A SORCERER IN THE CHURCH

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on September 28, 2022 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: September 28, 2022 from Acts 8:9-25

Theme: God’s message of redemption is often resisted by those who most need to hear it.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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Have you ever heard of the practice in church history called of simony?

In times past, positions in church hierarchy were considered powerful things to have—politically and economically. People—who were neither spiritually worthy nor qualified for such positions—would often pay church leaders considerable sums of money for the privilege of occupying church offices, because with those offices came great power, prestige, and influence over people. Also, such offices involved ‘benefices’; that is property and income that came from such pastoral positions. Church leaders have often condemned this practice, and have even brought discipline upon both those who bought church offices and those who sold them.

And why is this practice called simony? It’s because of a man that we meet in Acts 8—a sorcerer named Simon.

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There has been considerable speculation about this man Simon in history. He came over time to be referred to as Simon Magus (or Simon the Magician). Some of the early church fathers and historians attributed the beginnings of a lot of heresy and heretical practices to him. Some ancient historians have even suggested that he was the source of the gnostic heresies that plagued much of the early church.

We can’t be absolutely certain about the claims that later church traditions made about him. But according to Luke—the writer of the Book of Acts—he had clearly been a practitioner of works of sorcery. He amazed people so much that they began to worship him. And when he heard the message of the gospel, he professed a faith in Jesus and appeared to have been converted. But he also clearly misunderstood the nature of the life-transforming power of the gospel. He saw the works of the Holy Spirit through the apostles, and actually thought he could pay money to have the secret of that power sold to him—as if it were a trade secret in the magician’s guild.

We learn a valuable lesson from the story of this man Simon. The life-transforming power of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit are spiritual realities that are not for sale. The gospel is free to all; but the Holy Spirit’s work is sovereign. His work can never be sold to anyone for personal gain, or for power and prestige, or for the advancement of any personal agenda.

In this story, God acted in the early church to protect the integrity of the gospel from the misguided ambitions of Simon. We should be very grateful that He did.

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Now; the context of Simon’s story is found in Acts 8:4-8. After a great persecution of the church arose, many of the believers fled and were scattered into the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria. As they went, they preached the gospel. We’re told about the ministry of a godly preacher named Philip. He was one of the seven who were commissioned as servants of the church in Acts 6. Luke tells us;

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:5-8).

This was a bold advancement for the gospel. The Jewish people had always despised the Samaritan people, and would ordinarily have had nothing to do with them. But now, the gospel had transcended all those old divisions; and it was freely preached to all. And the astonishing power of the gospel caught the attention of everyone—including the attention of this sorcerer named Simon. He lived in the city of Samaria too. And so; as we read on, we discover …

1. THE SORCERER’S CONVERSION (vv. 9-13).

Luke tells us in verses 9-10;

But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” (vv. 9-10).

It may be that this man used tricks and sleight-of-hand—on a very human level—to fool people. But it’s also very possible that the things he did were by the power of demonic forces who sought to use him to deceive people. The Samarian people were so astonished by his works that they concluded that his power was the “great power of God”; and they listened to his teaching. He even advertised himself as “someone great”. The Bible warns us about such deceptions. It even tells us that many people will one day fall under a terrible spiritual delusion, and will be led astray in the last times to give heed to the Antichrist; saying;

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).

But the deceptions of the magician were no match for the genuine work of the Holy Spirit through the truth of the gospel. Luke goes on to tell us;

And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done (vv. 11-13).

Was Simon’s conversion sincere? Many Bible teachers insist that it was not—that he was simply attracted to the miracles. But since the Bible doesn’t say clearly—one way or the other—whether his conversion was sincere, we should leave the matter at that. What we are told is that Simon believed and that he was baptized. He joined his fellow Samaritans in being amazed at the mighty works of God.

