Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God”... When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money... Acts 8:9-18
Last time we thought about the revival that broke out in Samaria under the preaching of Philip the evangelist, and focussed on the strange figure of Simon the magician. I set out to suggest four thoughts, but ran out of space after two.
To recap...
The first thought was that, in spite of Simon’s sin and Peter’s shocked response, we needn’t doubt that Simon’s conversion was genuine. New converts still have a long way to go! And then, second, we noticed the warning this story gives us about the poison that money can be when it is wrongly used. Are our finances firmly under the lordship of Christ?
And now, thirdly, we can’t help noticing the blistering ferocity of Peter’s attack on Simon.
One commentary suggests that his words “May your money perish with you!” could be translated fairly literally as “To hell with you and your money!” He goes on to say, “I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin”.
This is no-holds-barred stuff. We might be tempted to feel that perhaps Peter is a little over-zealous, and that a gentler rebuke might have been more appropriate. Simon, after all, is floundering in a sea where he’s completely out of his depth.
But who are we to judge? - especially given that Peter’s words had an immediate effect: “Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me’”. There are times to be pretty “in-yer-face”!
In various places the New Testament speaks about the need for “admonition” in the Christian life. In Colossians 3:16, for example: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another...”
It’s a rather old-fashioned word, which basically means encouraging someone, though perhaps with a hint of correction and rebuke: there are times when a word of admonition might be described as “a loving telling-off”.
But Peter’s treatment of Simon is far stronger than that. Why? Because the stakes were so much higher; Peter feared for Simon’s very soul, so blunt words were called for.
The point to get hold of is that there are times we need to confront our fellow-Christians frankly if we see them losing their way. We must do this humbly, of course, and very aware that we too are far from perfect; but it might be an action that changes somebody’s life for ever. I have a vivid memory of it being done to me by a lovely Christian friend. I didn’t enjoy it - in fact I quite resented it. But on reflection I realised that it was an act of love, and I benefitted from it.
It’s easy to take the “oh no, it’s none of my business” attitude and turn a blind eye. But that can simply be an excuse for cowardice and a failure of true friendship. Like it or not, we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper.
Is there someone in your life who badly needs a word of admonition from you?
Fourth, we mustn’t miss what seems to be a genuine expression of regret from Simon in verse 24: “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” Simon has heard Peter’s word about forgiveness: “Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you...” (verse 22).
It’s as if Peter is throwing Simon a lifeline - and Simon is eagerly grabbing hold of it.
And so we are reminded that God loves to forgive those who are truly sorry.
Is that a message you need? Perhaps you are living with a painfully guilty conscience over something you have done - and rightly so. But never doubt that God loves you, and that there is “joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:1-10). Why not bring joy to God’s heart today?
So... Simon the magician disappears from the pages of the Bible. And, as I said last time, we are left dangling, wondering what became of him.
Once you start down this track, all sorts of other unfinished stories from the Bible spring to mind, and we could speculate endlessly.
What about the woman to whom Jesus spoke at the well in Sychar (John 4)? Did she and her fellow-townspeople become full followers of Jesus? Or the rich young ruler who “went away sad” because he couldn’t obey Jesus’ command (Mark 10:17-25)? Did he later have a change of heart? Or the woman taken in adultery (John 8:2-11)? Did she indeed “go... and leave her life of sin”? What became of Zacchaeus (Luke 19)?
God hasn’t seen fit to tell us - but there is a good reason for that.
For what really matters, of course, is not “What happened to these people?” but “What will happen to me? How will my story end?”
Mmm. Challenging questions!
Lord God, thank you that your word gives us many accounts of people who were confronted by the gospel. As I reflect on them, help me not to get lost in pointless speculation, but to apply to myself the challenges they present. Amen.
Last time we thought about the revival that broke out in Samaria under the preaching of Philip the evangelist, and focussed on the strange figure of Simon the magician. I set out to suggest four thoughts, but ran out of space after two.
To recap...
The first thought was that, in spite of Simon’s sin and Peter’s shocked response, we needn’t doubt that Simon’s conversion was genuine. New converts still have a long way to go! And then, second, we noticed the warning this story gives us about the poison that money can be when it is wrongly used. Are our finances firmly under the lordship of Christ?
And now, thirdly, we can’t help noticing the blistering ferocity of Peter’s attack on Simon.
One commentary suggests that his words “May your money perish with you!” could be translated fairly literally as “To hell with you and your money!” He goes on to say, “I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin”.
This is no-holds-barred stuff. We might be tempted to feel that perhaps Peter is a little over-zealous, and that a gentler rebuke might have been more appropriate. Simon, after all, is floundering in a sea where he’s completely out of his depth.
But who are we to judge? - especially given that Peter’s words had an immediate effect: “Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me’”. There are times to be pretty “in-yer-face”!
In various places the New Testament speaks about the need for “admonition” in the Christian life. In Colossians 3:16, for example: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another...”
It’s a rather old-fashioned word, which basically means encouraging someone, though perhaps with a hint of correction and rebuke: there are times when a word of admonition might be described as “a loving telling-off”.
But Peter’s treatment of Simon is far stronger than that. Why? Because the stakes were so much higher; Peter feared for Simon’s very soul, so blunt words were called for.
The point to get hold of is that there are times we need to confront our fellow-Christians frankly if we see them losing their way. We must do this humbly, of course, and very aware that we too are far from perfect; but it might be an action that changes somebody’s life for ever. I have a vivid memory of it being done to me by a lovely Christian friend. I didn’t enjoy it - in fact I quite resented it. But on reflection I realised that it was an act of love, and I benefitted from it.
It’s easy to take the “oh no, it’s none of my business” attitude and turn a blind eye. But that can simply be an excuse for cowardice and a failure of true friendship. Like it or not, we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper.
Is there someone in your life who badly needs a word of admonition from you?
Fourth, we mustn’t miss what seems to be a genuine expression of regret from Simon in verse 24: “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” Simon has heard Peter’s word about forgiveness: “Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you...” (verse 22).
It’s as if Peter is throwing Simon a lifeline - and Simon is eagerly grabbing hold of it.
And so we are reminded that God loves to forgive those who are truly sorry.
Is that a message you need? Perhaps you are living with a painfully guilty conscience over something you have done - and rightly so. But never doubt that God loves you, and that there is “joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:1-10). Why not bring joy to God’s heart today?
So... Simon the magician disappears from the pages of the Bible. And, as I said last time, we are left dangling, wondering what became of him.
Once you start down this track, all sorts of other unfinished stories from the Bible spring to mind, and we could speculate endlessly.
What about the woman to whom Jesus spoke at the well in Sychar (John 4)? Did she and her fellow-townspeople become full followers of Jesus? Or the rich young ruler who “went away sad” because he couldn’t obey Jesus’ command (Mark 10:17-25)? Did he later have a change of heart? Or the woman taken in adultery (John 8:2-11)? Did she indeed “go... and leave her life of sin”? What became of Zacchaeus (Luke 19)?
God hasn’t seen fit to tell us - but there is a good reason for that.
For what really matters, of course, is not “What happened to these people?” but “What will happen to me? How will my story end?”
Mmm. Challenging questions!
Lord God, thank you that your word gives us many accounts of people who were confronted by the gospel. As I reflect on them, help me not to get lost in pointless speculation, but to apply to myself the challenges they present. Amen.
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