This morning I was reading about Stephan, no particular reason, I just opened up my Bible and began to read. This account seems to be such a waste doesn't it? Why would God allow the martyrdom of such a wonderful man, when he could have done such wonderful things for the kingdom of God here on earth. So many times we forget that when we become one of Jesus' sheep, our good Shepherd never promised us a life without trials or tribulations, only that he would not leave us, or forsake us while we go through them together. We all too easily forget that our lives become forfeit for his sake when push comes to shove in the defense of the gospel, or when the proving of our faith comes to bear.
What happened after Stephan's martyrdom? As always, God turned this tragedy into triumph; the gospel of Jesus finally moved beyond Jerusalem and leaked out into Samaria via Philip. Once again, the death of a righteous man - scattered the sheep, and once again it produced good fruit, Gentiles were at last being exposed to the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. We are, after all, to be like lambs lead to the slaughter - not a very attractive scenario in the worldly - it's all about me - brand of "Christianity". I think Simon the Sorcerer would have been pleased and very comfortable living in these days rather than in his day.
What happened after Stephan's martyrdom? As always, God turned this tragedy into triumph; the gospel of Jesus finally moved beyond Jerusalem and leaked out into Samaria via Philip. Once again, the death of a righteous man - scattered the sheep, and once again it produced good fruit, Gentiles were at last being exposed to the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. We are, after all, to be like lambs lead to the slaughter - not a very attractive scenario in the worldly - it's all about me - brand of "Christianity". I think Simon the Sorcerer would have been pleased and very comfortable living in these days rather than in his day.
Speaking of Simon the Sorcerer - the Bible says he previously practiced sorcery in the city of Samaria (located on a hill NW of Shechem), which is modern day Nablus. It is said that he astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great. Okay, here we go, some guy who was worshiping idols, praying to nature gods and working magic spells was claiming that he was |
someone great. In the next verse we read that the people of Samaria listened to him from the least to the greatest, and they agreed with Simon, that he was someone great. Not only that, but they thought he was a man who had "the great power of God". Uh-oh, this is not good. This had been going on for a long time, so they were under Simon's "spell."
Enter Philip, a true man of God, who left Jerusalem after Stephan's death and
preached the gospel of Jesus in Samaria. The gospel message he preached was backed up with godly miracles. Unclean spirits left people in screaming fits, and the paralyzed and lame were healed, all who believed were being set free. That's when the people of Samaria started to believe Philip instead of Simon. We are told in verse 13 about Simon's supposed conversion, I find that kind of symbolic in that the #13 symbolizes rebellion in the world of the occult. As the saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join 'em." Anyway, he was even baptized and followed Philip, and was amazed by all the miracles and signs that were done through him. Philip was not an apostle (one of the twelve), and this must have been well known. This meant he was not a "master magician" in Simon's evil eyes.
preached the gospel of Jesus in Samaria. The gospel message he preached was backed up with godly miracles. Unclean spirits left people in screaming fits, and the paralyzed and lame were healed, all who believed were being set free. That's when the people of Samaria started to believe Philip instead of Simon. We are told in verse 13 about Simon's supposed conversion, I find that kind of symbolic in that the #13 symbolizes rebellion in the world of the occult. As the saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join 'em." Anyway, he was even baptized and followed Philip, and was amazed by all the miracles and signs that were done through him. Philip was not an apostle (one of the twelve), and this must have been well known. This meant he was not a "master magician" in Simon's evil eyes.
So along comes Peter and John, two of the original twelve, to see for themselves what was going on in Samaria, and when they found a legitimate move of God there, they prayed for the Samaritans, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. They were indeed saved, as having the initial baptism of Jesus Christ, but now they were to receive some spiritual gifts by the laying on of hands. Now, what ever Simon saw happen, what ever power was made manifest, it is not told to us, so it is apparently not important. What is important is that Simon's true colors came out, because we are told he offered money to the apostles saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Remember dear reader, in ancient times practicing magic and sorcery was a business, you had to pay the magician or fortuneteller for his/her services [Acts 16:18-19]. But this demonic work not only takes your cash, it also costs you your soul.
After Peter's scathing response to Simon's offer, I am amazed that many Bible teachers and pastors have the gumption to say Simon was still saved, assuming he was saved at all. Just listen to Peter's stern rebuke:
"Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart [motive] may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."
Whoa! What was Simon's response to Peter's scathing tongue lashing? Was it one of true repentance leading to salvation? Did he do what Peter had told him to do - ask the Lord for forgiveness? No. Instead, he asked Peter to pray for him, and no record is given regarding Simon's repentance. Clearly Jesus wasn't Simon's Lord. In fact, Simon has the same response to Peter that King Saul had to Samuel. Just as Simon asked Peter to pray to the Lord for him, so did Saul ask Samuel to pray to "his" God for him. Just as King Saul was given to witchcraft through rebellion, Simon's legacy of sorcery is seen in the word "simony." Which is the offering of God's miracles in exchange for money, otherwise known as a "love offering."
