It’s About Time

Acts 8: 5-25

The recent MasterCard ad goes something like this: “there are some things that money can’t buy; but for everything else there is Mastercard.”  It appears that even the secular world understands some thing about limitation and reality thereof.  In the book of Acts, a man called Simon, aka Simon Magus, thought he could acquire the Holy Spirit at a price. He was sadly mistaken for in his state, he was unwittingly used of Satan to destroy the Church.

You see, for every spiritual blessing that the Church enjoys, Satan works hard to destroy it. In fact, he is bent on destroying the Church of Jesus Christ that he will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Satan has tried using persecution in his toolbox to annihilate the church of Jesus Christ (Acts 3-4). When that failed, Satan tried corruption to hinder the blessing of God upon the Church. However, Luke the Physician informed us that God dealt with it swiftly in killing two individuals called Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5).  Later on, Satan tried another tool of his called distraction to hamper the work of the Church in Jerusalem. 

Doubtless the ploy worked well for a while. Thankfully the Lord lead the apostle to reprioritize their work, for though the work of ministering and feed ing the pooe widows are part of service to God, the apostles realize that they are to focus on their God-taken task faithfully.  Part of the solution besides realizing the cause of distraction is to get people whom one could delegate in order for greater efficiency to be carried out.

Out of the seven men chosen to serve tables (it does not refer solely to menial task of serving food but also to taking charge of financial matters too), two men were singled out in particular by Luke: Stephen and Philip.  Stephen preached boldly before the Grecian Jews in the Synagogue and being learned in Scriptures, he confounded them with the plain truth. doubtless theological debates led to name calling and insinuation and ultimately false accusation in order to silence the individual.  Stephen boldly stood before the Sanhedrin and aptly refuted their charges against him with regards to Abraham, the Law, the Temple.  Eventually the Jews turned on him and killed against the Roman law.  Yet like the Savior, Stephen prayed for his enemies.

What follows was a three-fold cause and effect of Stephen’s death: 1) his death led to intense persecution of the Church; 2) which in turn, resulted in widespread dispersion; and 3) led to massive evangelism.  Where the wind of persecution blows, the seed is sown and planted where it lands.  The Christians scattered went everywhere evangelizing the good news of Jesus Christ.  One place is the city of Samaria (vss 5-25).  Several things happened:

The task of evangelism was undertaken by believers.  Luke tells us that where the beleivers were scattered, they would eventually set up a good church.  Thus we see a pattern laid out clearly that evangelism is not the proprietary of the leadership for each one must reach one.  Unlike today where most churches expect the Pastor to do the work of the minisstry

The City of Samaria trusted in Jesus Christ through Philip’s ministry.  Perhaps the groundwork has been laid by the Lord Jesus when he went there to seek the salvation of the Samaritan woman. The effect of that encounter was the salvation of the Samaritans due to the testimony of believers there. So when Philip entered the city and began preaching the Messiah and the Kingdom of God, authenticated by miraculous works, the people believed and the net result was that there were great joy in the city (vs. 9)  Yet Luke the author of Acts highlighted one individual, “but Simon,” who also followed likewise yet was clearly not in the same spiritual relationship with God. Such could infiltrate easily into the Church despite the presence of the apostles. 

Simon’s Self-Exposure.  Nobody would perhaps have known that Simon is not a Christian had he remained silent all these while. Yet when he saw the conferring of the spiritual gift and the Holy Spirit by the apostles, he wanted that very power himself. Thus Simon offered money to purchase that capability to Apostle Peter.  This very act earned him a place in Church history not for admirable feat but dubious act of trying to purchase ecclesiastical office by money. A new word was coined “simony” to describe such individuals. 

Simon’s motivation.  What motivates Simon to want that kind of capability? It certainly wasn’t because he cared for the people. He was fascinated by what he saw as the power to confer the gift of the Holy; he wanted that power not to serve the cause of Christ but himself and to exert his influence over others once again.  Remember that Simon was (and still is) a sorcerer. One whom many once gave heed and esteemed as one of the great powers that be. A title given to these spiritualists for their power to perform magic and spectacular feats.  But because of Philip’s entrance into the city with the Gospel causes many to turn from darkness to the light, and Simon’s popularity and even control over the common folks waned drastically. Desperate to recapture such esteem, Simon had no qualm about following a movement to find out more and even give the impression that he and his antics are similar to that of the apostles.  Such deception! 

Simon didn’t realize that the gift of Holy Spirit was not even the jurisdiction of the apostles but the Holy Spirit Himself (1 Cor 12:7ff).  Even the spectacular gifts were sovereignly decided by the Holy Spirit for different individuals according to God’s sovereign plan.  By implication, he wanted the power over God!  Such audacity! 

Peter’s Response to Simon.  Peter’s response revealed several truths about Simon.  First, Simon’s lack of spirituality.  In other words, he is not a believer – an unregenerate!  “Your money will perish with you!” is a strong reprove before his face.  Peter has no right to state the destination unless he has the discernment to ascertain Simon’s spiritual state.  Some might point to verse 9 that Simon also believed and baptized as the other Samaritans did.

Biblical salvation means one must place his faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.  Mere assent to historical facts does not render one a saved person.  James 2:19 says: “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.“  Moreover, baptism does not contain efficacious grace, for it is an outward demonstration of inward transformation (Rom 6:3-6).  Without saving faith, without a regenerated state, Simon’s baptism was a mere immersion in water, period. 

Secondly, Peter also reveals that Simon was still involved in spiritual occultism.  “Gall of bitterness” has a reference in Deut 29:18 to those who were involved in occultism and bitter apostasy.  Thirdly, Simon was said to be still in captivity in sin.  When a person is in Christ, he is free indeed. To be in continual spiritual bondage reveals an unregenerate state.

Yet, Peter did not close the door on Simon but urged him to repent in order that God might forgive him lest he dies without Christ.  “Perhaps” gives the idea that God has not given up on Simon but has left the door of salvation open for him to repent. 

Simon’s reply.  Unfortunately Simon loves power more than spiritual relationship with God.  His request to the apostle shows that he, like many others, fear the consequences of their actions rather than the judgment of God himself.  It is also noteworthy that after this conversation, the Bible no longer mention Simon Magus, except that the early Church Father is said to have mentioned Simon as being a founder of some cultic group.