Simon the Magician, mentioned in Acts 8, should be the patron saint of every pastor and Christian leader who seeks fame and power.
Before we hear Simon’s story, let’s look at what God did through the apostles from Jerusalem. Remember, Philip had preached, and many people were baptized in Jesus’ name. However, they had not yet received the Holy Spirit.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).
This may seem strange to modern listeners. Most of us see someone as a follower of Jesus after they pray a prayer or attend a confirmation class. But the early church faced a different situation.
The Samaritans were seen as half-breeds with questionable religious beliefs. The apostles needed to be sure they had truly met the Lord. So God reassured the Jerusalem church by giving the Samaritans the same gift of the Spirit that the church had received.
As we read through the Book of Acts, we see that the gift of tongues was given each time a new group of people came to the Lord. First, it was the early church, then the Samaritans, and later the Gentiles received the Spirit in the same way. How can anyone deny that they knew the Lord when each group had the same experience?
Simon and Modern-Day Christian Workers
Simon began following the Lord, but his conversion was not complete. He still held on to his old ways. The people of Samaria once saw him as great, and he did not want to lose that status. Because of this, he asked the apostles from Jerusalem for something he should not have asked for.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:18-19).
It is easy to envy someone else’s spiritual gift and feel unhappy with our own. We may want to preach with the eloquence of a great speaker. Or we may want to sing like a gifted singer when we only have an average voice. We may also want spiritual power, such as healing, speaking in tongues, or another gift that brings attention or recognition.
I wish this were not true, but it is common among ministers, Christian workers, and laypeople.
A careful reading of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts shows that the Holy Spirit was at the center of every act that glorified God. Even Jesus did His works through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit works through us and deserves the honor. We should not use the Holy Spirit to gain honor for ourselves.
Peter was right to correct Simon’s approach to the Holy Spirit.
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness” (Acts 8:20-23).
Peter urged Simon to repent of his wrong thinking about the Holy Spirit. We also need to repent if we envy someone else’s spiritual gift. To repent means to change our minds.
We need to recognize that every good thing that comes through our work is from the Holy Spirit. Let us not rely on human ability or seek power and glory. Instead, let us seek to honor God by surrendering to the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.
A Hopeful Ending
I like to think Simon the Magician’s story had a good ending. It seems to me that he repented.
Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me” (Acts 8:24).
I often use my blog articles to confess my sins. I have to admit that I am like Simon. I have never tried to buy the work of the Holy Spirit with money, but I have often wanted recognition, attention, and the applause of others.
I have envied other people’s gifts and wished for greater abilities and the praise that goes with them. More than once, I have had to repent and come back to God saying, “Lord, my thinking is wrong. Please forgive me. Help me do things differently today.”
If you are like me, you, too, can repent—change your mind and the direction of your life to follow the Spirit’s leading.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Acts 8:14-24 on YouTube today.
