Acts 8:4-25 - The Intention of Your Heart

Introduction

We have moved from the season of Advent through the 12 days of Christmas, and now we are in Epiphanytide: the season of Christ being revealed as the God-Man. The season of Epiphany commemorates the visit and gifts of the magi, the baptism of Jesus wherein God reveals that Christ is His Son, and the first miracle at the wedding in Cana. Our calendar, following the Lutherans, also includes the transfiguration in this season (on February 2nd). February 2nd is 40 days after Christ’s birth, and in the Anglican church is the day to remember Christ’s presentation at the Temple.

The next season begins on February 4th and will be familiar to all of you, Lententide.

Review of Acts 1-2

Just to briefly put us back into the context of the book of Acts you will recall back in chapter one Jesus gave us the thesis statement for the entire book:

Acts 1:8 LSB

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.”

And after Jesus told them this, we see the fulfillment of prophecy, as Peter says in Acts 1:16, “The Scripture had to be fulfilled...”. We see:

We see the Davidic King ascend into heaven (Ezekiel 37:22, 25).

We see the 12 tribes of Israel symbolically reunited with the choosing of Matthias as the 12th Apostle (Ezekiel 37:19)

We see the Spirit of God make His dwelling among men at Pentecost (Ezekiel 37:27-28)

We see the Diaspora Jews understand the Gospel and convert (Ezekiel 37:21)

This first conversion of a group at the end of Acts 2, represents the newly established Ekklesia, or congregation. They represent the New Israel. They are the New Covenant people of God.

Review of Acts 3-7

We then move into the first part of the thesis statement: the witness of this New Covenant community, particularly, the Moses-like Apostles, in Jerusalem, at the temple. This New Covenant community is meeting at Solomon’s Portico and they begin to have conflict with the Old Covenant leadership.

You’ll remember the progressive manner in which these conflicts develop. The Apostles, like Moses, do signs and wonders to deliver the people. The Old Covenant leaders react by arresting them. The Apostles give their defense in which they proclaim boldly the name of Jesus in connection with the name of Yahweh and as the cause of the signs and wonders.

This is a three-part pattern which began in Acts 3:1-10 with the healing of the lame man, Peter’s sermon to the people in Acts 3:11-26, and Peter and John’s arrest and defense before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:1-22. Then they are rebuked.

The second iteration began in Acts 5:12 with the apostles doing “...many signs and wonders...among the people...”. This resulted in the apostles being jailed, released from jail by an angel, then arrested again and brought before the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:17-32. This time, the verbal censure was accompanied by corporal punishment in Acts 5:40.

The climax of this three-part pattern occurs with Stephen, the deacon, doing “wonders and signs among the people” in Acts 6:8. He is brought before the Sanhedrin and gives his defense in Acts 6:12-7:53. Then he is not censured and beaten, but executed in Acts 7:54-60.

In today’s passage, we see another διάκονος, Philipp, also doing signs and wonders and preaching the Gospel to the lost. As we stated when we looked at Acts 6, after the 7 men are chosen to serve tables, the following chapters, 7-8, show them doing everything but serving tables.

And recall that I interpreted that passage as the ordination of local ministers. I said that the primary role of the local minister is liturgical and diaconal, both centered around a table. The table of the Lord, or, in other words, the kingdom of God.

Ministers are table servants. That is our calling. It is not to be preeminent, it is not to have prestige, it is not so that our voice can be heard, it is not to have a multinational media conglomerate, it is so that we can facilitate the reconciliation of sinners who can sit at peace with God around His table.

And as Christ said, the first shall be last, the last shall be first, the least shall be greatest, and the greatest shall be least, authority in Christ’s church flows upwards, not downwards. Those who would be great must make themselves as nothing. And those who make themselves something, will find that God does not have need of them.

Wouldn’t it be better to place ourselves at the foot of the table and then be asked to move up? Rather than placing ourselves at the head of the table and being asked to step down.

This will become crucial in today’s passage.

Intro to Acts 8-12

We now commence on our journey out of Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria. What does the conversion of Samaria mean?

It means the reunification of the northern tribes of Israel, their capital being Samaria, with the Southern tribe of Judah. When Samaria is converted, that represents the coming together of Jerusalem and Samaria, the reunification of the 12 tribes as one, with the 12 Apostles as the 12 pillars.

And recall that it was the persecution of the church that resulted in the dispersion of the church, but that the Apostles remained behind in Jerusalem. I believe that this was for two reasons:

Their continued witness against the Old Covenant leadership.

Jerusalem’s pre-eminence: remember the words of Zechariah the prophet when he says all the earth would be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem would rise (Zechariah 14:10). The Jews saw Jerusalem as the highest point in all the earth because it was where they met with God. And if you notice the language of our text in Acts 8:5, it says that Phillip went down to Samaria, even though he was going North. So the pre-eminence of Jerusalem is still being emphasized.

After the reunification of Israel, as symbolized by the conversion of Samaria, with Jerusalem established as the true capital, then we see the conversion of the Gentiles:

We see a Gentile individual (Eunuch), who also represents outcasts and foreigners.

