Bible Study series. Acts 8:14-25. Peter and John need to validate Philip’s ministry in Samaria.
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn. Let’s learn together and apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 8:14-25
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. 15 They went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For he had not yet fallen on any one of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give to me also this authority so that on whomever I place my hands he would receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter replied to him, “May your silver be for destruction with you, because you thought you could purchase the gift of God with money! 21 There is for you no share or part in this matter, for your heart is not right before God! 22 So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord if perhaps the intention of your heart shall be forgiven you, 23 for I see that you are bitter with a bitter substance and bound by unrighteousness!” 24 And Simon answered, “You pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you said may come upon me!”
25 And after witnessing and speaking the word of God, they returned to Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many villages in Samaria. (Acts 8:14-25)
Comments:
This is the Samaritan Pentecost. The Jerusalem / Judean Pentecost was in Acts 2:1-4; Paul’s Personal Pentecost will be in Acts 9:17; the Gentile Pentecost will happen in Acts 10:44-48; and Pentecost for John the Baptist’s followers will happen in Acts 19:1-7. The Pentecost that launched the others was in Jerusalem / Judea, and now it goes out to the whole world, even to us..
14:
“word of God”: here it means the “message of God” or the “word of God” And no doubt they preached Messianic prophecies. Learn them.
As noted above, at that link, there is a long table of quotations of the OT and NT. But Jesus fulfills more than quoted verses. He also fulfills the concepts and themes ad patterns of Scripture, like the entire OT sacrificial system and even all of the OT covenants, and many other things.
“receive”: This word can mean welcome and other things, but it’s main meaning is “take.” Opening one’s heart to the Spirit is sometimes a matter of letting him come, or actively seeking and taking and reaching out for him. For more information on various Greek verbs for receiving the Spirit, please see the link:
Baptized, Filled, and Full of the Spirit: What Does It All Mean?
15:
“prayed”: Christians took over the word and directed it towards the living God; they leaned in toward him and prayed their requests fully expecting an answer. It is not a mere wish to a pagan deity.
Prayer flows out of confidence before God that he will answer because we no longer have an uncondemned heart (1 John 3:19-24); and we know him so intimately that we find out from him what is his will is and then we pray according to it (1 John 5:14-15); we pray with our Spirit-inspired languages (1 Cor. 14:15-16). Pray!
Prayer can be (1) for oneself, like overcoming sins and vices in your heart and mind or receiving wisdom from above (James 3:17) and not being double-minded about receiving it (Jas. 1:5-8), but (2) it is also for the needs of the community. It was coming under attack, so prayers were offered. Praying for boldness to reach out and spread the word is wonderful. We should do it more often. (3) Further, prayer brings down the manifest presence of God. God is omnipresent (everywhere) of course, but his presence can make itself felt and experienced. God showed up and shook the place where they were gathered.
Prayer can be visualized like a pebble in a pond, and the ripples go outward. (1) It starts with oneself and one’s needs; (2) then it goes outward to one’s own family and (3) to the Christian community (your home church). (4) It goes out to evangelism and the needs of the world around the community, (5) and finally to parts around the globe. But this prayer here in Acts varies the order, which you may do, if you like. Prayer is ultimately and most deeply a conversation with God.
What Is Biblical Intercession?
“Holy Spirit”: We need Jesus to immerse-baptize us with the Spirit to empower us for service and to reveal and glorify Jesus. Jesus is the Baptizer in the Spirit; that is, he’s the one who sends the Spirit in his fulness into your heart (Acts 1:5).
Here are some of my posts on a more formal doctrine of the Spirit (systematic theology):
The Spirit’s Deity and Divine Attributes
The Spirit in the Life of Christ
The Spirit in the Church and Believers
“Only been baptized in the name of Jesus”: The Spirit draws people to salvation, and he rebirths, washes, and regenerates them (John 3:3; Titus 3:5-6; 1 Peter 3:9). Water baptism is a sign of this washing and rebirth and regeneration. Now the Samaritans need to be immersed-baptized in the fulness of the Spirit. Sometimes this happens at the same time as salvation (Acts 10:44-48), and at other times they are two distinct acts, as here.
16:
“fall upon”: the Spirit can descend on us as he did at the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22), or we can receive him. For other verbs, click on the link:
Baptized, Filled, and Full of the Spirit: What Does It All Mean?
