Acts 8:9-40

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
Series: Acts

Rusty's Notes

Acts 8
THE RESPONSE OF SIMON
9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed (astounded, confounded, bewitched) the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.

• It is a basic principle in Scripture that wherever God sows His true believers, Satan will eventually sow his counterfeits (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43).
• This was true of the ministry of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:7ff) and Jesus (Matt. 23:15, 33; John 8:44), and it would be true of Paul’s ministry also (Acts 13:6ff; 2 Cor. 11:1–4, 13–15).
• The enemy comes as a lion to devour, and when that approach fails, he comes as a serpent to deceive.[1]

10 They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”

• Whatever else might be said of Simon, he seems to have made some claim to at least embody the very power of God.[2]

11 They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.

• There is no object given for his believing—no “kingdom of God,” no “name of Jesus Christ.”
• In fact, the only response connected with his baptism was his following Philip everywhere, totally entranced by his miraculous signs.[3]
• His faith was like that of the people of Jerusalem who witnessed our Lord’s miracles (John 2:23–25 - While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. 24 Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all 25 and because he did not need anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.[4]),
• or even like that of the demons (James 2:19 - You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.[5] ).[6]

 
SIMON’S SIN
14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

•  It is important to note that the Samaritans did not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when they believed.
• It was necessary for two of the Apostles, Peter and John, to come from Jerusalem, put their hands on the converts, and impart to them the gift of the Spirit.
• Why? Because God wanted to unite the Samaritan believers with the original Jewish church in Jerusalem.
• He did not want two churches that would perpetuate the division and conflict that had existed for centuries.
• Jesus had given Peter the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 16:13–20), which meant that Peter had the privilege of “opening the door of faith” to others.
• He opened the door to the Jews at Pentecost, and now he opened the door to the Samaritans.
• Later, he would open the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 10).[7]

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

• Though a complete misunderstanding of the Holy Spirit, Simon’s behavior was completely in character for a professional magician.
• Tricks of the trade were often exchanged among them in financial transactions.[8]

20 But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

• A form of excommunication from the Church
• Also seen as protection of the flock.

 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. 23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”

• Throughout Acts human greed is always depicted as a most destructive force.
• It certainly was so for Judas (1:18) and for Ananias and Sapphira (5:1–11).
• It would continue to be so in many subsequent episodes in Acts.[9]

24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

• The question is whether Simon did in fact repent.
• His response may express a degree of remorse but hardly the sort of complete turnabout of will and mind that marks true repentance.
• In fact, Simon expressed no repentance.
• Instead, he asked the apostles to intercede for him.
• There was no prayer of contrition from Simon, just the fear that Peter’s predicted judgment might come down upon him.
• Luke gave no further information on Simon the magician. Luke, however, made his point.
• Christianity has nothing to do with magic; magic is powerless before the genuine power of the Holy Spirit.
• God’s Spirit can neither be manipulated nor bought.[10]

25 So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

• Not only did they endorse the Samaritan mission, but they also enthusiastically participated in it.
• A new stage in the Christian mission had been reached—the witness to Samaria.
• Begun by the Hellenist Philip, it was embraced by the entire church.[11]

 
THE CONVERSION OF THE ETHIOPIAN OFFICIAL
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.)

• the last watering place before the desert on the route to Egypt.[12]

27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury.

• Not to be confused with today’s Ethiopia.
• In the ancient world slaves were often castrated as boys in order to be used as keepers of the harem and the treasury.
• Eunuchs were found to be particularly trustworthy and loyal to their rulers.
• So widespread was the practice of placing them over the treasury that in time the term “eunuch” became a synonym for “treasurer” and did not necessarily imply that the one bearing the title was castrated.
• His physical status was then highly significant for the story. He had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was in all probability, like Cornelius, one of those “God-fearing” Gentiles who believed in the God of Israel but had not become a proselyte, a full convert, to Judaism.
• In his case, as a eunuch, full membership in the congregation of Israel was not even possible because of his physical blemish (cf. Deut 23:1). He could visit the temple in Jerusalem, as he had done; but he could never enter it.[13]

He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”
30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

• The letters on ancient manuscripts were often crowded and difficult to decipher, and reading aloud was the customary manner in that day.[14]

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth. (Isaiah 53 – The Suffering Servant)
34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away,

• The Spirit had led him to this encounter. Now, the witness completed, the Spirit closed the scene and transported Philip to further witness in the coastal cities to the north.[15]

and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing.

• Ever been to a ballgame where the home team won a big game and everyone is leaving the stadium?

40 Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.[16]

• The same Caesarea that Peter would come to and present the Good News to Cornelius.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 435). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 215). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 217). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jn 2:23–25). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jas 2:19). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 435). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 435–436). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[8] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 219). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[9] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 219). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[10] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 220–221). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[11] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 221). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[12] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 223). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[13] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 223–224). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[14] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 224). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[15] Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 227). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[16] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ac 8:1–40). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.