Acts 8:9

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: BUT THERE WAS, [ proupeerchen (G4391)] - 'was there before;' preceding Philip in operating on the people, A CERTAIN MAN, CALLED SIMON, WHICH BEFORETIME IN THE SAME CITY USED SORCERY, [ mageuoon (G3096)] - using magical arts, AND BEWITCHED ('ASTOUNDED' OR 'STARTLED') THE PEOPLE OF SAMARIA, GIVING OUT THAT HIMSELF WAS SOME GREAT ONE....

9._A certain man named Simon. _This was such a let that it might seem that the gospel could have no passage to come unto the Samaritans; for the minds of them all were bewitched with Simon’s jugglings. And this amazedness was grown to some strength by reason of long space of time. Furthermore experience teacheth what a hard matter it is to pluck that error out of the minds of men which hath taken root through long continuance and to call them back unto a sound and right mind who are already hardened. Superstition made them more obstinate in their error, because they counted Simon not only as a prophet of God, but even as the Spirit of God....

5-13 As far as the gospel prevails, evil spirits are dislodged, particularly unclean spirits. All inclinations to the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul are such. Distempers are here named, the most difficult to be cured by the course of nature, and most expressive of the disease of sin. Pride, ambition, and desire after grandeur have always caused abundance of mischief, both to the world and to the church. The people said of Simon, This man is the great power of God. See how ignorant and thoughtless people mistake. But how strong is the power of Divine grace, by which they were brought to Christ, who is Truth itself! The people not only gave heed to what Philip said, but were fully convinced that it was of God, and not of men, and gave up themselves to be directed thereby. Even bad men, and those whose hearts still go after covetousness, may come before God as his people com...

Verse Acts 8:9. _A CERTAIN MAN CALLED SIMON_] In ancient ecclesiastical writers, we have the strangest account of this man; they say that he pretended to be the _Father_, who gave the law to Moses; that he came in the reign of Tiberius in the person of the _Son_; that he descended on the apostles on the day of pentecost, in flames of fire, in quality of the _Holy Spirit_; that he was the _Messiah_, the _Paraclete_, and _Jupiter_; that the _woman_ who accompanied him, called _Helena_, was _Minerva_, or the _first intelligence_; with many other extravagancies which probably never had an existence. All that we know to be certain on this subject is, that he _used_ _sorcery_, that he _bewitched the people_, and that he _gave out_ _himself to be some great one_. This might be sufficient, were not men prone to b

BUT THERE WAS A CERTAIN MAN CALLED SIMON - The fathers have written much respecting this man, and have given strange accounts of him; but nothing more is certainly known of him than is stated in this place. Rosenmuller and Kuinoel suppose him to have been a Simon mentioned by Josephus (_Antiq._, book 20, chapter 7, section 2), who was born in Cyprus. He was a magician, and was employed by Felix to persuade Drusilla to forsake her husband Azizus, and to marry Felix. But it is not very probable that this was the same person. (See the note in Whiston’s _Josephus_.) Simon Magus was probably a “Jew” or a “Samaritan,” who had addicted himself to the arts of magic, and who was much celebrated for it. He had studied philosophy in Alexandria in Egypt (Mosheim, vol. i., pp. 113, 114, Murdock’s translation), and then lived in Samaria. After he was cut off from the hope of adding to his other powers...

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;...

BUT THERE WAS A CERTAIN MAN CALLED SIMON,.... Who, as Justin Martyr f says, was a Samaritan, and of a village called Gitton; and so a Jewish writer g calls him Simeon, השמרוני, "the Samaritan", a wizard: here is a BUT upon this new church, the success of the Gospel in this place, and the joy that was there; a man of great wickedness and sophistry plays the hypocrite, feigns himself a believer, and gets in among them; Acts 5:1, WHICH BEFORETIME IN THE SAME CITY USED SORCERY; who before Philip came thither, practised magic arts; wherefore he is commonly called "Simon Magus", for he was a magician, who had learned diabolical arts, and used enchantments and divinations, as Balaam and the magicians of Egypt did: AND BEWITCHED THE PEOPLE OF SAMARIA; or rather astonished them, with the strange feats he performed; which were so unheard of and unaccou

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 8:9 me,gan Struck by the syntax of the expression le,gwn ei=nai, tina e`auto.n me,gan, several scholars have proposed emendations. Valckenaer, van de Sande Bakhuyzen, and Blass 177 regard me,gan as an interpolation. Bowyer, Mangey, van Manen, and (tentatively) Lake and Cadbury prefer to read ma,gon. In view, however, of ver. Acts 8:10, which may illustrate what Lake and Cadbury thought was Luke’s tendency to repeat a word soon after he has used it, it seems best to retain me,gan. 178 -------------------------...

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