But that’s when we see …

2. THE SORCERER’S SIN (vv. 14-19).

It all began with the arrival of the apostles from Jerusalem. You’ll remember that we were told, in Acts 8:1, that the apostles had remained in Jerusalem when everyone else was scattered because of persecution. And now, with the work of the gospel proving to be so powerful, and a great awakening occurring in Samaria, the apostles felt led to go. Luke tells us in verses 15-17;

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (vv. 14-17).

It’s very significant that Luke tells us how John came with Peter to Samaria. In Luke 9:54, we’re told that John and his brother James asked permission from the Lord Jesus to call down fire from heaven upon a village of the Samaritans and destroy it. Now, after Pentecost, John is coming to minister the gospel of Jesus’ love to the Samaritans.

It’s also significant that Peter and John came to pray that the newly-baptized Samaritan believers receive the Holy Spirit. If the Samaritans had received a clear manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit immediately after being baptized, it might appear that a completely separate branch of the Christian faith was forming—and a division between the Jewish and the Samaritan believers might have progressed in history. But with the coming of the apostles to them, the laying on of hands by the apostles, and the clear manifestation of the Holy Spirit upon them as a result, it became obvious to all that the church of Jesus Christ was one unified body.

But Simon didn’t understand this. He—perhaps a genuinely converted but immature believer—interpreted what he saw from the perspective of his old life as a magician. Verses 18-19 tell us;

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit” (vv. 18-19).

What would Simon have been intending to do with such power—if indeed it had been ‘sold’ to him? Perhaps he would have wanted to use it to elevate himself to a position of power within the church, and perhaps to have drawn a following to himself. This is why some Bible teachers doubt the genuineness of his conversion. Again, we’re not told whether it was genuine or not. But whatever the motive, it was a sinful desire to have spiritual power within the church for personal gain. He wanted a good thing, but for the wrong reason and in the wrong way. And there are plenty of genuinely saved men and women—even today—who, themselves, fall into that kind of sin.

This leads us, then, to …

3. THE APOSTLE’S REBUKE (vv. 20-23).

It must be that the Holy Spirit Himself had opened Peter’s eyes to the situation. We’re told;

But Peter said to him, “Your money will perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity” (vv. 20-23).

What Peter saw was that Simon was motivated to have the power of the Holy Spirit because of some very sinful impulses. He was “poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity”. This seems to suggest that the formerly-famous ‘Simon the Magician’—who everyone had formerly turned to, and heeded, and had called ‘the great power of God’—was bitter that people were no longer turning to him, but were now turning to those through whom the Holy Spirit was working mightily. Peter rebuked him strongly, because he had no portion in the work of the Holy Spirit (as it was being manifested among the Samaritans), because he was not right in the sight of God. This was a stunning rebuke; and it may possibly suggest that Simon was not a redeemed man at all. But then, we should remember that Peter himself once received a stinging rebuke like this from the Lord. Jesus turned to him once and said;

“Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).

That seems like a far harsher rebuke than Simon received from Peter. And yet, no one would have doubted Peter’s sincere devotion to the Lord—or his salvation. If we’re honest about it, dear brothers and sisters, haven’t there been many times when we have been unspeakably ill-motivated in our pursuit of the things of God?

This leads us, finally, to notice …

4. THE SORCERER’S PETITION (vv. 24-25).

We’re told in verse 24;

Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me” (v. 24).

And we can be relatively sure that Peter—thinking back to the Lord’s strong rebuke to him—did so. That’s all that we’re told about Simon. We’re not told anything more about how he might have gone on to live for the Lord after this rebuke. As far as Scripture is concerned, he fades into the background. But as a result of this rebuke, it appears that a terrible sin within the church was kept from harming the work of the gospel among the Samaritans. We’re told,

So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans (v. 25).

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This is a strange story. But it has a valuable lesson to teach us. The greatest gifts of God’s grace are free to all who desire them. As Paul said in Romans 8:31-32;

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32).

But the Holy Spirit remains sovereign; and the gifts He gives are only for those to whom He sees fit to give them. All the rich, life-transforming spiritual blessings that God wants for us to have are not for sale at any price. They are freely given to all who submit to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s never fall into the sin of the sorcerer in the church.

AE