Simon is Denied the Gift of Healing
February 17, 2021
Commentary
When persecution hit the church in Jerusalem, scattering the believers, the apostles were spared, remaining in Jerusalem (v. 1). Eventually word reached them of the work Philip was doing in Samaria (v. 14). The Samaritans had received the Word of God (v. 14), but strangely they had not yet received the Holy Spirit (v. 15). The Holy Spirit had come upon the first believers, including the apostles, in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Each subsequent believer up to that point had been Jewish. And each had immediately received the Holy Spirit upon salvation. The situation in Samaria, however, was different. Samaritans were half-Jews, the descendance of both Jews and Gentiles. They had different religious customs and beliefs from the Jews. The acceptance of the Samarians into the church marks a major step forward in the expansion of the gospel. It was therefore appropriate and necessary for Peter and John to travel to Samaria to pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon the Samarian believers (v. 15). It speaks to the power of the gospel in the apostle John’s life that he was now willing to make such a journey. Previously he had asked Jesus for permission to call down fire from heaven to consume a village of Samaritans (Luke 9:54).
As the two apostles laid their hands on them, the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit (v. 17). The sorcerer, Simon, seeing this great miracle, and perhaps eager to expand his influence in the Samaritan church, offered to buy the power to bestow the Spirit onto others (vv. 18-19). His request was of course ludicrous. Such an outpouring of the Spirit was a special event, always performed by an apostle, only occurring four times throughout the book of Acts, each time marking the expansion of the gospel to a new group of people (Acts 2:1-4; 8:17; 10:44; 19:6). Peter rebuked Simon severely because of the evil intent of his heart (vv. 20-23), and Simon begged Peter to pray for him to be spared of any judgement for his wickedness (v. 24). It appears that Simon was more concerned about avoiding judgment then in getting right with God. There is no evidence that he repented and sought forgiveness.
Application
We have just seen how close a person can come to salvation, and still not be truly saved. Simon heard the Gospel, saw the miracles, gave a profession of faith in Christ, and was baptized, but was never born again.
Acts 8:14– 25 (NET)
14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 These two went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 16 (For the Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money! 21 You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God! 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. 23 For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin.” 24 But Simon replied, “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
25 So after Peter and John had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages as they went.