![]() Some believe that the story of Simon Magus here is actually a coded Ebionite attack on Paul of Tarsus, with Simon used to represent Paul. (This led to the word "simony".) Many scholars have questioned whether this Simon is the Simon intended to be refered to in legends concocted later, or a different one. This tells of Simon Magus practicing magic in the city of Sebaste in Samaria, being converted to Christianity by Philip the Evangelist and working as a missionary, but then trying to buy from the Apostles the power of conveying the Holy Spirit. Assuming all references are to the same person, the earliest reference to him is the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 8. The different sources for information on Simon contain quite different pictures of him, so much so that it has been questioned whether they all refer to the same person. Almost all of the surviving sources for the life and thought of Simon Magus are contained in Christian works: in the Acts of the Apostles, in patristic works (Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Hippolytus) and in the apocryphal Acts of Peter. The ancient Gnostic sect of Simonianism believed that he was God in human form. He had practiced Satan-magic…but even he was able to see that there was a difference between God-miracles and Satan-magic.Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Magician, Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, was a Samaritan (Proto-)Gnostic. In an amazing turn-around, verse 13 says: And even Simon himself believed (Philip’s message of Christ) and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. Do their words and works point to Jesus and His Deity and greatness or do they point to their own greatness and power? 4:1) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is why the apostle John exhorts us (1 Jn. These are our clues to the many “spirits” in our day who contest for our allegiance. That matches the results of their respective ministries: in the case of Philip, people were converted to Christ-followers whereas people were amazed at Simon’s magic and became his followers. 6) in contrast to Simon who boasted and welcomed self-acclaim for his acts of power. Philip proclaimed Christ, and his powerful signs affirmed his message (v. ![]() ![]() Both were given attention by the people of Samaria. Both performed miracles however, Philip’s were by divine power – Simon’s by demonic power. It is instructive to compare and contrast the “ministries” of Philip (vv. Popular television hosts still promote New Age practitioners from time to time. One of the more recent manifestations is the New Age movement which we do not hear about much anymore, but sadly is alive and well. Spiritual counterfeits of this sort have been with us all through history. Simon obviously welcomed the fame and gain he received as a result of his demonic powers. He was described as boastful – claiming to be someone great – and as popular among all the people with the nickname: The Great Power of God (v. He was not what we would refer to as an illusionist, but a sorcerer, meaning someone capable of exercising control over nature and people by means of demonic or Satanic power. In fact, the early church fathers referred to this individual as Simon Magus (Simon the magician). According to verse 9, Simon practiced magic or sorcery in the city. Philip’s ministry in Samaria in Acts 8 included an encounter with a man named Simon.
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