Miracles for Hire?

Acts 8:4–24 ESV

Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

In the last few years, I have seen a growing number of celebrities claim to come to faith. We have seen a growth in Christian-themed films, with major name celebrities being part of the cast. And, as much as that excites me, there is a part of me that wonders just how deep these Christian convictions go for these people.

For example, I recently watched a show about a young man being forced to go to church camp and ends up coming to Christ. I had not seen the lead actor in anything before, but I was impressed. I watched him in an interview talk about this Christian show and the importance of being real about someone’s journey to faith. I was even more impressed with him. So, imagine my surprise when I learn that he is now one of the stars of a new series on one of the major streaming platforms—and imagine my disappointment when I see him in an interview to promote the show, and I hear him talk about using a manifesting candle to get the part. Then I hear him describe the show as smut, like smut is a good thing!

I don’t know if this young man truly believes in Jesus or not; if he does, it doesn’t seem that his understanding about Jesus goes very deep.

In the same way, today’s passage introduces us to two different men. First is Philip, one of the men chosen to be deacons for the church in Jerusalem. When Saul began persecuting the Christians, Philip ended up in Samaria, where he daily preached the gospel. Like the apostles, Philip is able to back up his teachings about Jesus with signs and wonders. People are getting healed. Demons are being cast out. And a large number of people come to believe in Jesus in Samaria.

One of those people is our other person of interest—Simon, a local magician who apparently was very skilled in his practices and was rather famous in the area. Being impressed with Philip’s teaching and the miracles he performed, Simon becomes a follower of Christ and joins Philip’s ministry team.

The apostles learn about the evangelization in Samaria. People are coming to Christ, but nobody is being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Peter and John go to Samaria, pray for the Christians there to receive the Holy Spirit, and lay hands on the Christians. They are all baptized in the Holy Spirit.

When Simon sees this, he wants in on the action. He goes to Peter and John, and he offers them money to give him the power to baptize people in the Holy Spirit.

What is Peter’s reaction? He curses Simon for thinking he could buy the power of God. He tells Simon that his heart is not right with God. Simon’s heart is filled with bitterness and bound with iniquity.

What are we seeing here?

Attraction to a Trend

This wasn’t a minor misunderstanding, where Simon just didn’t know any better about this one thing. Simon clearly did not understand the kingdom of God that he claimed to be part of. He had heard Philip preach the gospel, and he decided to believe in Jesus. But how much of his belief was based on the character of Christ versus the power he had witnessed? Simon was a man who understood power. He had a huge fan base, and his fans described him as a god.

Today, religious celebrities are everywhere. Benny Hinn, Jimmy Swaggart, Jack Hayford, Max Lucado, and others have book deals and televised church services. They fill sports arenas. We have seen the rise and fall of trendy churches, where people seem less concerned about what is being taught than they are about how well the message is presented. I’m not saying that the celebrity ministers are not Christians, but rather that you see a lot of people who you have to wonder if they are following Jesus or the minister.

This just might be the case for Simon. As a man of power, he is impressed with the power Philip displays. He learns that the power comes from Jesus. He sees all these people turning to Jesus. So it makes sense for him to become a follower too and be a part of this amazing thing. He gets to bring people to Philip to be healed. He gets to keep his fame and be part of this new, exciting thing.

But that is where his relationship with Jesus seems to end. As far as Simon is concerned, following Jesus is just a means to be part of this great new thing. It’s suddenly fashionable to be a Christian, and Simon is attracted to the trend.

A Desire for Self-Promotion

Simon has seen this great thing come along, and he wants to be part of it. But it is more than just being part of this great thing that motivates Simon; he wants to know how to use this new movement to his advantage.

When Peter and John come and start baptizing believers with the Holy Spirit, Simon wants in on the action. He might have been useful to Philip in the past, and he may have participated in others getting healed or freed from demons, but this is new. He has never experienced anything like what happened when people got baptized in the Holy Spirit!

If you notice, the passage seems to indicate that Simon witnessed others receiving the Holy Spirit—it doesn’t seem to be happening to him. As soon as he sees it happen, he knows that it is real, and that his fame will go away if he cannot replicate this miracle. So he goes to the apostles and tries to bribe them into sharing this power with him.

There mere fact that he tried to buy the power to fill people with the Holy Spirit proves that Simon did not have a deep faith and understanding of Jesus. He would have remembered how Jesus drove the merchants out of the temple because the things of God do not have a price tag on them, nor are they opportunities to turn a profit! The baptism in the Holy Spirit, like salvation, is a gift freely given by the father to his children if they will seek him.

There are people who are active in the church. They are all smiles and helpfulness. But, if you really pay attention, you see that they are only helpful when it makes them look good. When they help, it’s on their terms. Any questions or criticism of things they are involved with are attacks on them. As soon as that thing, that project, fails to promote them, they are out.

I think the scripture holds Simon to be one of these people. He may think that Jesus’ teaching was good. He might believe that Jesus died for our sins. But what Simon really cares about is maintaining his celebrity status.

As soon as we get the idea that the church exists to serve our personal agendas, we are lost! The church exists for one reason only—to point people to Jesus so that he can transform their lives. The miracles that take place in the church happen to heal people, restore them, and give them a real encounter with their Creator. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is to empower people to effectively share the gospel and build God’s kingdom on earth. We are here to glorify God, NOT build our own reputation!

As we read this passage, with Peter’s strong admonition against Simon, it sounds like Simon is a lost cause.

BUT, in verses 22-24 of chapter 8, Peter says,

Acts 8:22–23 ESV

Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

Peter tells Simon to repent. As harsh as it sounds, it is a message of hope. If Simon is beyond hope for repentance, Peter would not have bothered asking him to repent. Our God is a forgiving God! Even when we think someone is too far gone, God can still reach them and save them! If he can forgive someone like Simon, how much more will he forgive us!