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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 8:9 - 8:13
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_8:9-13
9Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, "This man is what is called the Great Power of God." 11And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. 12But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. 13Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.
Act_8:9 "a man named Simon" Whether this man truly believed (cf. Act_8:13; Act_8:18) or was simply a charlatan seeking power is uncertain. I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt based on Act_8:24. It is amazing how much tradition the early church developed around this man, but all of it is speculative (cf. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, vol. 5, pp. 442-444).
NASB, NRSV "magic"
NKJV, TEV "sorcery"
NJB "magic arts"
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Act_8:10 "This man is what is called the Great Power of God" This was a title for the high god of the Greco-Roman Pantheon (i.e., Zeus). In Aramaic it would be "This is the power of the god who is called great." This man had thoroughly tricked the locals. He may have even tricked himself (cf. Act_8:9; Act_8:13).
Act_8:12 "believed" See Special Topic: Believe, Faith, Trust at Act_3:16 and OT Believe at Act_6:5.
NASB "preaching the good news"
NKJV "preached the things"
NRSV "was proclaiming the good news"
TEV "message about the good news"
This is the Greek verb euangelizô, which is a compound of good (eu) and message (angelizô). We get the English words evangel, evangelize, and evangelism from this Greek term. Philip presented the story of Jesus to these Samaritans and they responded in saving faith.
▣ "about the kingdom of God" See the Two Special Topics on this subject at Act_1:3.
▣ "the name of Jesus Christ" See Special Topic at Act_2:21.
▣ "they were being baptized" See Special Topic at Act_2:38.
▣ "men and women alike" Contextually there may be two significances to this phrase.
1. Paul persecuted "men and women (cf. Act_8:3)," but the gospel also was saving "men and women"
2. In Judaism only men participated in the initial Jewish rite of circumcision, but now in the gospel, both genders participated in the initial rite of baptism.
Act_8:13 "Simon believed" Most evangelicals use this term "believed" (See Special Topic at Act_3:16) in a very definitive sense, but there are places in the NT (e.g., Joh_8:31) where it denotes something less than conversion (cf. Joh_8:59).
Initial faith is not the only criteria (cf. Mat_13:1-23; Mat_24:13). Continuance and obedience are also evidence of a true relationship with Christ.
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▣ "he continued on with Philip" This is a periphrastic imperfect. Notice the sequence.
1. he heard, Act_8:6-7; Act_8:12
2. he saw, Act_8:6-7; Act_8:13
3. he believed, Act_8:13
4. he was baptized, Act_8:13
5. he went with Philip, Act_8:13