We see a Gentile household (Cornelius), who also represents the Gentile God-fearer.

We see a Gentile city (Antioch), which represents salvation for the world.

The Intention of Your Heart

Read Acts 8:4-25.

Outline:

Joy in the City (Acts 8:4-8)

Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-13)

Bad Intentions (Acts 8:14-25)

Joy in the City

Acts 8:4–8 LSB

Therefore, those who had been scattered went about, proclaiming the good news of the word. Now Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching Christ to them. And the crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was doing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

This is not the first time that the Samaritans have heard about Jesus. If you recall, John 4:40-42, Jesus was accepted by the Samaritans after he talked with the woman at the well. And now, again, the Samaritans are “with one accord…giving attention to what was being said...”. These people who were considered half-breeds by the Jews. The ones considered unclean. They attentively gave heed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Philipp is doing signs and wonders. As we saw in Jerusalem, he, like Moses, is coming to deliver the lost and dying, using signs and wonders. Those held in the grip of unclean spirits, those paralyzed and lame, are being healed. I cannot help but notice the connection here with the healing of the lame man in Acts 3:1-8, that is what started the Apostles’s ministry in Jerusalem.

The coming of the good news brought great joy in the city. The angels brought this to the shepherds, “we bring you good tidings of great joy...”

Application

What are you paying attention to? Or, who are you paying attention to? Are you paying attention to the Words of Life? Are you letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom? Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments, do you know what His commandments are? Or are you comforting yourself by the fact that you say you believe in Jesus and that you know God, but yet you have no interest in obeying His Word and doing His will? Will you be like a man who looks in the mirror and then straightway forgets what manner of man he was? Pay attention! Take hold of eternal life!

In this text, there is eschatological significance to the signs and wonders that Philipp is accomplishing, and the same is true of the signs and wonders done by the Apostles. They serve to verify the establishment of a New Covenant. But, I want you to think about the progression in this text:

The people pay attention.

They are delivered.

There is great joy.

When we think about it in these terms, it is no different than it is for you and me. When we pay attention to the Words of Life, we are delivered, and it produces great joy. We are free. We have peace with God in Christ. What great news that is. We can enter the Garden of Eden and have fellowship with God. The way has been opened for us. We have life, and we have it more abundantly. Our sins are forgiven in Christ, thanks be to God.

The people gave attention to the Gospel, they were delivered, and they had great joy.

Simon the Sorcerer

Acts 8:9–13 LSB

Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astounding the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astounded them with his magic arts. But when they believed Philip proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly astounded.

Even as Moses met the magicians of Egypt, so our Moses, Phillip, met Simon the sorcerer. And the text says that Simon was “astounding the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great...” And notice the words of the text, the people were “giving attention to him...”, why? Because “he had for a long time astounded them...” - You can see that the people, before they were delivered, were in bondage, or astounded, by this magician. They were giving him attention, even attributing to him the power of God. He had prestige.

There will always be a good reason to believe a lie. Every heretic in history had a rationale. Even Jesus, seemingly gave the pharisees reasons to justify their unbelief: He spoke in parables so that in seeing they might not see and in hearing they might not hear. Be careful who you pay attention to. Simon astounded the people, claiming to be someone great, and they gave him attention because he astounded them. Don’t be astounded. Don’t be tossed about by every wind of doctrine. Don’t follow the fads, don’t go with the flow; love mercy, do justly, and walk humbly with your God. Hide His Word in your heart so that you will not sin against Him. Be wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove. Don’t be astounded.

Then notice what happens here, the one who has been astounding, becomes astounded himself: Acts 8:13 “Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly astounded.” The fraud is made clear when the reality appears. Phillip, as an ambassador of Jesus Christ, had led captivity captive (Psalm 68:18). The Gospel of Jesus Christ crushed the seed of the serpent. As a matter of fact, it dashed the little ones of Satan to pieces against the rocks. Babylon has fallen (Psalm 137).

If we take this reading at face value, as I believe we should, then, it seems that Simon was truly converted. He believed, was baptized and continued on. This is all we have to go on for every person in the church. They believe, they are baptized, and sometimes they continue with us. We cannot see the intentions of the heart. But, sometimes, the intentions of the heart are revealed in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Application

Simon was using magic in order to obtain power and prestige. He was astonishing the people so that they would say that he is the “Great Power of God.” But remember, in Christ’s kingdom, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. In contrast to this magician, Philip had just agreed to serve widows at a table. Phillip had agreed to be the least. Phillip was called upon to serve, not to astonish. In God’s kingdom, those who would be someone, must be no one. To whom are you paying attention? The “Great Power of God?” or the still small voice.

Notice that in the text, Philip was “proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ...” This is what was believed. The signs were astonishing, yes, but the thing that was believed was the Truth of the Gospel. That is what brought this magician down: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I hope that we do not lose sight of this. It was through bringing of good news that the people were converted. How often do we bring the good news? How often do we present the Christian life as one of joy and festivity? The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. To whom are you paying attention?