Let’s look at being baptized in Jesus’s name (only).
Some Pentecostal pastors claim this verse to believe in Jesus alone, and the Father and Spirit are some sort of manifestation of him. So they should be baptized only in Jesus’s name. Error. Rather, the Samaritans believed Philip’s preaching the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus, and they were baptized simply (or only) “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” The reason for their being baptized in this name only? They too were in the confines of Israel, and they already knew about Elohim or YHWH (or the Name, as they reverently substituted it for the divine name). Philip was emboldened to proclaim the name of Jesus, the new Savior, the new and fuller revelation about God and the way of salvation. They were to be baptized in his name, and not merely the name of Elohim or the Name. Then they were immersed or baptized in the Spirit.
In Act 2:38, the Peter is simply highlighting Jesus’s vindication in the face of his Jewish persecutors. It’s irony. You put him to death in your ignorance, when you thought you were doing God a favor? Well, God raised him from the dead. Now be baptized in his name!
In Israel at time, baths dotted the landscape, where people washed. No doubt the new converts were baptized there, immediately. They were baptizing extra-devout Jews, many of whom were pilgrims. They already knew about Elohim and YHWH (whom they reverently called the Name). Would Peter have said, “Be baptized in the name of Elohim!”? Or baptized in the Name!”? They already knew that. Instead, Peter preached boldly the name of Jesus, the “new sheriff” in town, the new path of salvation. Other baptisms in the name of the God of Israel, as they understood the term, were inadequate.
Acts 10:48 says that Peter ordered God-fearing Gentile Cornelius and his household to be baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Peter says nothing about Elohim or the Name. Cornelius already knew about his God. Instead, Peter had to drive home the point that Jesus was the only and new way of salvation.
Acts 19:1-5 teaches us that Ephesian disciples had been baptized by John presumably in the name of Elohim or the Name or the God of Judaism. Paul saw this as incomplete. There was a new Savior, the Messiah, and his name is Jesus. These disciples had to be baptized “in name of the Lord Jesus.”
Here are passages in which people were baptized, but not mentioning any name, but they probably were baptized in the name of Jesus.
Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:38)
Saul (Acts 9:18)
Lydia and her household and friends (Acts 16:15)
Philippian jailer and his household (Acts 16:33)
Crispus the synagogue leader, his household, and many Corinthians (Acts 18:8)
So what is the point? We must not make a massive doctrine out of being baptized in the name of Jesus only. These people were not going to be baptized in the name of Elohim or the Name (YHWH). Jesus was the newest, only and fuller Savior. Salvation was through him alone. The “Jesus only” believers are shortsighted because they do not consider the cultural and religious context.
“name” see v. 12 for a closer look at this noun.
Bruce points out two Greek prepositions eis (“into”) and en (“in”). Baptized into (8:16; 19:5) or in (2:38; 10:48) the name of Jesus. “into carries a commercial context, where some property is transferred or paid ‘into the same’ of someone. So the person baptized ‘into the name of Jesus’ bears public witness to having passed into the ownership of Jesus, now acknowledged as Lord” (pp. 168-69, note 38). To me, the two prepositions, in this context, are synonyms, but I like how we go from our own ownership to his ownership. Bock says that being baptized “into” his name denoted “incorporation into the Lord and his community, declaring one’s allegiance and implying the Lord’s ownership” (comment on vv. 14-17, referring to Bruce).
17:
“It is probable that the apostles appear in Samaria to conduct an inspection but with the expectation that they will endorse the work there … The prayer of the apostles allows God to show his acceptance of the Samaritans so that the entire church can see it … The laying on of hands and confirmation are actions that indicate fellowship and identification with these new believers. The result is the unity of the church as all participate in the expansion to Samaria” (Bock, comments on vv. 14-17).
“laid hands”: Peter and John went from person to person and laid hands on all of them, and each placing of hands was done once, one person at a time. The two apostles probably divided the multitude in two and Peter took one half and John took the other.
“received”: Clearly it took a while for Peter and John to finish praying for everyone, one at a time. But I translated it as the simple past.
