Simon the Sorcerer
Acts 8:9-24
9 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, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
The story of Simon the Sorcerer has always captivated me, partly because Simon was, in fact, a real sorcerer. He wasn’t just a charlatan or illusionist—he wielded some form of supernatural power that gave him significant spiritual authority among the people. They followed him because of his sorcery. In our Western, post-Enlightenment, rationalist mindset, it can be hard to grapple with the reality of someone like Simon. However, I suspect that our brothers and sisters in the global East and South, where encounters with sorcerers and spiritual powers are more common, would readily understand Simon’s role and influence.
Simon was well-acquainted with the spiritual realm and had tapped into something—likely demonic spirits—that enabled him to perform supernatural feats. This background makes his story all the more fascinating.
What also strikes me about Simon is that this man, who had firsthand experience with the supernatural (likely dark and demonic in nature), heard the good news of the kingdom of God, believed it, and was baptized. Then he began following Philip everywhere, amazed by the miracles and signs he witnessed. Think about that: Simon, someone already familiar with supernatural power, was astonished by what he saw through Philip. He was drawn to the supernatural—despite having already been immersed in it. Something about the signs and wonders of God was categorically different from what Simon had known before.
But the part of Simon’s story that really challenges me is his response to the power of the apostles. When Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit, Simon wanted that power for himself. He offered them money, saying, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” On the surface, his request seems well-intentioned. After all, he wanted to be part of this incredible work—spreading the Spirit of God.
Yet Simon’s motives were deeply flawed. This wasn’t just a request to join the mission; it was a power move. Simon was used to being followed, admired, and revered for his spiritual authority. When he encountered Peter and John, men with true spiritual power far beyond his own—power that even surpassed that of Philip, who had led him to faith—Simon’s instinct was to covet it. He wanted to maintain his status as a figure of authority and influence. Peter rebuked Simon sharply, exposing the true state of his heart: he was still full of bitterness and captive to sin. Simon needed to repent.
What can we learn from Simon the Sorcerer? If we’re honest, many of us are more like him than we’d care to admit. We often strive for power, influence, or authority in our respective spheres, even within the church. Our motives might seem good—perhaps we genuinely want to make a difference for the better—but we can easily slip into the same trap as Simon, pursuing influence for its own sake. We forget that the Christian life, and the work of the Spirit, is not about gaining power or influence. It’s about transformation—allowing the Spirit to work in us and through us to bring about God’s purposes, not ours.
When we find ourselves longing for influence or recognition, we would do well to heed the lesson of Simon. We must examine our hearts, repent of any wicked motives, and remember that the Spirit’s work is about humility, surrender, and transformation, not power.