Week 42 Acts
Acts 8 features a man named Philip.
I don’t think he’s the apostle Philip. I think the Acts 8 Philip is the Philip mentioned in the Acts 6 list: Stephen Philip Procorus Nicanor Timon Parmenas & Nicolas.
Philip left Jerusalem when persecution started. He: went to Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did. Many evil spirits were cast out…Many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.
Out of the many Samaritans only one was named – a sorcerer-magician-black-arts guy called Simon. The people in town called him: “the Great One – the Power of God”. And Luke conceded that Simon: was very influential because of the magic he performed.
Still…as powerful as he was Simon realized he wasn’t in Philip’s class. So he converted and was baptized.
A bit later when Simon saw townspeople receiving the Holy Spirit he offered to pay the apostles for that skill. It seems like a crass request…though maybe not for a guy who figured spiritual power – like other things – was available on the open-market.
Peter told him that his heart was wrong…his thought-processes evil…and that he was captivated by sin. That subdued Simon and he asked for prayers to be said for him.
And then just like that Simon the Magician disappeared from the bible.
So I’m left wondering what happened with Simon? Where did he end up?
It seems like an unfinished story.
Note: quotes from Acts 6:5, 8:5-7, 10-11, 21-23 (NLT)