaz said divine truth? No. Notice what God says of Job.
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. Job 1:1 ESV
This is God's evaluation of Job. Job's problems were not a result of his sin but, rather, were a trial from the Almighty. Notice what God says in Job 42.
After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Job 42:7 ESV
That tells us that we are not to see the words of Job's friends as conveying divine truth, even though they are in the Scriptures and are to be seen as presenting a true record of what they had said. Thus, if we base our doctrine on what they taught, we will go sadly astray. It is clear that we have to be discerning when we use Scripture. We have to distinguish when the Scriptures are putting forward "revealed truth" and when they are telling us what people said without necessarily indicating that it was divine truth.
As another example, notice what Satan told Eve.
But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. Genesis 3:4 ESV
The serpent's words are certainly Scripture. That is, they are recorded in Scripture as indicating what he said, and can be relied on as an accurate representation of what was truly said), but they were not conveying divine truth; they were a lie. So, when considering divine truth, we must ask, "Who said it?" and "Under what circumstances?"
With this in mind, when we come to Acts chapter 8 and the text says, "Simon himself believed," we need to ask "who said this?" Is this text telling us what Simon said or what others said about Simon? No, these are God-breathed words recorded by Luke. This is divine truth! This is God's view of Simon.
If there had been any hint that when Luke wrote this (subsequent to all the developments in the case) that his conversion was not genuine, Luke would surely have worded it differently. Luke speaks from his own stand-point. He had all the facts before him—the same facts we have before us. His statement, therefore, should control our judgment. He does not say that Simon pretended to believe or that Simon said he believed. He simply affirms that "He believed." I think we should conclude, then, that he did "believe," in the true and proper sense of the word.
Luke, the historian, makes no distinction between what Simon believed and what was believed by the Samaritans.
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Yeshua the Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Acts 8:12 ESV
Then Luke adds, without qualification,
Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Acts 8:13 ESV
He believed, then, what Philip preached—he believed the Gospel. This conclusion is based upon statements too positive and unambiguous to be set aside because of any difficulty in reconciling them with facts subsequently developed.
The words "believe and believed" are used 37 times in Acts, and they clearly refer to those who have trusted Christ and are saved.
To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." Acts 10:43 ESV
and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Acts 13:39 ESV
The Word of God says that Simon believed. To say that he didn't, is to question inspiration. Because of Simon's actions, many say that he was not a Christian, even though the Bible clearly says, "He believed." The Lordship view says that "He can't be saved because there's no commitment, no sacrifice, no good works." But the Scripture says "He believed." Now, what are you going to believe—the Bible or men?
Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Acts 8:13 ESV
Notice that Simon was constantly amazed by Philip. There is a deliberate comparison here with verses 9-11, stressing how superior Philip was to Simon. The amazer was amazed. He was as much astonished and confounded at the miracles of Philip as the people of Samaria had been by his magic.
In verses 14-17, the apostles come down and lay hands on the Samaritans so that they received the Holy Spirit. This was for the purpose of identifying the Samaritans with the Jerusalem church. This laying on of hands was uniquely important here because it established the oneness between the new Samaritan church and the church in Jerusalem. So, these hated Samaritans are now joined to Christ and spiritually share all that the Jewish believers share. They are united—Jews and Samaritans in one body.
Then beginning in verse 18 here's what happened:
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:18-19 ESV
At this point, something happened which Simon saw. Evidently the coming of the Spirit was accompanied by some type of physical manifestation.
Simon offers Peter and John money for the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit. This is not really that surprising. After all, Simon would have paid to learn his magic arts. No one would be inclined to pass along such valuable knowledge without compensation. Learning to practice magic would be something like buying a franchise. Simon was used to thinking in terms of the buying and selling of abilities. He simply continued to operate as he always had—as a magician.
When Simon saw that the apostles were able to give the Holy Spirit simply by the laying on of hands, a gift which manifested itself in the exalting of men's hearts to God, he naturally assumed that their ability could be bought and paid for. He understandably offered them money. To his mind, this was something worth having. He would not think that he was acting against God. Can you blame him? Wouldn't you like to have the ability to lay hands on people and have them receive the Holy Spirit?
But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! Acts 8:20 ESV
What Peter says here is a recognized form of a curse. Similar curse formulas have been found among pagan magical papyri. This could literally be translated as "May your silver be for destruction along with you." Peter places both Simon and his money under a ban. J. B. Phillips translates this as "To hell with you and your money" (Acts 8:20).
The problem is that when we hear strong words like this, we often assume that this can't be said to a true believer. But remember the inspired text said, "Simon himself believed."
Peter himself heard some very strong words of correction from Yeshua.
But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Matthew 16:23 ESV
Just as Peter was called "Satan" by his Lord for expressing his thoughts and desires, so Simon was addressed as a heathen because he was acting like one at the time.
When Simon tried to purchase the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit on others, he based his actions on the assumption that the gift of God could be bought and sold. Before you are too harsh on Simon for using his money to try to buy something from God, think about how many Christians are using their good works or their acts of service or their great sacrifices as an attempt to earn God's favor. Trying to buy God off has been going on for centuries.
True Christians can do, and have done, everything that Simon said and did. His background, possibly fresh out of demonism, makes his conduct easier to understand.
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Acts 8:21 ESV
As I understand the words of verses 21 and 22, Peter is not speaking so much about Simon's sinfulness in general, but rather in terms of this specific sin—the sin of trying to purchase God's gift.
Does the fact that Peter says, "Your heart is not right before God," indicate that Simon is a non-believer? Does Scripture contradict Scripture? No because the Scripture has already told us that Simon believed. Notice the strong language that Mark uses about the apostles
for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:52 ESV
"Their hearts were hardened." Hardened is the Greek word poroo. Metaphorically it means "to make the heart dull; to grow hard, callous, become dull, lose the power of understanding." This is a very strong word. It is used 5 times in the New Testament and 3 of them are referring to non-believers. And remember he is saying this of His apostles. Does this mean that they were not saved? No! It does not!
Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." Acts 8:22-23 ESV
If conversion involves such a complete renovation that old mental habits are entirely eradicated, never to exert their influence again, then Simon was not a genuine believer. But as both Scripture and experience teach, the turning of sinners to God transforms their identity from Adam to Christ. A saved man must still deal with sin or it will overtake him in his daily walk; old habits must be put away; his thought process must be transformed by the Word of God. Simon was a new believer who had a lot to learn.
And Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." Acts 8:24 ESV
Adam Clark writes: "If the reading of the Codex Bezae, and the margin of the later Syriac may be relied on: Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none OF ALL THOSE EVILS which ye have spoken TO ME, may come upon me: WHO WEPT GREATLY, and DID NOT CEASE. That is, he was an incessant penitent."
Nothing is further said about the incident. This leaving an incident in mid-air is typical of the Bible elsewhere. When Scripture leaves something in the air like this, it usually signifies that what was spoken of happened. Thus, we have the right here to assume that Peter did pray for him and that he was forgiven. He was, after all, new in the faith and had needed his thinking sorted out and deliverance from what had previously gripped him.
Believers, none of us is perfect in our obedience to the Lord. None of us is 100% sold out to God. Therefore, let's cut each other a little slack. When we see another believer doing something that we think is incompatible with a believer, let's pray for him and lovingly confront him. Let's try to help him walk in holiness, but let's not judge and condemn him as unsaved. Our salvation is not about our performance; it's about our trusting the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone. His obedience has been imputed to you and me, and we stand obedient in Him.