In brief
Simon the Sorcerer lived in Samaria in the first century. He practiced magic and claimed to be someone great, to the point that the people said he was the power of God. When Philip proclaimed the gospel, Simon believed and was baptized. But when he saw the apostles giving the Holy Spirit, he offered them money. Peter rebuked him sharply and called him to repent.
What does the name Simon the Sorcerer mean?
Simon was a very common name in the first century, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Simeon, generally linked to the idea of hearing. The Bible does not explain this name for Simon the Sorcerer. He is distinguished from the other men named Simon in the New Testament by his practice of magic, which gives him his nickname.
The world of Simon the Sorcerer
The story of Simon takes place in Samaria, in the years following the death and resurrection of Jesus. Samaria is the region lying between Judea and Galilee. Its inhabitants, the Samaritans, had tense relations with the Jews, as the Gospel of John shows. After the death of Stephen, a great persecution breaks out against the church in Jerusalem, and the disciples are scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Saul ravages the church, entering house after house and committing men and women to prison (Acts 8:1-3). But those who were scattered go from place to place preaching the word. Among them, Philip, one of the seven, goes down to a city of Samaria and proclaims Christ there. Jesus had told his disciples that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Chapter 8 shows this plan in motion: the gospel crosses a first border, that of Samaria, and meets there a man already famous for his sorcery.
The story of Simon the Sorcerer
Persecution scatters the church
Acts 8:1-4Saul had approved of the killing of Stephen. On that day a great persecution breaks out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles are scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Devout men bury Stephen and mourn deeply over him. Saul ravages the church. Yet those who were scattered go from place to place preaching the word. The dispersion becomes a means of spreading the gospel, and those who flee become messengers.
Philip proclaims Christ in Samaria
Acts 8:5-8Philip goes down to the city of Samaria and proclaims Christ to them. The crowds listen eagerly to what he says, because they hear and see the signs he does. Unclean spirits come out of many who are possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who were paralyzed or lame are healed. Luke concludes that there was great joy in that city. The gospel is welcomed by the people, and joy replaces anxiety throughout the city.
Simon, the “great power”
Acts 8:9-11Before this, there was in the city a man named Simon, who practiced sorcery, amazed the people and made himself out to be some great one. They all listened to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is that great power of God.” Luke gives the reason: for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries. His reputation rests on astonishment, not on truth. The crowd, from the least to the greatest, looks to a man instead of looking to God.
Simon believes and is baptized
Acts 8:12-13When the people believed Philip, who preached good news concerning God's Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself also believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occurring, he was amazed. The text describes what he does, without commenting at this stage on the nature of his faith. It is the rest of the chapter that will allow us to measure what is in him.
Peter and John come from Jerusalem
Acts 8:14-17The apostles at Jerusalem, hearing that Samaria has received the word of God, send Peter and John. These pray for the Samaritans that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had fallen on none of them: they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Peter and John lay their hands on them, and they receive the Holy Spirit. This step confirms that the Samaritans fully belong to the people of God.
The offer of money
Acts 8:18-19When Simon sees that the Holy Spirit is given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offers them money. He says, “Give me also this power, that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” His attitude betrays a way of thinking: he treats the gift of God as a power that can be acquired, when it is a gift that God grants freely. He wants to possess what the apostles have, in order to hand it on.
Peter's severe answer
Acts 8:20-23Peter answers, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” He adds that Simon has neither part nor lot in this matter, for his heart is not right before God. He calls him to repent of his wickedness and to ask God for forgiveness, for he sees him in the poison of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity. The rebuke is harsh, yet it is meant to lead him toward repentance rather than to close every door.
A request for prayer, then the silence of the text
Acts 8:24-25Simon answers, “Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me.” The book of Acts does not report the rest of his life. Peter and John, having testified and spoken the word of the Lord, return to Jerusalem, preaching the good news to many villages of the Samaritans. The story continues with Philip, sent by an angel of the Lord toward the road to Gaza, without returning to Simon.