I was further lead by a cross reference in my Bible to Heb. 12:15 to research the phrase "poisoned by bitterness," which Peter used in Acts 8:23. So I turned there and read this:
"looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;"
Defiled? Oh, that can't be good! So, what is this "root of bitterness" that would make us become defiled if we allowed it into our lives? Defilement in Scripture is usually a reference to idolatry. The previous verses make reference to fornicators and to Esau as being profane, and verse 18 goes on to teach about mount Sinai and mount Zion. In fact, Heb. 12: 15 has a cross reference of that phrase "root of bitterness" that lead me to Deut. 29:18-19 which reads:
"so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart
turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness ,or wormwood;
and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'- as though the drunkard could be included with the sober."
That is some good stuff right there and lets us in on what Peter was alluding to when he rebuked Simon in verses 21-23 of Acts 8! As many of us who have studied pagan practices, we know that it was and is common for them to get drunk or take drugs in order to enter into contact with the spirit world through an altered state of conscience. That is why liquor is often called "spirits" and why drugs are called "pharmaceuticals," which is from the Greek word"pharmakia." Pharmakia denotes sorcery coupled with mind altering drug abuse. The believer is commanded to be in complete control of themselves, to be sober minded at all times. Never are we to be drunk, even when we are "in the Spirit." But don't not stop there dear reader, keep reading until verse 28 on your own, and I will finish my quote with verse 29:
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are
revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words
of this law."
"looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;"
Defiled? Oh, that can't be good! So, what is this "root of bitterness" that would make us become defiled if we allowed it into our lives? Defilement in Scripture is usually a reference to idolatry. The previous verses make reference to fornicators and to Esau as being profane, and verse 18 goes on to teach about mount Sinai and mount Zion. In fact, Heb. 12: 15 has a cross reference of that phrase "root of bitterness" that lead me to Deut. 29:18-19 which reads:
"so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart
turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness ,or wormwood;
and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'- as though the drunkard could be included with the sober."
That is some good stuff right there and lets us in on what Peter was alluding to when he rebuked Simon in verses 21-23 of Acts 8! As many of us who have studied pagan practices, we know that it was and is common for them to get drunk or take drugs in order to enter into contact with the spirit world through an altered state of conscience. That is why liquor is often called "spirits" and why drugs are called "pharmaceuticals," which is from the Greek word"pharmakia." Pharmakia denotes sorcery coupled with mind altering drug abuse. The believer is commanded to be in complete control of themselves, to be sober minded at all times. Never are we to be drunk, even when we are "in the Spirit." But don't not stop there dear reader, keep reading until verse 28 on your own, and I will finish my quote with verse 29:
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are
revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words
of this law."
Magicians and sorcerers actively seek for and look into those "secret things" or what they call "mysteries" or "hidden knowledge", all of which don't rightfully belong to them. So they are not of the LORD God, because they refuse to obey his revealed, or written word, and they desire to go beyond it, into the illegal realms of the spirit world, or the paranormal. A world where Satan, who can appear as "Lucifer" with his minions of false light, await them, |
to lead them into a false light, which is really great darkness (Matt.6:23). Yes, while it is true that it is God's glory to conceal a matter, and it is a king's glory to search it out[Prov. 25;2]. Even so, God forbade this kind of searching into the lower realm of the paranormal, because he already knows where it will lead - spiritual death. This is what Simon was a part of, this was his root of bitterness - sorcery, as the entire Bible rightly teaches it to be. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, so I have yet to see any direct connection of "unforgiveness" being related to witchcraft unless it is coupled with the desire for revenge of a suffered wrong. There are people who go to a witch or warlock to put a hex on people to get their revenge.
Kingdom Dynamics Criticism
Proper biblical criticism of Scripture is known as "exegesis," and it's a good thing to put into practice, if you want to show yourself to be approved by God and to rightly divide the word of truth. In my study Bible's Kingdom Dynamics Section (something I usually ignore), Christopher Hayward [or C.H.] uses Acts 8:23 to teach us about The Bonds of Unforgiveness. He makes "the root of bitterness" Peter accused Simon of harboring, as being"unforgiveness" instead of idolatry/sorcery. He states:
"Peter identified the basis for Simon's sorcery as bitterness - the deepening effect of unforgiveness (v.2). Here is warning regarding the danger of tolerated or embraced unforgiveness, which may, like poison, permeate and bind the soul, ultimately corrupting everything around it. In Simon's case, his bitterness shaped his passion to control others (v.19)- which prompted his quest to purchase the ability to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit. Though having believed and been baptized (v.13), the residue of his past bondage surfaces as he unworthily seeks power to manipulate others for self-exalting purposes. Peter discerns the root of his bondage (v.23) and summons Simon to repentance and deliverance. Though Simon did not repent, this episode still points to one of the foremost keys to deliverance from entrenched bondage in a believer's soul - the act of forgiveness. Forgiving others from our heart flushes out the "poison" with the power of the Cross. In contrast, unforgiveness can, as with Simon, lead down paths we would never have imagined we would travel." - [C.H.]
