Gospel Power and Grifters Text: Acts 8:4-25
Introduction: The Uncontainable Gospel
When the Church is comfortable, it is usually because she has made a truce with the world, which is another way of saying she has made a truce with the devil. But when the Church is faithful, she is frequently uncomfortable, and the world around her becomes even more so. In the opening of this chapter, a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, and all the believers, except the apostles, were scattered. The world, led by men like Saul of Tarsus, thought it was stamping out a fire. What they were actually doing was stamping on a dandelion head that had gone to seed. God, in His sovereign wisdom, used the very malice of His enemies to accomplish the mission He had given His people.
The Great Commission was to go from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. But the church was comfortable in Jerusalem. They had their fellowship, their teaching, and their routines. So God, like a good sheepdog, came and nipped at their heels. The persecution that was meant to destroy the church was the very thing God used to export it. The gospel is not a fragile treasure to be kept in a holy box in one holy city. It is a living, aggressive, world-conquering seed. And when it is sown, it does not merely grow in a vacant lot. It lands in soil that is already occupied by weeds, thorns, and counterfeit crops. The arrival of the true gospel always means a confrontation with the false gospels that are already there.
What we have in this passage is the account of a spiritual invasion. Philip, one of the first deacons, becomes a frontline evangelist, and he takes the gospel into enemy territory: Samaria. And there, the kingdom of God collides with the kingdom of a local magician. This is not just a story about a successful revival. It is a case study in the nature of true power versus counterfeit power, genuine faith versus superficial belief, and the unbuyable nature of the gift of God. It is a story that the modern American church desperately needs to hear, because we are drowning in our own versions of Simon the magician.
The Text
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.
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.
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 bore witness and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were proclaiming the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
(Acts 8:4-25 LSB)
Scattered Preachers and Authentic Revival (vv. 4-8)
We begin with the immediate result of the persecution.
"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." (Acts 8:4-5 LSB)
Notice the first thing they did. They did not form a refugee support group. They did not lobby the government for better treatment. They went everywhere preaching the Word. The persecution did not silence them; it gave them a bigger stage. This is God's glorious economy. He turns the world's worst intentions into the church's greatest opportunities. And Philip, a man set aside to serve tables, goes to Samaria. To a Jew, this was unthinkable. Samaritans were half-breeds, religious syncretists, and historical enemies. But the gospel demolishes these man-made walls. Philip's message was not complicated. He was "preaching Christ to them." The power is not in the cleverness of the preacher, but in the subject of the preaching. He preached the person and work of Jesus Christ.
And what was the result? The crowds listened "with one accord" because they "heard and saw the signs." The miracles were not the main event; they were the dinner bell. They were the divine confirmation that the message Philip brought was from God Himself. Unclean spirits were cast out, and the paralyzed and lame were healed. The kingdom of God is not just a set of ideas; it is the invasion of the power of God into the realm of darkness and decay. And the final result is stated simply: "So there was great joy in that city." This was not the shallow happiness of a good economy or a winning sports team. This was the deep, resonant joy that comes when people held captive by darkness, disease, and despair are set free by the King.
The Local Charlatan Meets the Real Power (vv. 9-13)
But Samaria was not a spiritual vacuum. It had its own religious celebrity.
"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... they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, 'This man is what is called the Great Power of God.'" (Acts 8:9-10 LSB)
Simon was a big fish in a small pond. He used magic arts, which in that context means demonic trickery and illusion, to build his brand. He was a master of self-promotion, "claiming to be someone great." And the people, hungry for power and spectacle, ate it up. They gave him a divine title. He was their counterfeit christ, their local franchise of the kingdom of darkness. He offered spectacle without substance, amazement without salvation.