Test your knowledge
What Simon the Sorcerer teaches us
- God's gift cannot be bought: the Holy Spirit is given by grace, not at the price of money.
- We must distinguish the work of the Spirit from mere spectacular power: Philip proclaims Christ, whereas Simon sought to be important.
- Believing and being baptized does not remove the need to examine one's heart: Peter says Simon's heart is not right before God.
- Repentance remains possible: Peter calls Simon to repent and to pray to the Lord for forgiveness.
- The gospel triumphs over what fascinates the crowds and brings joy, like the joy that filled the city of Samaria.
Key verses
Simon believed and was baptized, then followed Philip, amazed by the miracles. This verse shows that sincere admiration for God's works is not enough on its own: the rest of the chapter invites us to examine the motives of the heart.
Peter answers that God's gift cannot be obtained with money and that Simon's heart is not right before God. These words establish the principle that grace is free and that the heart must be upright.
Peter urges Simon to repent of his wickedness and pray to the Lord that the intent of his heart may be forgiven. Even after a serious fault, the door of repentance remains open.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Simon the Sorcerer
Frequently asked questions
Who was Simon the Sorcerer in the Bible?
Simon was a man of Samaria who practiced magic and claimed to be important. He believed Philip's preaching and was baptized. But when he tried to buy from the apostles the power to give the Holy Spirit, Peter rebuked him sharply and called him to repent.
What does the name Simon mean?
Simon is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Simeon, generally linked to the idea of hearing. In Genesis 29:33, the Bible gives an explanation for Simeon, son of Jacob: the Lord has heard. For Simon the Sorcerer, no explanation is given.
Where can I find the story of Simon the Sorcerer in the Bible?
It is found in the book of Acts, chapter 8. Verses 9 to 13 introduce Simon and his conversion, and verses 18 to 24 tell of his offer of money and Peter's response. It is the only place in the Bible that speaks of him.
What is simony?
The word simony comes from the name of Simon the sorcerer. It refers to the buying or selling of sacred things, in particular offices in the church, for money. The word does not appear in the Bible, but it points back to Acts 8:18-20, where Simon offers the apostles money to obtain the power to give the Holy Spirit. Peter's word sets out the principle: the gift of God cannot be obtained with money. It is given by grace, freely, and no human position or payment can buy it or control it.
Was Simon the sorcerer really converted?
The text says that Simon believed and was baptized (Acts 8:13). But further on, Peter declares that his heart is not right before God and that he is in the poison of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity (verses 21 and 23). The account does not settle his spiritual state with a formula. It shows rather that one can be drawn to the works of God without having a submitted heart. It invites each person to examine himself, with honesty and trust in the grace of God.
Why did the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit after their baptism?
Chapter 8 states this without explaining it in detail. The Samaritans had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but the Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them (verses 15-16). Peter and John pray for them, lay hands on them, and they receive the Holy Spirit. We notice that the apostles from Jerusalem are present: Samaria receives the Spirit in their presence. The text does not say that this pattern is a rule for all time, and it is better to keep to what is written.
What does “that great power of God” mean?
These are the words of the Samaritans, reported by Luke, in Acts 8:10. They show how the people saw Simon: as someone who embodied a divine power. Luke specifies that Simon made himself out to be some great one and that people listened to him because he had long amazed them with his sorceries. The Bible does not confirm this title. The gospel announced by Philip sets against this power the real work of God, which comes from him alone and is received by faith, in joy and not in astonishment.
What does “if perhaps” mean in Peter's word to Simon?
Peter tells Simon to repent of his wickedness and to ask God “if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22). The words “if perhaps” do not close the door to forgiveness: they leave the judgment to God, who alone knows the heart. Peter does not assert that Simon will be forgiven, nor that he will not be. He calls him to repentance and to prayer, and it remains for the Lord to decide. The verse therefore guards us against two errors: presuming on forgiveness without repenting, and declaring a person beyond the reach of God's mercy.