Acts 8:1-3

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Saul gave his approval to the stoning of Stephen. He was zealous in his faith. His zeal was misguided, but his zeal was a result of his love for God. Luke was a brilliant writer. Saul becomes more important later in Acts, but Luke set it up here. But because we all know Paul, I’ll note here that in a real sense, Saul/Paul’s suffering for his faith was much more extreme than Stephen’s suffering. Stephen died and went to glory. Paul lived and was persecuted throughout his life until he died at close to 70 years old. But his suffering was even greater than Stephen’s.

Persecution of these disciples in Acts, and of Paul and others, resulted in scattering, which resulted in the gospel being spread all over the world.

Jesus said “In Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, and the rest of the world,” so here it starts, beginning in Samaria. Jews shunned Samaritans, but Phillip went there just like Jesus did.

Phillip presented Christ to them. He presented the Messiah, the one they were waiting for. All evangelism is a proclamation of Christ, but we need to start where the individual is. These people already understood who the Messiah was, most people today do not, so we need to start earlier.

Multitudes responded to his preaching, which was accompanied by miracles.

Persecution is the lifeblood of the worldwide church. Without it, the church would have remained a smallish group of people in Israel. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:23 to flee if they were persecuted. This wasn’t out of cowardice. It was so that the Word could spread to those who were ready to accept it. They did flee. Why the Apostles remained in Jerusalem is not explained. Perhaps it was still necessary to have first-hand witnesses at this point.

This is awesome! Persecution scattered tens of thousands of Christians throughout the world in obedience to Christ, causing it to grow exponentially everywhere!

The devout men who buried Stephen and Lamented over him were probably Christians, but it could have been Jews - which would be interesting. There’s no indication either way.

Acts 8:4-10

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Simon Magus, or “Simon the Magician.” Magic and superstition were common in and around Israel in that day.

• Some Magi visited Mary after Jesus was born to give Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh, which were standard gifts for a king. They were magicians just as Simon was.
• In Acts 13:6-12 a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus met Paul and Barnabas at Paphos. [Bar-Jesus means “son of Jesus,” but don’t jump to conclusions… Jesus was a common name in that day just as it is today in Hispanic cultures]
• In Acts 19:11-19, many magicians were gathered in Ephesus. They saw Paul doing many miracles. They saw Paul’s miracles and tried to do their own magic “in the name of Paul’s Jesus,” but were unable to do so. It’s easy to see why: These magicians saw that “even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” If you’re a magician, and you can’t replicate those “tricks,” you want some of that power.

Getting back to Simon the Magician…

Acts 8:11-13

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Simon had a good thing going from his perspective. The Samaritan crowd was astonished at his magic tricks… until they until they heard he gospel. Magic amazes, the gospel saves. And people who know what they need turn to permanent salvation rather than temporary amazement.

Simon did “miracles,” but what the disciples did was far beyond anything he could do, so he wanted some of that. Imagine a teenager who has learned magicians tricks encountering David Copperfield or David Blane or Michael Carbonaro (of The Carbonaro Effect TV show) and saying “I have money. Teach me how to do your stuff.” That was Simon’s the mindset.

Who knows how much the chain of evangelism set off by the Samaritan woman at the well had prepared the hearts of other Samaritans for this day (John 4:4–42)?

I feel certain that Luke didn’t use the term “believed” loosely. I’m certain Phillip didn’t baptize Simon flippantly. Nothing in the text suggests that Simon was disingenuous.

The way I read this, Simon recognized that the source of their power was the resurrected Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. He believed in Christ and was be baptized in His name. Philip continued to disciple Simon.

But his old life, the flashy life that amazed people with his sorcery and brought glory to himself, kept calling him back, and he answered its call.

Acts 8:14-17

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This news was huge to the apostles. Just before His resurrection, Jesus told them that the gospel would first spread Jerusalem and Judea – which was where they already were, so that wasn’t so surprising, and then to Samaria (Acts 1:8), which was a little surprising. Samaria wasn’t geographically distant, but Samaria and Judea didn’t particularly like each other (that’s part of what makes the Good Samaritan parable in Luke 10:25-37 so powerful. For background on what caused the rift between the Israelites (those from Israel, the northern Kingdom) and the Samaritans (who were from Judah, the Southern Kingdom), read 1 Kings 17.