We should not build rituals on such verbs. Just pray for people to receive the Holy Spirit, whether he comes instantly or after a time of praying with the person. The main point is that the fulness of the Spirit can be a distinct and separate act of God from salvation, or they can be simultaneous. In fact, the fulness and empowerment of the Spirit can happen all throughout a person’s life. Its purpose is service inside and outside the church. Thus Peter was filled at least three times, and possibly John was also filled three times, but for sure twice (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31). Further, John was “in the Spirit” twice towards the end of his life, implying an immersion or being surrounded and enveloped in a powerful encounter while receiving the Revelation (1:10; 4:2).
Why did Philip not lay hands on the multitude of Samaritans to receive the fulness of the Spirit? First, he was preaching the gospel and the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus, and the report quickly went up to Jerusalem. Peter and John acted immediately. Philip waited for them. It is a sure thing that since Philip worked great signs and wonders, he could have imparted the Spirit to them, if no message arrived saying the apostles were coming. Further, there is a sense in which Samaria was a special case, given the bad feelings between Jews and Samaritans. This reception of the Spirit needed apostolic endorsement, so the Samaritans could feel they belonged. Finally, these Messianic Jews—more specifically, the apostles themselves—were working out the issues. Eventually all of them would learn that even Gentiles could enter into the kingdom of God and receive the Spirit (Acts 10-11). The apostles had to be involved in these major outreaches and transitions. But it is a restrictive and shriveled pneumatology (doctrine of the Spirit) to claim that the Spirit is not imparted today by laying hands on of hands or just plain falling on people, without the first-century apostles.
And where does the ritual of laying on of hands come from? In the OT, the ritual had these functions: it ordained Levites (Num. 8:10); it ordained leaders (Num. 27:18, 22-23); it transferred guilt to the sacrificial animal (Lev. 16:20-21).
In the NT, the ritual transfers healing (Mark 6:5l; Luke 4:40; Acts 28:8); it transfers the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17; 9:17; 19:6); it ordains missionaries (Acts 13:3); it ordains church leaders (Acts 6:6; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6).
From those verses, Renewalists believe these things about laying on of hands: (1) hands can be the conduit of the presence and power of God; (2) public acknowledgement that the leaders or friends are close to and support the receiver of the hands; (3) the leaders or friends identify with the receiver; (4) combining all three, it means commissioning. Here it means the fourth.
Further, Renewalists believe those four points because they have seen it happen with their own eyes. And it starts and ends with God, not the human vessel. It is shortsighted for the human vessel to take on the burden that he is the source of the power supply. “Hey everybody! Look at me! I’m powerful, and you’re not!” He is in danger of being shipwrecked.
18:
What did Simon see? Some outward manifestation. In the vast context of the book of Acts, it was mostly likely their prayer languages. Longenecker is open to this idea (comment on vv. 15-17): “We are not told how the coming of the Holy Spirit on these new converts was expressed in their lives. But the context suggests that his presence was attended by such external signs as marked his coming on the earliest believers at Pentecost, and so, probably by some form of glossolalia” (tongues). Then he goes on to say how exceptional these circumstances were and not to put too much weight on them.
In any case, for Renewalists, infillings can happen many times in a believer’s life. It is not as if a believer “leaks”; the Spirit always abides and remains in her. But this is another power surge or anointing to edify the church and to reach out in ministry.
Even the great conservative scholar F. F. Bruce writes: “the receiving of the Spirit in Acts is usually marked by the manifestation of some spiritual gift” (p. 221).
In Acts, Luke links receiving prayer languages with being filled with the Spirit in three explicit paradigmatic or exemplary instances, and one clearly implied paradigmatic and exemplary instance:
Are ‘Tongues’ the Sign of Baptism with Spirit in Acts?
Here in Samaria, in an atmosphere of Philip working signs and wonders (8:7, 13), Peter and John came from Jerusalem to endorse the evangelistic campaign and lay hands on the Samaritans. Simon the Sorcerer saw that the Spirit was given (8:17-18). Lert’s call this the Samaritan Pentecost.
It is important to realize three biblical facts. First, the Samaritans had converted to and trusted in the Messiah. As a sign of their faith, they were baptized. Even Simon believed and was baptized (Acts 8:13). Second, as noted, the gift of spiritual languages is clearly implied. Luke assumes his readers would understand that the visible sign was spiritual languages, in light of Pentecost and when two prominent apostles prayed and laid hands on the Samaritans. Third, therefore salvation and the infilling of the Spirit are two distinct acts.
The cases at the link and the episode here in Samaria are paradigmatic and exemplary because they illustrate that converts to the Jesus Movement or the Way had also to be filled with power and fire and this speaking gift.
