Lessons From Acts – Lesson 9
Some texts I feel lead to just step thru the text and clarify or comment as we move thru the text. Some sections of scripture I will go to another part of the scriptures to set up the context or to establish a principal first. There are many different ways to handle teaching or preaching a text. It is so nice to not be restricted in the method of presentation to some man made Homiletics rules.
The text today is a difficult text. Acts chapter 8. Parts of it can be very confusing. I feel that we should read the entire text first before we talk about it.
Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
Acts 8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
Acts 8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
Acts 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.
Acts 8:9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
Acts 8:10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
Acts 8:11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
Acts 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Acts 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Acts 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Acts 8:19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Acts 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Acts 8:21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Acts 8:23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Acts 8:24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Acts 8:25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
In verse 1 Stephen has just been murdered and we learn that Saul, which is another name for Paul, it seems he went by Saul before he got saved and Paul after he got saved. Paul watched them stone Stephen to death and he was consenting unto his death.
We also see in verse 1 that there now is a great persecution against the church at Jerusalem and in verse 3 we find that Paul was behind a good part of it.
Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Verse 1 tells us that this persecution caused many Christians to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. And the Bible makes sure to highlight the fact, except the apostles.
Jesus told them before He ascended to go to all the world and witness for Him. Get out there and preach the gospel to everyone. Time has passed and they are all still in Jerusalem. The Lord has a plan, He sees the beginning from the end and He knows of all the precious souls that will get saved, but they must hear.
His Christians are not obeying what He told them to do. His leaders are not teaching and encouraging them to take the gospel to the world. So the Lord allows persecution, The Lord did not cause it or create it, but He allows it. The result is that many of the Christians now go.
Their motivation for going is off. They should have been motivated to go because Jesus said go. So they are off on the why but they do go and when they do they end up doing what Jesus told them to do. They go everywhere preaching the word.
However, it is not in total obedience, later we learn that went only preaching to Jews.
God is not responsible for man’s sin. He is not responsible for Christians not obeying. God is not responsible for Christian’s doing something for the wrong reason. God has an amazing way of working. He can take something bad and use it to accomplish His will.
He did that here. He took the persecution of Saul and others and turned it so that the Gospel went out.
Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
So step back and look at the big picture. Christianity is spreading. Some of it went out when the people got saved at Pentecost and went home. That spreading was all God’s doing.
Now Christians because they are fleeing persecution from Paul and others are preaching the gospel, primarily Judea and in Samaria at first but slowly spreading out further as they flee persecution in Jerusalem.
And we know that the encounter with Jesus and the woman at the well was in Samaria. And many in that town believed.
Samaria is where the northern kingdom was centuries before. When they got taken away in captivity a few Jewish people remained. And Assyria moved in people from other lands and gave it to them. They intermarried. The Samaritans were considered half breeds by the Jews.
But they have some understanding of the Law of Moses. The woman at the well shows us that.
So when Philip goes to Samaria and preaches Christ to them. It is considered preaching to people who are at least part Jewish. God has not yet shaken them up enough to get their heads on straight and see the light about taking the gospel to Gentiles.
Acts 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
Acts 8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
Acts 8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
Acts 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.
So the pattern continues. Philip is allowed to do healings and miracles which validated that he was God’s man and then he preached Christ. People listened and gave heed. That means they believed and took action upon it. They would have admitted their sin and called upon the name of the Lord. And of course that brings great joy. All the good being done as well as the souls being saved.
While Samaria had some knowledge about God, it could be a very dark place.
A man named Simon was practicing sorcery. And he was presenting himself as some great one and people were scared of him.
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Philip came in preaching truth and that put an end to the darkness that Simon was involved in. Light displaces darkness. It works that way in the physical world. I was in the bathroom doing some personal business Friday before I left work and someone who was leaving work shut the light out on me. Pitch blackness. I had to fumble around and find the light switch and bam immediately all the darkness was gone. Light displaces darkness.
It works that way in the physical world. God designed it that way. And it illustrates how it works in the spiritual world. God’s light will displace darkness. If God’s light is accepted.
Philip came in with God’s light and Simon’s darkness was displaced. This is all been plain simple and straight forward up to this point.
Now it gets a little confusing.
Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Preachers will disagree here. Some look at what Simon did before and what Simon will do after and will say he never got saved. He is just faking. Others will disagree.
When it says Then Simon himself believed also. Who is talking? That is important. It is not Philip talking. It is not Simon talking. It is the narrator talking. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God. So if it is the narrator talking then that truth is coming from the God who cannot lie.
This is also not a vision and it is not a parable or a story of some kind to teach a truth. This is stated as a simple fact of what happened. Simon believed what? We know that baptism follows salvation. Simon believed and then was baptized. It also tells us that Phillip was preaching Jesus Christ. The context here shows that what Simon believed was the gospel.
