True Disciples Follow Christ

Preaching The Word

Read Acts 8:3-8

Chapter 8 opens with telling us that a great persecution came against the church that was at Jerusalem. It was this persecution that caused the people to scatter throughout the region of Judea and Samaria. What seemed like a great advancement of Satan trying to stamp out Christianity actually caused the Gospel to reach new areas and lives it had not previously reached.

History seems to indicate that the Persecution of the church does not stop or even slow its growth, it actually intensifies and fans the flame and causes it to spread

Warren Wiersbe wrote this…..“Persecution does to the church what wind does to the seed, it scatters it and only produces a greater harvest”.

Persecution comes in many forms and ways, some like Stephen are not just tortured, but are murdered because their obedience to Jesus Christ. Its horrendous to even think about however it scattered the people and caused the preaching of the word to be shared with the world.

In verse 5 we see Philip went to Samaria and preached Christ to them

Samaritans were a mixed breed of Jews and Gentiles. Devout Jews had a hatred for them because of their mingling with the gentiles.

1. Philip was one of the seven that was chosen in Acts 6 and was the only one in Scripture that was given the title of Evangelist. (Acts 21:8)

The word Evangelist means “the bringer of good tidings” or a “preacher of the gospel”.

“Evangelist” is used in Acts 21:8, Eph 4:11, and 2 Tim 4:5 and in all three cases it denotes one whose job in early Christianity was to travel and proclaim the gospel.

You may not be a pastor, a preacher, a deacon, or even a teacher, but all Christians are called to proclaim Christ. The great commission found in Matthew 28 applies to all believers. No true disciple of Jesus Christ is omitted.

Read Acts 8:9-12

Read verse 8 (great joy in the city)

God is going great wonders in and through the life of Philip, but notice how verse 9 starts out. (“But”) it indicates that the story is getting ready to change.

2. Simon had a great following and because of the magic he practiced, they all said “This man is the great power of God”. That title showed that Simon claimed deity for himself.

It is believed the magic he produced was a mix of science and superstition, combining astrology, divination, and occultism practices with history, mathematics, and agriculture. It could simply be trickery or demonic. Whatever Simon was doing produced quite a hold on the people of Samaria.

It been said that some of the early church Fathers reported that Simon was one of the founders of Gnosticism and that he viewed himself as God incarnate. The perverted view of himself gave Satan an opening to use him to spread false doctrine through the church.

The only hope for Simon is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Read Acts 8:13

Acts 8:13 KJV 1900

Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Simon believed, he was baptized, and followed Phillip to observe how God continued to work through him….What a mighty work of God that was done in the heart and life of Simon…or at least on the surface it appeared that way….before we look into the conversion and fruit of Simon lets look at verses 14-17.

Read Acts 8:14-17

The amazing success of Philip’s ministry reached Jerusalem. When they heard that Samaria received the Word of God, Peter and John was sent to check it out. Their mission was three fold:

First they went to help Philip with the Spiritual harvest. The response to the Word was simply too much for one man to handle.

Second, they came to give apostolic approval and blessing to Philip’s work among the Samaritan’s. The apostles were the leader of the church and maintained that position even after the church spread from Jerusalem.

Third, they came down from Jerusalem and prayed that the Samaritan’s might receive the Holy Spirit. Even though they have believed and been baptized, the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them.

3. There is a transitional nature in the book of Acts. Doctrines should not be completely based on this book since much of it was meant to be temporary.

Many who teach that Christian’s receive the Spirit after salvation use this passage for Support, However we understand that the first 9-10 chapters of Acts was a transitional period. The signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, the miraculous healings and the manner in which the Holy Spirit was received was temporary.

According to Rom 8:9 if you do not have the spirit of Christ then you do not belong to him. 1 Cor 12:13 tells us there is no such thing of a Christian that has not received the Holy Spirit since “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” at conversion.

The Apostles had to go to the Samaritans before receiving the Spirit because if Spirit would have came down on them there very well could have been two separate churches, a Jewish church and a Samaritan church. But God designed one church, Gal 3:28 says “There is neither Jew or Greek, There is neither bond nor free, there is neither male more female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”….. By delaying the Spirit’s coming until Peter and John arrived, God preserved the unity of the church as well as the Samaritans also needed to learn that they were subject to the authority of the apostles.

Today, believers receive the Spirit at salvation. (1 Cor 12:13)

Read Acts 8:17-24.

Peter and John began laying their hands on the people and evidentially they were speaking in tongues or showing some other sign of the Spirit that got Simon’s attention.

4. Simon offered money to the apostles to purchase the ability to give the gift of the Holy Ghost himself.

Simon treated the apostles as though they were fellow practitioners of magic, and was ready to negotiate the price to buy the secret of their power.

Nothing God has is for sale…… and certainly not the Holy Spirit himself.

Peter reacted swiftly telling him his money will perish or die with him Because he thought the gift of God was able to be purchased.

5. 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.”…….Simon believed, Simon was baptized, and Simon was lost.

Simon viewed salvation as a ritualistic, external matter, an additional act in his life instead of a total transformation on the inside. Faith that does not transform the life is no saving faith.

James 2:17–18 KJV 1900

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James does not tell us that we are saved because of our works, he is simple saying we work because we are saved.

Knowing and believing in the existence of God does not mean that one is saved. James 2:19

James 2:19 KJV 1900

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Demons believe and tremble however they do not love righteousness and hate sin.

True salvation is not a mere profession, it is a complete transformation of the soul from love of self to love of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Simon’s view of the Spirit as a commodity to be bought and added to his collection was wrong and exposed his lost condition.

Acts 8:22–23 KJV 1900

Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Peter told Simon to repent and ask the Lord to forgive him of his evil intentions. Lets look at Simon’s response in verse 24

Acts 8:24 KJV 1900

Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

Simon in his response was more concerned about escaping the judgement than making things right with God. Peter advises him to repent, however there is no indication that Simon ever repented.

No one truly knows the heart of another individual however according to John 15:7-8, Jesus disciples bear much fruit.

According to Acts 8:13, Simon believed however his basis of believing was not on the Word but was on the wonders he had witnessed. Simon is an ultimate example of how close and individual can get and never become a believer.