Simon the sorcerer

“Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.” (1) While Philip served through the power of God, Simon the sorcerer operated through the power of evil spirits. His goal was to astonish people, and he referred to himself as “someone great.” (2) Various ledgends exist about Simon. (a) He is considered the founder of Gnosticism. (b) He went to Rome and distorted Christian doctrine (creating the first heresy). (c) He had a miracle contest with Peter and lost. Although none of these stories are confirmed, Simon left an impression strong enough to generate such legends. “And all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, ‘This man is the Power of God that is called Great.’” This statement is astonishing. It is unclear whether people believed Simon possessed divinity, but at the very least, they considered him a personification of the “Power of God.” The primary issue was that Simon gladly accepted such praise. A true servant of God abhors receiving such accolades. “But when they believed Philip as he was preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being baptized.” (1) The “kingdom of God” refers to the Messianic Kingdom (Millennial Kingdom) (ref. Acts 1:3, 6). “Preaching the name of Jesus Christ” means that Philip proclaimed Jesus Christ as the King of the Kingdom of God (Samaritans, by believing in Jesus, could become citizens of the Messianic Kingdom). (2) While Simon used the power of evil spirits to draw attention to himself and astonish people, Philip used the power of God to direct attention to Jesus, leading people to conversion. As a result, “both men and women were baptized.” They received baptism as a testimony of their faith (since they had already undergone circumcision, baptism alone was sufficient for them to convert to Judaism). (3) What is happening here is truly miraculous. (a) For the Samaritans, believing in the Jewish Messiah was considered an act of betrayal. (b) For the Jews, teaching that Samaritans could also be saved was seen as an act of betrayal. Stephen was persecuted for arguing the universality of the gospel, and Philip also took the same theological risk. However, if one follows God’s will, blessings will surely follow.