Bad Intentions

Acts 8:14–25 LSB

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit had been bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you supposed you could obtain the gift of God with money! “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray earnestly to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness.” But Simon answered and said, “Pray earnestly to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” So, when they had solemnly borne witness and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were proclaiming the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

There is a question raised here as to why the Holy Spirit did not immediately descend upon the Samaritans once they accepted the Word of God. It says that they were “simply…baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” There are a few opinions about this. The opinion that is most compelling to me is that since Samaria was being united once again with Jerusalem, connecting the two could have resulted in further conflict between the already cross-cultural relationship of Jews and Samaritans. In order to establish the 12 as the authorities in the church, the Spirit was directly endorsing their authority.

One of the reasons I favor this interpretation is because it makes sense of the real brash nature of Simon’s request. This magician requested to be given authority to tell the Holy Spirit when, where, and on whom He should fall. This is authority that Christ Himself simply did not claim. He said that the Spirit is like the wind moving where He will. Jesus and the Holy Spirit raised up the 12 to be part of the foundation of the Church: there was a reason for the Holy Spirit to validate the Apostles’ authority. It says that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the chief cornerstone. Simon was trying to buy that authority as if it is a human commodity that can be used to astonish people.

This way of thinking was an error in the early church. People would pay rulers to give them a position of authority in the church. This practice was called Simony after Simon the sorcerer.

I believe that Simon’s conversion was sincere. But, his pagan beliefs and practices would have needed to be sanctified. In all the excitement he reverted to his factory settings. He fell back into that pattern of thinking that is seeking power, authority, prestige, control. Peter rebukes this attitude sharply and calls Simon to repent. Some today might say that Peter was not willing to shepherd the poor confused pagan magician. But that is exactly what Peter was doing by rebuking this attitude sharply: he was acting like a good shepherd ought to act: He recognized the error in Simon’s thinking and rebuked him for the intention that Peter interpreted from Simon’s question. Do you see that? Simon made a request and Peter interpreted it as “the gall of bitterness in the bondage of unrighteousness” and told Simon to repent for the intention of his heart. Peter was being a good shepherd. Sometimes, a sharp, clear, word is needed. Sometimes, battle lines need to be drawn. There are some patterns of thinking and action that are so heinous they need to be called out clearly and cannot be tolerated among the body of Christ. Are you paying attention? And if so, to what? Or, to whom?

Application

The point of this text, in my opinion, is to demonstrate the reunification of the Northern and Southern kingdoms of Israel, to fulfill the delivering Gospel progression foretold by Christ, and to demonstrate Gospel authority in Christ’s church.

There are so many perspectives from which we could draw application. This will not be exhaustive.

How do you, men, view leadership in the Church of God? How about in your home? Is it a means of power, prestige, and validation? Or is it an opportunity to serve the body of Christ? Do you view it as an opportunity to obtain great boldness in the faith to proclaim the good news of the kingdom and lordship of Jesus Christ to a city in bondage? Are you looking for control to lord your authority over the people that you are given to shepherd? The undershpepherds of Christ are called to serve tables. And that is a high calling. It led to the conversion of an entire city for Christ. We cannot see the intention of your heart, but rest assured that your intentions will become clear through your thoughts, words, and deeds. Therefore, if you are looking at your position of authority as something that deserves obedience and submission, then you need to repent. Your position is for service, not sovereignty. How are you using your authority? What is the intention of your heart?

But you may thinking, I’m not a leader in the church, I’m safe from this application. Well, guess again. How do you view the Christian life? Do you view it as a means of making yourself better than those around you? Maybe you don’t think about it in those terms. Perhaps you think that because someone is believing or practicing something that to you is so obviously wrong that you struggle not looking down your nose at this person. Have you just turned the freedom you have in Jesus Christ into something that gives you a sense of superiority? That is the same struggle as Simon. It needs a sharp rebuke. Repent. Turn from your sinful and judgmental attitude. Christ has called you to be a lighthouse: if you see someone who is in bondage, don’t look down your nose at them. Help them! Give them light! Show them their path. And do this patiently and graciously so that they can have joy in their deliverance.

Lastly, who are you listening to. Are you allowing yourself to be astonished by human power or prestige? Or are you taking heed to the Scripture? Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. For, the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword: it will discern the intention of your heart.

Let’s pray!

The Lord’s Supper

Augustine said,

"It is enough that we should know that, after it was said Abram believed in God, and it was counted to him for righteousness, he did not fail in faith in saying, “Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?” for the inheritance of that land was promised to him.

Now he does not say, How shall I know, as if he did not yet believe; but he says, “Whereby shall I know,” meaning that some sign might be given by which he might know the manner of those things which he had believed..."

(City of God, Book XVI, Chapter 24)

I don't believe this is substantively different than the signs and seals of the New Covenant for us.

We ask, "Whereby shall we know this salvation You have promised to us?"

And God's answer, "Here is water; here is bread and wine. Be washed, be filled. Taste and see that I am good."