"Peter identified the basis for Simon's sorcery as bitterness - the deepening effect of unforgiveness (v.2). Here is warning regarding the danger of tolerated or embraced unforgiveness, which may, like poison, permeate and bind the soul, ultimately corrupting everything around it. In Simon's case, his bitterness shaped his passion to control others (v.19)- which prompted his quest to purchase the ability to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit. Though having believed and been baptized (v.13), the residue of his past bondage surfaces as he unworthily seeks power to manipulate others for self-exalting purposes. Peter discerns the root of his bondage (v.23) and summons Simon to repentance and deliverance. Though Simon did not repent, this episode still points to one of the foremost keys to deliverance from entrenched bondage in a believer's soul - the act of forgiveness. Forgiving others from our heart flushes out the "poison" with the power of the Cross. In contrast, unforgiveness can, as with Simon, lead down paths we would never have imagined we would travel." - [C.H.]
Ah....no, that is not what this passage is about. While bitterness is equal to unforgiveness in our language, where and how C.H. got unforgiveness mixed up with a sorcerer's idolatry in this context is beyond me. The context or references given with in verses 20-23 doesn't elude to unforgiveness. The only "forgiveness" mentioned is that of God perhaps forgiving Simon's idolatry, greed, and iniquity. Why? Idolatry embitters God against the idolater. That's why Peter told Simon to pray that his sin would be forgiven of God, not that Simon's sin was unforgiveness. Scripture doesn't waste words, so it is for a reason that Simon's pre-involvement in sorcery is important to what follows, Peter's discerning rebuke. Christopher Hayward goes though much truth about how those in witchcraft have a need to control and use their sorcery to manipulate people, and also the necessity of being a forgiving person, but he completely misses the mark as to what the real issues are that Peter addresses. Simon is:
- a wolf among the sheep (his heart is not right with God).
- an unrepentant sorcerer who desired to use God's gifts as a means of gain.
- an idolater, bound by iniquity.
- in grave danger of losing his soul forever due to God's bitterness toward his idolatry.
When Peter and John used what appeared to Simon as being a greater power than Philip's (and his own), that is when he finally showed his true colors and offered money to buy their power. Out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth spoke [Matt.12:34, Luke 6:45, Jn. 7:18 etc.]. I don't see how Simon could be unforgiving concerning Stephan's murder as C.H. makes a reference to (Acts 8:2?) in his commentary. The other verses he sights in his commentary do touch on the need for forgiveness, and I don't dispute unforgiveness as being a hindrance to deliverance, but this issue is NOT the main problem here. The root issue is deep seated idolatry that embitters God toward those who practice it. So, really, to equate this happening with general unforgiveness seems sloppy and unfounded; it is a perfect example of "eisegesis."
Eisegesis is a type of biblical interpretation where someone makes their preconceived notion fit a text, while ignoring the verse's context in the chapter of a book, and ultimately, the whole Bible. It is by far the favorite method of biblical interpretation used by false teachers. The proper interpretation of "the root of bitterness" Peter rightly discerned and laid on Simon is his sorcery, not his unforgiveness.
Perhaps I'm being a bit "nit-picky" for some. Well that is my job as a Berean, to be critical and "nit-picky", because deception is so very subtle, dear reader, and not the "in your face" brand of obvious error people assume it is. No - that comes father down the broad and easy path going down toward the wide gate leading to the of the lake of fire, or hell. By then, you'd be so blind you wouldn't be able to see the truth even if you stumbled over it. The bulk of modern pastors and teachers are deeply rooted in the bitterness of sorcery, and since they do not want that to be exposed, they deflect it onto something else, like human unforgiveness through the use of eisegesis. Right, Christopher Hayward?
Eisegesis is a type of biblical interpretation where someone makes their preconceived notion fit a text, while ignoring the verse's context in the chapter of a book, and ultimately, the whole Bible. It is by far the favorite method of biblical interpretation used by false teachers. The proper interpretation of "the root of bitterness" Peter rightly discerned and laid on Simon is his sorcery, not his unforgiveness.
Perhaps I'm being a bit "nit-picky" for some. Well that is my job as a Berean, to be critical and "nit-picky", because deception is so very subtle, dear reader, and not the "in your face" brand of obvious error people assume it is. No - that comes father down the broad and easy path going down toward the wide gate leading to the of the lake of fire, or hell. By then, you'd be so blind you wouldn't be able to see the truth even if you stumbled over it. The bulk of modern pastors and teachers are deeply rooted in the bitterness of sorcery, and since they do not want that to be exposed, they deflect it onto something else, like human unforgiveness through the use of eisegesis. Right, Christopher Hayward?
Now, I would also like to point out that Simon, though a wolf in sheep's clothing, was not burnt at the stake, tarred and feathered, or physically harmed in any way as a result of his "Simony", at least not form the hands of the apostles. So we as Christians, are not to harm another human being, even one as evil as Simon. We are only to test them, expose them, and warn the other sheep of the wolf, and that is all. So, I for one will take heed of the lesson that is taught in Acts 8, Hebrews 12 and Deuteronomy 29 - I will flee from idolatry, and from those who sell it in disguise, and who wrongly think they can be both a drunken sorcerer and a sober child of God, because "idolatry" is the root of bitterness toward God, and wormwood - a deadly poison; one of many poisons to my soul and to the souls of others! Amen.