The Samaritan Mission: an Exposition of Acts 8:5-25
In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells them that the Apostles would be His witnesses, first in Jerusalem, then in Judaea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. This forms a basic outline to the Book of Acts itself. The church started in Jerusalem on Pentecost and remained there for some time. The LORD added believers to the church, the leaders suffered persecution, the organization of deacons to provide equally for the widows, and other things necessary for the establishment and maintenance of the church.
There was a time the LORD had appointed for the next leg of the outreach, The Gospel needed to be preached next to Judaea and Samaria. The church in Jerusalem had gained a large measure of acceptance and admiration. Even a large number of priests had become obedient to what was called “the way.” For many, it is difficult to leave comfort to an uncertain future. Judaea was a different culture than Jerusalem. People who live in cities tend to look down on country folk. And Samaria was even a greater challenge due to centuries of mutual hatred.
The LORD used the means of persecution to get the followers of Jesus out of town and into the mission field. Stephen was arrested and stoned. Afterward, Saul, who would later become the Apostle Paul, was one of the worst persecutors. Other than the disciples, the believers were scattered all over the countryside like the seeds of a dandelion are scattered by the wind. There they preached Jesus in the villages of Judaea. The Gospel was not just for population centers. It is for everyone far and near.
Phillip, who was one of the seven appointed deacons of the church whose responsibilities were to ensure the equitable distribution of charity was also a man who was filled with and led by the Spirit. Stephen, who was filled with the same Spirit makes a remarkable defense while on trial and paid for it with his life. The Lord had other purposes for Phillip. He went into the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. The Samaritans only held to the five books of Moses which is called the Torah or the Pentateuch. They believed that according to Moses, a prophet like him would be raised up who was to be obeyed. They called this teacher “Taheeb.” The Jews also held to this teaching, to which they also expected a Messiah “Anointed One” from the line of David. It was unclear to them whether they were expecting two separate people or one Messiah who fulfilled both prophecies. Both views circulated. The term “Messiah,” if it had any meaning to the Samaritans at all, would have a negative connotation. They were probably familiar with the term as the woman at the well in John 4 uses “Messiah” in talking to Jesus.
The Lord verified the preaching of Phillip with many signs and wonders. They held to Phillip with one accord. The same Greek word “homothumadon” is used here as in Acts 2 to describe the Pentecostal gathering. They heard the words he was preaching and the signs he was doing. Unclean spirits were being cast out with loud cries and the lame and crippled were healed. These “signs” point to and testify to a greater reality like a road sign points to the greater reality of a city. We should not gaze upon the signs but upon Jesus to whom the signs point.
The result was that there was great joy in the city. Earlier in our study of Acts we were informed by the end of Luke that after the ascension of Jesus that the disciples returned to Jerusalem “with great joy.” When Peter and John returned after being beaten by the Sanhedrin, the rejoiced with the rest of the brethren that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Jesus. The crippled man at the beautiful gate went into the Temple and rejoiced. Great joy accompanies conversion and faith in Jesus. It is a visible sign of an inward change. The lack of joy in one’s life is a serious malady. When one thinks about what Jesus has done for them, they should rejoice. They should rejoice on every remembrance, even if they have to rejoice in the crucible of suffering.
We read at the beginning of Acts that this treatise was a continuation of what Jesus began to do and teach. The church is to continue in this same mission. What happened to Jesus happens also to the believers. Jesus affirmed this on many occasions. There would be those who joyously accept, there would be those who violently reject, and there would be false brethren who would try to disrupt the movement. Jesus had Judas to deal with. The church had to deal with Ananias and Sapphira. They had played the part of Achan and would have disturbed the unity, joy and power of the church if they were not confronted by the Holy Spirit and Peter. Now a new nemesis would try to come into the church who was but a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This was Simon the Sorcerer.
The name “Simon” was a common name among Semites. There is a lot of additional information about this man and how he later became one of the greatest enemies of the church. We really cannot affirm and deny this information, but we can see from this passage that after a short time, he left the church.
Sorcery was far to common among the Jews, especially of the Diaspora. There were seven sons of Sceva who practiced spells and exorcisms among the Pagans of Ephesus. Here it says that Simon held the city spellbound. He had boasted that he was a great one. All the people from the least to the greatest testified that “He is the power of God.” “He is the Great One.” They had long been amazed by his magic and held to him. Now a challenger had come to town. Phillip was doing great wonders/ But instead of boasting about himself, he was preaching Jesus. Certainly it was not long before Simon found out about it and felt compelled to inquire further into the matter.