But then the real thing arrived. "But when they believed Philip proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized" (v. 12). The gospel broke Simon's spell. The people turned from the counterfeit to the reality. And notice the scope of this: "both men and women." The gospel liberates everyone. Even Simon himself gets caught up in the excitement. The text says he "believed" and was baptized. But we must be careful here. His belief seems to be a professional admiration. He saw Philip doing things his demonic parlor tricks could not replicate. He was "constantly astounded" by the "signs and great miracles." He was a fan of the power, but as we will see, he was no friend of the God who wielded it. He was a consumer, not a convert.
Apostolic Confirmation (vv. 14-17)
News of this revival reaches headquarters in Jerusalem, and they send in the senior leadership.
"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." (Acts 8:14-15 LSB)
This was a crucial moment for the unity of the church. The apostles needed to see this work for themselves and give it their official, apostolic seal of approval. This was to prevent a "Jewish Church" and a "Samaritan Church" from developing. By coming down and laying hands on them, Peter and John were visibly demonstrating that these Samaritans were being brought into the one and only body of Christ. The giving of the Spirit here, through the laying on of the apostles' hands, was a unique, unrepeatable, redemptive-historical event. It was the sign that God was officially and publicly endorsing the Samaritan mission. This is not a template for a two-stage Christian experience for all time. It was a foundational event for the expansion of the church.
The Unmasking of a Grifter (vv. 18-24)
Simon sees this transfer of power, and his transactional, grifter's heart is fully exposed.
"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...'" (Acts 8:18-19 LSB)
For Simon, everything is a commodity. He sees the Holy Spirit as a product, a technique, a new trick for his bag. He wants to buy the franchise rights. This is the sin that bears his name: simony. It is the attempt to purchase or manipulate the free gift of God. It is the heart of every false religion, and it is the beating heart of the prosperity gospel. It is the belief that God can be bribed, that His power is for sale, that we can get Him to do our bidding if we just push the right buttons or write a big enough check.
Peter's response is not a gentle rebuke. It is a bolt of lightning. "May your silver perish with you, because you supposed you could obtain the gift of God with money!" This is not how you build a seeker-sensitive movement. Peter performs open-heart surgery without anesthetic. He gives Simon a full diagnosis of his soul: "You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God... you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness." Simon was not a backslidden Christian; he was an unregenerate fraud. He was bitter, enslaved, and his heart was crooked.
Peter calls him to "repent of this wickedness." But Simon's response is telling.
"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.'" (Acts 8:24 LSB)
He does not repent. He does not cry out to God for mercy. He asks the apostles to pray for him. Why? So that he might escape the consequences. He has a fear of punishment, but no sorrow for his sin. He wants to avoid the fire, but he has no desire to love the Father. He wants to outsource his repentance. This is the dead giveaway of a false convert. He is still trying to use others to manipulate a spiritual outcome for his own benefit.
Conclusion: The Unbuyable Kingdom
The story ends with Peter and John heading back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many more Samaritan villages. The kingdom continues to advance. But the confrontation with Simon leaves us with a piercing question. Why are we following Jesus?
Are we here because we are astounded by the miracles? Are we consumers of Christian goods and services, looking for a spiritual power-up to make our lives better? Do we view God as a cosmic vending machine, where if we put in enough prayer, or money, or good behavior, we can get the blessings we want? If so, our hearts are no different than Simon's. We are in the gall of bitterness and the bondage of unrighteousness, and we need to repent.
The gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, is absolutely free. But it is also unbuyable. You cannot earn it, you cannot deserve it, and you cannot purchase it. It cost the blood of the Son of God. To try and offer God anything for it, whether it is our money or our morality, is the highest form of insult. It is to say that the sacrifice of Christ was insufficient.
True conversion is not being astounded by God's power. It is surrendering to His authority. It is turning from your wickedness, confessing that your heart is not right, and trusting in Christ alone to make it right. It is to receive with empty hands the free gift of grace, and in response, to offer your entire life back to Him not as payment, but as joyful, loving worship. The question for each one of us today is the one Peter's rebuke forces upon us: Is your heart right with God?