However, Paul’s experience proves that Luke does not have to explicitly link the fullness of the Spirit and prayer languages every single time. Paul received the fulness of the Spirit, but his prayer language is not mentioned at that time (Acts 9:17-18). But we know that he used this gift very often (1 Cor. 14:18).
Luke expects us to fill his omissions with the power of the Spirit because the entire sweep or context of his book is charismatic. It is similar to his omitting water baptism in key places. Often he does say that new converts got baptized: Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12-13, 35-38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:14-15, 31-33; 18:8; 19:5), Yet in other cases water baptism is not brought up for new converts: Acts 9:42; 11:21; 13:12, 48; 14:1; 17:12, 34). It is hard to believe, but during Paul’s and Barnabas’s missionary journey, there are no recorded water baptism, even though many conversions are recorded in summarie. But we can be sure that the converts were baptized because this was standard practice. Luke expects us to fill in these omissions. This is why I have nicknamed him Luke the Omitter. (Or he could be called Luke the Condenser.)
Keener (p. 264) on the allegation that the Samaritans’ conversion and faith were inadequate:
Against those who view the Samaritans’ conversion as defective, Philip preached “Christ” (8:5) and “the good news about God’s kingdom” (8:12), precisely as Paul would (20:25; 28:31) Joy (8:8) characterizes conversions in Luke-Acts (see especially Luke 15:5-7, 9-10, 23-24, 32; Acts 11:23; 13:48; 15:3), including in this context (8:39). The Samaritans “believed”—language that elsewhere indicates saving faith (4:4; 11:17; 14:1-2; 15:7, 9; 17:12, 34; 19:6)—especially when explicitly recounting baptism (16:31-34; 18:8), as here. In 8:15-17, the apostles will come to impart the Spirit, not to reevangelize Philip’s converts or to rebaptize them (contrast 19:3-5).
In other words, the Samaritans were genuinely converted and were saved and had saving faith, but the fullness of the Spirit came only when the apostles came down from Jerusalem and laid hands on them. So it is possible to have a subsequent experience with the Spirit after initial conversion and salvation.
19:
“authority”: it is exousia (pronounced ex-oo-see-ah), and it means, depending on the context: “right to act,” “freedom of choice,” “power, capability, might, power, authority, absolute power”; “power or authority exercised by rulers by virtue of their offices; official power; domain or jurisdiction, spiritual powers.” It is probably the last definition that Simon has in mind. See Acts 26:16-18, as follows:
For this reason I [Jesus] appeared to you [Paul], to select you to be a servant and witness to the things you see about me and of the things I shall show you, 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and the Gentiles, to whom I shall send you, 18 to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, so they receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in me. (Acts 26:16-18)
Those three verses explain what happened to Simon and the “half-breed” Samaritans. They were rescued, their eyes were open, they turned from darkness to light, from the authority of Satan to God’s authority, forgiveness of sins and an inheritance and sanctification by faith in Christ. (However, as noted, some commentators say that Simon was not genuinely saved, but those verses certainly apply to the other Samaritans.)
Luke exposes corrupt religion that seems great and powerful, but God can take it down and overpower it (Peterson, comment on vv. 18-19).
20-23:
Let’s talk about Simon’s condition. We know he was baptized and believed, but he did not grow very far or deep in the Lord.
“not right”” it can be translated “upright” or “straight.”
“repent”: it is the verb metanoeō (pronounced meh-tah-noh-eh-oh), and “to repent” literally means “changed mind.” And it goes deeper than mental assent or agreement. Another word for repent means physically “to turn” (see Luke 2:20, 43, 45). That reality-concept is all about new life. One turns around 180 degrees, going from the direction of death to the new direction of life.
“wickedness”: it is broad: evil, badness, faultiness, vice, malice, ill-will, malignity, trouble, misfortune. Something was troubling Simon—his years of practicing the occult.
“bitter with a bitter substance”: The first noun means a bitter substance like gall (bile). The second word means bitterness, animosity, or anger. These vices are closely related, and Peter piles them on Simon, as the apostle reads his heart by the power of the Spirit and discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10). Culy and Parsons, referring to Louw and Nida, say that the phrase means “to be particularly envious or resentful of someone” (p. 159). Let’s pray that one minister of the gospel is not envious or jealous of another one, today.
