Most scholars believe that calling himself great went far beyond that to even placing himself along side of God, in other words, Simon was calling himself divine.Īs was typical in other ancient Jewish literature dealing with magic, here is some of what Simon probably was engaged in…ĭIVINATION: The exact meaning of this practice is unknown. This man is the power of God that is called Great.” Many people were demon possessed probably in part due to Simon’s witchcraft and occult sorcery. This probably accounts for the great many exorcisms that Philip did in the name of Jesus as he came to the land.
This magic was occult fueled and demonic in origin. So, before Philip entered the area of Samaria Simon was the star attraction. He had kept the people amazed with occult magic for a very long time. Simon the sorcerer was a very important man in Samaria. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.ġ4 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,ġ5 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,ġ6 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.ġ7 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.ġ8 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,ġ9 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”Ģ0 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!Ģ1 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.Ģ2 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.Ģ3 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”Ģ4 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”Ģ5 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. Please hear God’s Word for Grace Community Church…ĩ But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.ġ0 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”ġ1 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.ġ2 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.ġ3 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. We may even ask our self the question, Why did I come to Christ? Or Why am I a Christian? Is it so I can get something out of it, like heaven or God’s blessings…or am I a Christian because Christ is my treasure and in Him alone am I amazed and in Awe. This passage today challenges all Christians to reevaluate our commitment to Jesus Christ. We must stand in awe and find amazement in Christ alone. So, Simon was obsessed with power which came through magic and tricks. Simon wanted all the ohhs and ahhs in his direction. He too desired to be looked up to and be, as it were, the center of attention. Her desire was much like a man named Simon who lived in Samaria who heard and saw the power of Christ through Philip and the Apostles. In her mind, she would be an elite Christian while everyone else remained normal…God would then show that He loves her more by giving her this gift. The more I spoke with her, the more apparent it became that for her speaking in tongues would be something that would cause others to admire her and think more highly of her than they currently did. She even doubted her salvation based on the fact that she could not speak in tongues. She was fixated on this topic and it had become really an idol to her. I once counseled an elderly lady named Caroline who was extremely troubled over that fact that she could not speak in tongues. Simon, a Man Amazed With Magic and Not With Christ
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