Philip is outside of Israel, and the miracles in his ministry will collide with someone else who is practicing his own “miracles.” But the first thing we need to notice is that this is the first instance of the disciples preaching in Samaria, and Luke wants to give us a glimpse of what they were up against. It is in this context that we meet Simon the Sorcerer. He then tells us that Philip had gone into Samaria, and miracles of healing and deliverance were happening. Luke then tells us that “those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:4). Things have erupted in Jerusalem, and the disciples left to avoid persecution. Luke wants us to pick up the connection between Jesus’ last words and the situation now. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1). Condemned for blaspheming the temple, Stephen was stoned to death. The seventh chapter of Acts closes with Stephen’s martyrdom. But their situation would see to it that Jesus’ words came true. Left to their own devices, the disciples might have put off going into Samaria forever. It’s important to understand that these words were more prophetic than instructive. Instead of delivering Israel from all their enemies, He’s sending them out to minister to them.įrom Samaria, this message would spread outward, fulfilling the Great Commission. That’s the whole reason Jesus used a Samaritan as the hero of His famous parable. So it’s like Jesus saying, “You will be my witnesses in Chicago and all of Illinois.” This is where the Spirit fell at Pentecost and became the base of operations. First, the Holy Spirit would come to empower the disciples, and then they’d be His witnesses. Jesus sidesteps their question and tells them what they should expect. Now that Jesus rose from the dead, they expected this to occur now.
The disciples had grown up believing that someday the Messiah would come and set Israel free from Rome and all future oppression. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:6–8).
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” The story of Simon the Sorcerer is really about the fulfillment of Jesus’ words, which He spoke back in chapter one: And while we become privy to exciting characters and details, the spread of the gospel is Luke’s focus. Luke wrote the Book of Acts to document the growth of the church. Now let’s jump into the Bible to see what we can discover about this fascinating person! The gospel in Samaria Luke tells us Simon’s story as he describes the gospel moving beyond Jerusalem into the outlying territories.įor an overview of Simon’s story, check out this scene from the Book of Acts film. Simon the Sorcerer is one of the most provocative characters in the New Testament.