Interestingly John, in his early life with Christ, saw a Samaritan man disrespect Jesus and asked Jesus if He wanted him “to call down fire from heaven to consume them” (Luke 9:54). Now he was on his way there with Peter call down the Holy Spirit to consume them.

It appears that Peter and John were looking for an experience of God the same as what they experienced in Acts 2:2-4. Such an experience is not normative for Christian gatherings, but it may be normative when the gospel is given to a people who have never experienced Christianity.

Acts 8:18-24

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Well, this was just a little too much for Sion the Magician. It was so cool to watch. The Apostles laid their hands on strangers and suddenly they were overcome with power from the Holy Spirit, perhaps speaking in tongues, perhaps visibly changed. It was common in that day for magicians to sell the secrets to their illusions (as it also is today – there are “Magic Shops” in nearly every city). Simon loved this apparent “illusions” so much and figured he could perform it for a different audience that he offered to buy it. He still held onto too much of his pre-Christian life. He failed to realize John and Peter weren’t particularly special, this was God’s gift through them to the new Christians.

[Side Note: I think it is indisputable here from John’s and Peter’s words and actions that Simon had in fact become a genuine believer. I can’t see a different way to read vv.11-13]

Peter didn’t immediately write Simon off. He prayed for Simon’s continued salvation.

It’s not uncommon for new believers to continue some of their old habits and attitudes. Simon was repentant. He asked for prayer. He can perhaps be faulted for asking for prayers for protection rather than for forgiveness or transformation. Maybe he can be faulted also for asking for prayers for forgiveness rather than for praying that himself. But again, he was brand new in the faith. After 32 years in Christ, I frequently catch myself focusing upon myself. Holy Spirit transformation is a gradual thing.

Acts 8:25-34

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They preached the Gospel to Samaritans in various regions on their way back to Jerusalem.

There is something that I love about v.26. Phillip knew he had a journey ahead . He knew it would be a tough journey) it was on a desert road. He knew which way to go. But he didn’t know why. God didn’t tell him a destination, just a direction, and Phillip obeyed.

What I most love is that it is most likely that if Philip were going to choose his own mission field, it likely wouldn’t have been in the dessert. Gaza was a wilderness area between Phoenicia and Egypt. And least of all would he expect to meet a Eunuch from Africa who at the very moment Philip arrived was primed and ready to hear the gospel!

This court official of the Ethiopian Queen was a Jew. He had come to Israel to worship. How was a man from Ethiopia Jewish? I’ve heard it explained (but can’t state as true or false) by the story of the Queen of Sheba, who bore a son by King Solomon, gave birth to him back to her country (which was Ethiopia), and established Solomon’s faith there.

The Eunuch was in Egypt which, at the time, was a Greek-speaking country. His request for someone to explain the text may have been him having trouble understanding Greek well enough to grasp it. But it is also reasonable to think that this Eunuch had heard Isiah preached in one of the Christian sermons back in Jerusalem and needed additional information on how Isiah’s prophecies tied back to Christ. His question most definitely doesn’t imply, as some have claimed, that people can’t understand the Bible for themselves. Such teaching is heresy.

Acts 8:35-40

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God will make a way for those who seek Him to know Him.

Philip ended up staying in Caesarea, establishing a home there, and raising four daughters who were prophetesses (see Acts 21:8).

For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
Acts 8:7 NIV
bible.com/bible/111/act.8.7.NIV

Demons...

We know Jesus drove out demons.

Not alot is said in bible to define the origin, or limits of their power.

Demons can be the root cause of sin. After my first ex persecuted me unfairly for years and years I became convinced that she must be possessed.

For myself I found myself drifting away from Jesus because I left the most dangerous door unlocked... alchohol.

I worked closely with a man who owned a large factory and was both a workaholic and an alcoholic. If I stayed there I would have made more money ever in my entire life with job security. It just was not healthy for me.

Its taken me 9 months to de-program myself from drinking alcohol every day, drifting and letting demons drag me off course.

As I write this I am sober 9 days... and in training to run the 2019 Chicago marathon... the 27 week process ending in a 26.2 mile race paints an image similar to Hebrews 12:1-12.

I am so thankful for Jesus. 🙂