CHANGING SIDES
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Opening Prayer
God and Father, thank you for the security that is mine in Christ. Thank you for your bonds of love that can never be broken, for your commitment to me that will never be diminished.
Read ACTS 8:9–25
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Who are your friends and relatives who don’t yet know Jesus and for whom you pray?Having worked wonders himself, Simon was fascinated by the mira- cles the disciples performed (v. 13). He couldn’t get enough of them. And if that spiritual power drew him, the ability to give power to others was irresistible (v. 18, 19). While he had made an outward con- fession of faith, his thoughts and heart were still catching up, trapped in the values of his old way of life.
I wish I knew the end of the story. What happened to Simon (v. 24)? Did he go on to mature in his faith? Or did he return to his earlier magic? The fact that we don’t know is probably a good thing. In our own efforts to convert and disciple new believers, we see both positive and negative outcomes. What we learn from the disciples is first to do all we can to support a person’s declaration of faith (v. 13). Secondly, we see Philip allowing Simon to tag along and gain experience (v. 13). Next, Peter is very direct with Simon when he has made a massive error (vv. 20–23). Peter is also teaching him here that repentance should be personal and that he needs to pray. We can read Simon’s response in verse 24 as genuine repentance and a cry for mentoring and spiritual support, so perhaps another lesson is the importance of discipleship.
Apply
Are you aware of anyone who has recently come to faith? In what ways can you support them?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for continuing to call sinners to faith in you and giving them all they need to follow you. Give me vision for being part of your provision, ready to mentor wherever you give me opportunity.
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