Acts 8:24

Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. THEN ANSWERED SIMON, AND SAID, PRAY YE TO THE LORD FOR ME. The "ye" here [ humeis (G5210)] is emphatic-`Your prayer will be more efficacious than mine' (as Webster and Wilkinson well put it). Peter had urged him to pray for himself: he asks these wonder-working men to do it for him; having no confidence in the prayer of faith, but thinking that such men as these must possess some special interest with Heaven. THAT NONE OF THESE THINGS WHICH YE HAVE SPOKEN COME UPON ME - not that the thought of his heart might be forgiven him (as Peter entreated him to seek), but only that the evils threatened might be averted from him. While this confirms Peter's view of his melancholy case, it shows that Christianity, as som...

24._Simon answered. _Hereby we gather that he did not so take that which Peter had threatened unto him, but that he did consider that his salvation was sought. And though Peter alone spake, yet he attributeth the speech unto all by reason of the consent. Now ariseth a question what we ought to think of Simon. The Scripture carrieth us no farther, save only unto a conjecture. Whereas he yieldeth when he is reproved, and being touched with the feeling of his sin, feareth the judgment of God; and that done, flieth unto the mercy of God, and commendeth himself to the prayers of the Church; these are assuredly no small signs of repentance; therefore we may conjecture that he repented. And yet the old writers affirm with one consent, that he was a great enemy to Peter afterward, and that he disputed with him by the space of three days at Rome. The disputation is also extant in writing under th...

14-25 The Holy Ghost was as yet fallen upon none of these coverts, in the extraordinary powers conveyed by the descent of the Spirit upon the day of Pentecost. We may take encouragement from this example, in praying to God to give the renewing graces of the Holy Ghost to all for whose spiritual welfare we are concerned; for that includes all blessings. No man can give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of his hands; but we should use our best endeavours to instruct those for whom we pray. Simon Magus was ambitious to have the honour of an apostle, but cared not at all to have the spirit and disposition of a Christian. He was more desirous to gain honour to himself, than to do good to others. Peter shows him his crime. He esteemed the wealth of this world, as if it would answer for things relating to the other life, and would purchase the pardon of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eter...

Verse Acts 8:24. _PRAY YE TO THE LORD FOR ME_] The words of Peter certainly made a deep impression on Simon's mind; and he must have had a high opinion of the apostle's sanctity and influence with God, when he thus commended himself to their prayers. And we may hope well of his repentance and salvation, if the reading of the _Codex Bezae_, and the margin of the later _Syriac_ may be relied on: _Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none_ (τουτων των κακων) OF ALL THOSE EVILS _which ye have spoken_ (μοι) TO ME, _may come upon_ _me_: (ος πολλα κλαιων ου διελιμπανεν) WHO WEPT GREATLY, _and_ DID NOT CEASE. That is, he was an _incessant_ penitent. However favourably this or any other MS. may speak of Simon, he is generally supposed to have "grown worse and worse, opposing the apostles and the Christian doctrine, and deceiving many cities and provinces by magical...

PRAY YE ... - Here remark: (1) That Simon was directed to pray for himself Acts 8:22, but he had no disposition to do it, but was willing to ask others to do it for him. Sinners will often ask others to pray for them, when they are too proud, or too much in love with sin, to pray for themselves. (2) The main thing that Peter wished to impress on him was a sense of his sin. Simon did not regard this, but looked only to the punishment. He was terrified and alarmed; he sought to avoid future “punishment,” but he had no alarm about his “sins.” So it is often with sinners. So it was with Pharaoh Exodus 8:28, Exodus 8:32, and with Jeroboam...

EXPOSITION ACTS 8:1 _There arose on that day _for _at that time there was, _A.V._; in _for _at, _A.V. SAUL WAS CONSENTING TO HIS DEATH. St. Paul's repeated reference to this sad episode in his life is very touching (see Acts 22:2,; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:13). (For the word συνευδοκεῖν_, _to consent, see Acts 22:20; Luke 11:48; Rom 1:32;...

THEN ANSWERED SIMON, AND SAID,.... Whose conscience might be touched, and smote with what Peter had said; and he might be terrified with the wrath of God, and filled with fear of his judgment coming upon him for his wickedness, and might now stand trembling before the apostles: and if this was not his case, he was a most hardened and audacious wretch; and his following words must be understood in a different sense, from what they might seem to have, when they came out of his mouth: PRAY YE TO THE LORD FOR ME; the Arabic version reads, "pray ye two"; the words are addressed both to Peter and John; for though Peter only spake to him, yet John joined with him, and assented to what he said, and approved of it; and which he might signify either by word or gesture; wherefore Simon desires both of them, that they would pray to the Lord for him; but whether he was serious, and in good earnest i...

Stephen had been stoned to death; but with his latest breath he prayed for his murderers. Then this chapter begins: Acts 8:1. _And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles._ Saul, having tasted blood in the murder of Stephen, became more and more furious in his persecution of the Church of Christ at Jerusalem, and the brethren had to escape for their lives. They all did so, except the apostles, who were specially cared for by divine providence. Acts 8:2. _And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentations over him._ As well they might, for his death was a serious loss

ACTS 8:24 evpV evme. w-n eivrh,kate {A} The Bezan text differs from that of other witnesses in several striking particulars: “And Simon answered and said _to them,_ ‘_I beseech you,_ pray for me _to God,_ that none _of these evils_ of which you have spoken _to me_ may come upon me’ — _who did not stop weeping copiously_.” The last clause is attached so awkwardly to the close of the sentence that Blass conjectured kai, for the o[j of D, which reads…o[pwj mhde.n evpe,lqh| moi tou,twn tw/n kakw/n w-n eivrh,kate, moi( o]j polla. klai,wn ouv dieli,mpanen. The addition gives the suggestion that Simon’s tears are of remorse and perhaps of repentance; in the Clementine tradition Simon’s tears are tears of rage and disa...

PART II The Witness to Samaria. Saul's Conversion and Peter's Witness in Caesarea. Chapter s 8-12 CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The first great persecution (Acts 8:1)._ 2. The preaching of the scattered believers. Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:4). 3. Events in Samaria (Acts 8:9). 4. The Gospel in many villages of Samaria (Acts 8:25). 5. Philip and the Eunuch (Acts 8:26). The final testimony to the rulers of the people had been given. It was rejected, and the Spirit filled messenger killed. The last offer had therefore been completely rejected