Event 243: Simon the Sorcerer Public Ministry of Jeus from the First Passover to the Second: Gospel Harmony [LivingWeb Library]

Event 243: Simon the Sorcerer

Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized,
he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. - Acts 8:13

Book	Acts
Passage	8:9-25
Lectionary	Not used in Lectionary
Text	⁹ But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: ¹⁰ To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. ¹¹ And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. ¹² But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. ¹⁴ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: ¹⁵ Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: ¹⁶ (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ¹⁷ Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸ And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹ Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. ²⁰ But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. ²¹ Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. ²³ For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. ²⁴ Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the LORD for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. ²⁵ And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
Time Frame	ca. AD 36

Quotes & Notes

John Wesley's Notes:
And Simon believed-That is, was convinced of the truth.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
This Simon was probably, as several learned men suppose, the
same who is mentioned by Josephus, as persuading Drusilla to
leave her husband, and live with Felix.

* believed. Ac 8:21; Ps 78:35-37; 106:12,13; Lu 8:13; Joh 2:23-25; 8:30,31 Jas 2:19-26
* and wondered. Ac 3:10; 13:44; Hab 1:5; Joh 5:20; 7:21
* miracles and signs. Gr. signs and great miracles. Ac 8:7; Mr 16:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary:
He was struck with the doctrine and miracles of Philip-he saw that these were real; he knew his own to be fictitious. He believed therefore that Jesus was the Messiah, and was in consequence baptized.

Continued with Philip, and wondered] existato, He was as much astonished and confounded at the miracles of Philip as the people of Samaria were at his legerdemain. It is worthy of remark that existato comes from the same root, existhmi, as the word existwn, in Ac 8:9, and, if our translation bewitched be proper there, it should be retained here; and then we should read, Then Simon himself believed and was baptized, and continued with Philip, being BEWITCHED, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. We may see, from this circumstance, how improper the term bewitched is, in the 9th and 11th verses.
{Ac 8:9,11}

Family Bible Notes:
Believed; the miracles which he witnessed seem to have convinced him of the reality of the divine power that accompanied the gospel, though he had very false ideas respecting it, and soon showed that he did not love God nor his truth.

People's New Testament Commentary:
There has been much needless discussion whether Simon was sincere. It would never have been doubted had we not been told that later he fell into sin. It is best to take the Scripture in its manifest sense. He became a believer like the rest. He was baptized like the rest; then, like many others, at a later period, under temptation, he fell into sin. It is impossible to believe that a man of his power and influence in Samaria would have yielded outwardly to the gospel and shown the deference he manifested to Philip unless he was at the time sincere. But he was of the class described by the Savior when the seed of the sower fell among among thorns [Mt 13:22; Mr 4:18,19].

Robertson's Word Pictures:
And Simon also himself believed (Ho de Simôn kai autos episteusen). Note the same verb in the aorist tense episteusen. What did he believe? Evidently that Jesus was this "power of God" not himself (Simon). He saw that the miracles wrought by Philip in the name of Christ were genuine while he knew that his own were frauds. He wanted this power that Philip had to add to his own pretensions. "He was probably half victim of self-delusion, half conscious impostor" (Furneaux). He was determined to get this new "power," but had no sense of personal need of Jesus as Saviour for his sins. So he submitted to baptism (baptistheis, first aorist passive participle of baptizô), clear proof that baptism does not convey salvation. He continued with Philip (ên proskarterôn tôi Philippôi). Periphrastic imperfect of the verb proskartereô (see on Ac 2:46). He stuck to Philip (dative case) to find out the secret of his power. Beholding (theôrôn). Watching the signs and miracles (powers, dunameis that threw his "power" in the shade) as they were wrought (ginomenas, present middle participle of ginomai). The more he watched the more the wonder grew (existato). He had "amazed" (verse Ac 8:9) the people by his tricks and he was himself more "amazed" than they by Philip's deeds.

