1/7/2023 0 Comments Simon the sorcerer classic![]() At this point, Peter strongly reprimands Simon for his greed and states that he needs to “repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart” (Acts 8:22). Simon witnessed this event and “offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 8:19–20). Later, the apostles Peter and John arrived, at which time the Spirit came upon the believers. The Bible says that “the Holy Spirit had not yet come” upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:16). In the wake of hearing and seeing the disciple Philip “as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:12), Simon was baptized into the early church and “followed Philip everywhere” (Acts 8:13). Interestingly, however, Simon’s empowerment by Satan did not include loyalty to the demonic. ![]() It appears Simon was the latter, as Luke states that he had amazed the Samaritans “for a long time with his sorcery” (Acts 8:11), some even declaring that he was “the great Power of God” (Acts 8:10), a messianic title. Sorcery, which is strongly condemned by God (Deuteronomy 18:9–13), was common in the ancient world, and, while some acts and demonstrations were no more than illusions of the mind, others were empowered by Satan in an attempt to discredit the power of God (Matthew 24:24 2 Thessalonians 2:9). The Jew called Simon who “pretended to be a magician” is referred to by the historian Josephus ( Antiquities of the Jews, book 20, chapter 7), but this appears to be a different historical figure, as he was born in Cyprus. Christian apologist Justin Martyr is believed to have propagated the idea that Simon was a Samaritan from the city of Gitta, and this has been accepted in early church tradition and today by some church historians. In the book of Acts it is stated that he “amazed all the people of Samaria” (Acts 8:9), but the account does not identify him as a Samaritan himself. A minor figure in New Testament history, Simon also appears in Gnostic texts in which his character and biography are expanded upon, but these accounts are unlikely to be historically reliable due to the nature of these writings and their anonymous authors. He appeared in the wake of the newly established church in Samaria. Simon the Sorcerer, sometimes referred to as Simon Magus or Simon of Gitta, is mentioned by Luke in Acts 8:9–24.
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