Acts 8:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."

NIV: Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."

NASB: But Simon answered and said, 'Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.'

CSB: "Pray to the Lord for me," Simon replied, "so that nothing you have said may happen to me."

NLT: Pray to the Lord for me,' Simon exclaimed, 'that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!'

KJV: Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

NKJV: Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”

Simon is a magician in the city of Samaria. He witnessed his neighbors receiving the Holy Spirit by the hands of Peter and John. It's unclear if Simon performed magic through the power of demons, or if he was a complete fraud. Either way, he knows real power when he sees it, and immediately understands the financial potential of the gift Peter and John have, so he offers to buy it from them (Acts 8:5–19).

Peter vehemently rejects him. This is the power of the Living God, not some grifter's trick. To even suggest such a wicked thing reveals a bitter and sinful heart (Acts 8:20–23).

Simon is stunned. He recognizes his inability to properly stand before the God he has disrespected, so he asks Peter to be a liaison. His request is appropriate; we are to pray for others (James 5:16; 1 Timothy 2:1–3; Galatians 6:2) as Jesus did (Luke 22:32; John 17:11, 17). Still, there's no indication Simon wants to repent; he just wants to escape punishment. Christians are called to a sincere love of that which is good—not merely to avoid consequences. Heartfelt repentance is something good spiritual leaders encourage in others. As Paul will later write, "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5).

The Bible does not mention Simon again. It seems he could have truly repented and become part of the Samaritan church. Some church tradition says that Simon created a career out of contradicting Christians. Some say he was the founder of a Gnostic sect. If so, he rejected God even after facing the power of the Holy Spirit and the conviction of Peter and John. That is the definition of an apostate (Hebrews 6:4–6).

Acts 8:9–25 further describes the apostles' pursuit of Jesus' plan to bring salvation to those He chooses. Simon, a popular and presumably wealthy sorcerer, sees Philip's miracles. He especially notices the way the Holy Spirit comes on people when Peter and John lay their hands on them. Simon offers to buy their power. Meanwhile, Peter and John are in Samaria. The thought of Samaritans following Jesus goes against longstanding Jewish traditions. Yet the Samaritans are accepting Christ, and these messengers of the church are there to see the Holy Spirit come on them. God is not impressed by worldly popularity or wealth but on repentant, submissive hearts.

Jesus told the apostles they would spread the gospel (Acts 1:8) and persecution makes that happen. Upon the death of the first Christian martyr (Acts 7:54–60), a young Pharisee named Saul builds on the momentum to arrest and, if possible, execute Jesus followers (Acts 8:1–3; 26:10). The apostles mostly stay in Jerusalem, but the church members flee, spreading the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Important encounters in this passage include a magician named Simon and the conversion of an Ethiopian court official.

Acts 1:8 gives the outline of the book of Acts; Acts 1—7 describes the spread of the gospel through Jerusalem; Acts 8:1—11:18 shows the gospel spreading in Judea and Samaria; Acts 11:19—28:31 sees the gospel spread to the ''end of the earth,'' finalizing in Rome. Ironically, although Paul is the central figure in spreading Jesus' good news to the ends of the earth, his early persecution of the church in Jerusalem is instrumental in spreading the gospel through Judea and Samaria.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.