Albert Barnes' Commentary:
Then Simon himself believed also. That is, he believed that Jesus had wrought miracles, and was raised from the dead, etc. All this he could believe in entire consistency with his own notions of the power of magic: and all that the connexion requires us to suppose is that he believed this--that Jesus had power of working miracles, etc.; and as he purposed to turn this to his own account, he was willing to profess himself to be his follower. It might have injured his popularity, moreover, if he had taken a stand when so many were professing to become Christians. Men often profess religion because, if they do not, they fear they will lose their influence, and be left with the ungodly. That Simon was not a real Christian is apparent from the whole narrative, Ac 8:18,21-23.

And when he was baptized. He was admitted to a profession of religion in the same way as the others. Philip did not pretend to know the heart; and Simon was admitted because he professed his belief. This is all the evidence that ministers can have; and it is no wonder that they, as well as Philip, are often deceived. The reasons which influenced Simon to make a profession of religion seem to have been these:

(1.) An impression that Christianity was true. He seems to have been convinced of this by the miracles of Philip.

(2.) The fact that many others were becoming Christians; and he went in with the multitude. This is often the case in revivals of religion.

(3.) He had no religion; but it is clear Ac 8:20,21, that he was willing to make use of Christianity to advance his own power, influence, and popularity--a thing which multitudes of men of the same mind with Simon Magus have been willing since to do.

He continued, etc. It was customary and natural for the disciples to remain with their teachers. See Ac 2:42.

And wondered. This is the same word that is translated bewitched in Ac 8:9,11. It means that he was amazed that Philip could really perform so much greater miracles than he had even pretended to. Hypocrites will sometimes be greatly attentive to the external duties of religion, and will be greatly surprised at what is done by God for the salvation of sinners.

Miracles and signs. Greek, Signs and great powers, or great miracles. That is, so much greater than he pretended to be able to perform.

{1} "miracles" "signs and great miracles"

Jamieson-Faussett Brown:
Then Simon himself believed also--Left without followers, he thinks it best to join the man who had fairly outstripped him, not without a touch of real conviction.

and ... was baptized--What a light does this throw on what is called Baptismal Regeneration!

he continued with Philip--"was in constant attendance upon" him.

1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

(6) The wicked and the highly reprobate are often forced to taste the good gift of God, but they immediately spit it out again.

Spurgeon Devotional Commentary:
But he did not savingly believe, as is clear from his conduct. He was baffled by Philip, and therefore believed his doctrine to be true, made a profession of faith and entered the church, and might have done immense mischief, had he not been detected by his own greed. The church of God has many foes: Saul vexes her without, and Simon within.

William Burkitt's Notes:
Nothing on Acts 8:13

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
Nothing on Acts 8:13

Four-Fold Gospel
The commentators nearly all agree that Simon's faith was not real, but feigned; and that the statement that he believed is made according to the appearance, and not according to the reality. They urge that subsequent developments prove the insincerity of his professions, and compel us to adopt this conclusion. It must be confessed, that at the time Philip might have been deceived by him; but this could not be said of Luke, who wrote subsequent to all the developments in the case. If his object was to describe the events as it appeared to Philip, he might retain, in the first instance, the mistake of Philip; but we would expect, on this supposition, a subsequent correction. No such correction, however, is given; neither is there any evidence that Luke intended to represent the case as it appeared to Philip. On the contrary, he speaks from his own stand-point, and had all the facts before him which we have before us. His statement, therefore, should control our judgment, and he says, not that Simon feigned belief, but that he believed. We conclude, then, that he did, in the true and proper sense of the word, believe.

Some commentators, disposed to admit the statement that Simon believed, still deny the sufficiency of his faith, and urge that it was deficient in its object. {n} But the historian makes no distinction between what Simon believed, and what was believed by the Samaritans. They "believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ" [Ac 8:12]; and Luke adds, without qualification, that "Simon himself also believed." He believed, then, what Philip preached; be 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.

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