Acts 8:22

Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee.

'REPENT THEREFORE'-The command to repent infers: (a) Simon can change, he isn't inherently depraved. Simon still has freewill. (b) His heart can once again become right with God. He can correct his motives, he can break from the past. (c) Peter did consider him to be. Christian, for Peter would of told. non-Christian to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). (d) Simon isn't predestined for damnation (2 Peter 3:9). (e) Which brings up an interesting question for Calvinist's to chew on. Most Calvinistic writers place Simon in. condition of hopelessness. So why did Peter offer Simon any hope? According to the Bible, if. person was told to repent that automatically inferred that they could be saved (2 Peter 3:9). So if Simon was one of those "predestined" for salvation, why does Peter infer that he could end up lost? But if he wasn't one of the "elect", then why did Peter offer him any hope of forgiveness?

'THY'-He was responsible for his own actions (Acts 5:4 'conceived this deed in your heart?')

'WICKEDNESS'-2549. kakia kak-ee'-ah; from 2556; badness, i.e. (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble: -evil, malice(-iousness), naughtiness, wickedness.

'AND PRAY THE LORD'-Which would seem to include the confession of the sin to God (1 John 1:8).

'IF PERHAPS'-This phrase doesn't refer to some "unpardonable sin", and neither does it suggest that Peter felt that Simon's chances for salvation were very slim. "Perhaps" is exactly what you would say to an individual with freewill. It leaves the door open for repentance or rejection. But there is no "perhaps" in the doctrine of Calvinism. If Simon was one of the elect then he would be forgiven. If he wasn't predestined then all the repentance and prayer in the world could not help him.

'THE THOUGHT OF THY HEART'-His selfish desire to buy the ability to impart the Holy Spirit.