“bound by unrighteousness”: The first word means bond or fetter, and the second one means righteousness, and the a- prefix negated it, so it is unrighteousness. Not only did he have it, but he was fettered or chained by it. He was in bondage.
“forgiven”: BDAG, a thick Greek lexicon, defines the verb with the basic meaning of letting go: (1) “dismiss or release someone or something from a place or one’s presence, let go, send away”; (2) “to release from legal or moral obligations or consequence, cancel, remit, pardon”; (3) “to move away with implication of causing a separation, leave, depart”; (4) “to leave something continue or remain in its place … let someone have something” (Matt. 4:20; 5:24; 22:22; Mark 1:18; Luke 10:30; John 14:18); (5) “leave it to someone to do something, let, let go, allow, tolerate.” The Shorter Lexicon adds “forgive.” In sum, God lets go, dismisses, releases, sends away, cancels, pardons, and forgives our sins. Likewise, we should forgive those who sin against us because God forgives us every day. In a sense we could say your sins (specific sins, not your sin nature) has them you. God has dismissed or sent them away.
Please read these verses for how forgiving God is:
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Ps. 103:10-12, ESV)
And these great verses are from Micah:
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
19 He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea. (Mic. 7:18-19, ESV)
The commentators, incidentally, are not united on Simon’s condition. Some say he was not saved at all, while other say he was immature and untrained, for he did not get enough of the word to purge out his past bad ideas.
Maybe this passage in Luke’s Gospel will help:
11 “This is the meaning of the parable:
The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path: they heard it; then the devil comes and takes the word from their hearts, so that they might not believe and be saved. 13 The ones on the rocky ground: they receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root; they believe for a time, but in the time of testing, they fall away. 14 The ones falling among the thorn bushes: they have heard, but as they go, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not produce mature fruit. 15 The ones in the good soil: after hearing the word with a truly good heart, they hold on to it and produce fruit by endurance.” (Luke 8:11-15)
It seems Simon was in the second or third class of seeds. Maybe even in the first kind of soil. You can decide.
24:
I like Simon’s response. It was humble. He took Peter’s rebuke to heart. We don’t know whether Peter prayed for him, however, as he requested.
Peter got similarly rebuked. “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus replied (Matt. 16:23). But this does not mean God could not use Peter after his huge miscalculation and wrongheaded words and human-centered perspective. The same redemption and forgiveness could happen to Simon.
Never write someone off, even a sorcerer who is involved in the occult. Witches and warlocks—so-called—can be forgiven and released from their sins. They can be restored and used of God for ministry.
No to: Magic, Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Fortunetelling
25:
This is a transitional and summary verse. It is good to know that the Samaritan villages received the gospel—or at least they heard it proclaimed.
It seems Philip remained behind and did not return to Jerusalem with Peter and John (Bruce, p. 224). We will see what happened to him in the next pericope (pronounced puh-RIH-koh-pea) or unit or section of Scripture.
“witnessing”: it can also mean “bear witness to” or “testify.” In these contexts it always means witnessing or testifying through the power of the Spirit. It means to witness about what God has done in your heart through Jesus. Peter and John preached the gospel to various Samaritan villages, as they returned to Jerusalem. Luke Greek is a little out of sequence for an English speaker.
Recall how John reacted to Samaritans who rejected Jesus:
53 They did not welcome him [Jesus], because he was firmly resolved to go to Jerusalem. 54 On seeing this, the disciples James and John said, “Lord, you want us to speak to fire to come down from heaven and destroy them?” 55 He wheeled on them and rebuked them. (Luke 9:53-55)
Here in Acts John had already purged out his bad reaction to rejection. Pentecost made all the difference in John’s life. He was empowered with the Spirit and with the love of God poured out in his heart by the Spirit (see Rom. 5:5). The Spirit can change our hearts.
GrowApp for Acts 8:14-25
1. Simon was filled with deep bitterness. Those experienced with deliverance ministry (exorcisms) tell us that bitterness and unforgiveness provided the easiest path for Satan to harass believers. Have your purged out unforgiveness and bitterness?
2. In Luke 9:53-55, John wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village which rejected Jesus. Now, after Pentecost and walking in the Spirit, he preaches the good news to various Samaritan villages (Acts 8:25). The Spirit delivered him from his anger. How has the infilling of the Spirit changed your bad attitude?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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