This time it was Simon the Sorcerer who was amazed. He had been trained in the magic arts. Most of what he did was by sleight of hand. The works were mostly bogus and if there was any reality to them, it was inspired by Satan and not God. He realized that this Jesus whom Phillip preached was far more powerful than his spells. It says that Simon came to believe Phillip’s preaching of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. He saw all the men and women who were coming to be baptized. Part of the magic arts involves spells and rituals. We don’t know what Simon “believed” or ever believed. But the Greek is pretty emphatic as it adds the emphatic pronoun “autos” which means “even Simon believed.” He was baptized by Phillip and followed him closely.
It is not only Simon who got word of this matter. The Apostles in Jerusalem heard about it and sent Peter and John. They arrived and then prayed that the new believers might receive the Holy Spirit. Considering the animosity Jews held for Samaritans, it is remarkable that they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. They realized that this was the very work of God. Perhaps they remembered at this point that it was their mission to go out to Judaea and Samaria. The Holy Spirit had used Phillip in a mighty way to start the work there. But to this point, these Samaritans had not been baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is interesting when we compare this passage to Jesus’ own baptism in Luke and Pentecost we see the confluence of water baptism, prayer, and Spirit baptism. It says “while Jesus was being baptized and praying the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came down upon Him. Pentecost happened at 9AM, the hour of prayer. Water and Spirit baptism are separate but closely joined along with prayer.
Some wonder whether the giving of the Holy Spirit was reserved for the Apostles. Phillip had baptized the believers in water, but they had not yet received the Spirit. Others feel the necessity of the laying on of hands, although Cornelius and his house did not receive it that way. In fact they received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized in water. I don’t think that speculating on this is all that useful and causes more heat than light in the church. The Lord is not bound as to means of receiving the Holy Spirit. Ananias was not an Apostle, but while praying for Paul, he asked Him to be baptized with the Spirit.
What we do know here is that Peter and John saw the additional need for the Samaritan believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. After they prayed, they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. This must have been a quite distinctive and notable event. It wasn’t some sort of quiet inward feeling. It was visibly demonstrated as it was on Pentecost. We can’t know if it was the same as Pentecost with the opening of heaven, the descent of tongues of fire, and the speaking in tongues. But it was very noticeable, and Simon saw it and was very impressed. It is important to notice hear that Simon saw it and not “Simon experienced it.” He seems to be a spectator rather than a participant. This clearly shows something defective in Simon’s faith which would soon become evident.
Simon saw that whoever Peter and John had laid hands upon had received the Holy Spirit. Instead of coming forward to receive the Spirit he offered money. He was amazed at the sign and not the reality of the event. He thought it some sort of amazing magic trick. Here what we learned previously about Simon the Sorcerer is important. He loved power. He wanted to be seen as “The Great One.” It was about him. The need he saw was not that he needed to humble himself and receive the gospel but saw this as the means to even greater power. This was a trick he could not do. The Apostles would soon leave, and he could resume his status as the one everyone held to.
Simon had no idea that the Spirit was a gift of God. It was not a magic trick to be purchased. Had he actually experienced the Spirit, he would have known better. His offer receives an immediate rebuke from Peter. Peter did not have any silver and gold to offer the crippled man at the gate called beautiful and had given him a far greater gift. This man had received this gift and went where cripples were not allowed, into the Temple. There he danced with joy, a man who could not even walk before. His conversion was real. But Simon would leave that day without any joy, and without salvation.
He had no part in Christ is what Peter told him. And he called him to repent of his grievous sin that he might be forgiven. He could have been struck dead on the spot, yet he is offered opportunity to repent. Simon saw that instead of great joy, there was great bitterness and he was enchained in wickedness. This shows that Simon the Sorcerer was no Christian at all.
Was Simon ever a Christian at all? Or could Simon have become one by repenting as Simon suggested. We remember that Judas was sorry for betraying Jesus. Was that repentance? No, he went and hanged himself, and the Book of Acts says he went unto his own place. Elsewhere, Judas is called the Son of Perdition. So I would not put all that much hope in Simon’s request to Peter that none of the things Peter had said to him might fall upon him. There is no mention of joy. He just disappears from Acts. And if any of the additional information from later times is true, he became a great opposer of the way.
The passage ends with Peter and John returning to Jerusalem. It also mentions that many of the villages of Samaria were evangelized. Did Peter and John evangelize them on the way back, or did some of the new Samaritan believers do it? We don’t know, but now the second part of Acts 1:8 had happened. Jerusalem had been evangelized and now Judaea and Samaria. Now the work of God would start to spread to the uttermost part of the earth.