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
The apostles want this checked out. What is Philip doing? Are they really getting saved? Is God really saving a large number of Samaritans?
Now comes the second confusing thing. One that I don’t really have a great answer for. Sorry.
Acts 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Acts 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Acts 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Have to be careful here. Notice they don’t get saved again. Their faith is not questioned. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. That is validating their baptism which is only valid if it is done after you got saved.
But the Holy Ghost had not fallen upon them. It does not say had not indwelt their heart. It does not say that the Holy Spirit had not sealed them. Fallen is different. I think that is something visible. Like what happened at Pentecost.
Later in scripture we learn that if any man has not the spirit then he is none of His. So this can be confusing. So what is the answer?
I think a probable explanation is that they were indwelt in their heart and sealed just like we are. But they did not have the temporary sign gifts that were given until the Bible was completed. This makes some sense to me because this receiving could be seen.
We see this in verse 18
Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
Acts 8:19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
Simon could visibly see that something happened. Maybe they could now talk in other languages or something.
Simon who I believe was saved because the narrator which is God said he believed. Simon has a history of getting attention. Let me ask you a question. When someone gets saved do they bring some baggage with them?
The day after someone gets saved do they all the sudden have no issues? Is all of their bad habits and personality defects corrected never to bother them again?
Of course not. Once saved you start growing in Christ. Your spiritual walk with God is a growth process. Simon’s flesh is still with him just like anyone who gets saved you still have to carry that old man with you and battle the flesh every day.
And because of Simon’s past he has a huge battle with his flesh that wants the power that he had before and the position and the pride and all of that.
He lets the flesh win and asks for something for the totally wrong reason. And Peter knocks him down verbally.
Acts 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Acts 8:21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Some will say see. See. Simon was not saved. But God said he was. And slow down and look at what Peter actually said and what Peter did not say. Peter did not say he was not saved. And look at the reaping and sowing aspect. Simon wanted money so what did Peter say he would lose. His place in Heaven. No. His money.
Peter said that Simon’s heart was not right. Notice the Colon in verse 21. So the first part of verse 21 cannot be taken without the second part of verse 21 and the second part cannot be taken without the first part. The two statements are tied together. They must be evaluated together.
So the for thy heart is not right is specifically talking about thou has neither part nor lot in this matter. What matter? Salvation. No. In giving people sign gifts. Simons heart was not right about wanting the power to give people sign gifts.
Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
Peter says repent of this wickedness. This specific wickedness. Not all wickedness. Forgiveness for this thought. This is a new Christian who put his foot in his mouth and put his heart on the wrong thing.
And Peter says pray that the thought of thine heart may be forgiven. Peter does not say pray that God will forgive you so that you will not go to hell. He already done that. Peter tells him to confess this specific sin.
Acts 8:23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
Some will look at verse 23 and say see Peter is saying Simon is lost. I don’t see it that way. A saved person can do almost any wrong thing that a lost person will do. And a Christian’s flesh can get the best of him. Christians can and do get bitter.
There are N.T. verses written to Christians about the dangers of bitterness.
And Christians can indulge in iniquity. And Christians can let a sin so control them that they are in the bond of iniquity to that sin. They do not have to be. Jesus has the grace and the power but you have to ask for it.
I have seen Christians backslide and let sin have power over them. Lot would also be a great example. Lot was in the bond of iniquity in Sodom and the angel had to drag him out of there. The N.T. calls Lot just. Lot was saved.
Look at Simon’s response.
Acts 8:24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
He admitted it. He did not deny it was a wrong request. He still calls Jesus the Lord. Now we don’t know any more. I like to think that Simon then went off alone and got on his knees and prayed like it tells us to in 1st John
Consider this. How long has Simon been saved? Maybe only a day, maybe only hours. He also was not involved in studying the Law of Moses. He has had almost zero time to learn.
When I look at the entire passage and I also consider the rest of the New Testament. I believe that Simon was saved, but just a messed up baby Christian still carrying a lot of baggage.
And this story absolutely lines up with what you see in the world of Christianity today. I have seen a lot of bitter Christians and I have seen a lot of Christians in the bond of iniquity over the Quarter century that I have been involved in teaching and serving.
Saved Christians giving into the flesh and messing up and having wrong desires is not an uncommon thing.
And the instructions that Peter gave when this happens hold true today.
Peter clearly taught Simon that the law of reaping and sowing does apply to Christians.
And second the solution when you mess up is to realize that God will let you reap consequences and that you need to admit your mess up. Face up to the fact you sinned and take the issue to God in prayer. Ask Him for forgiveness.
They do not have 1 John yet. That book will come years later. But we see that Peter is teaching the same basic truth.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.