4The Lord's followers who had been scattered went from place to place, telling the good news. 5Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people about Christ. 6They crowded around Philip because they were eager to hear what he was saying and to see him work miracles. 7Many people with evil spirits were healed, and the spirits went out of them with a shout. A lot of crippled and lame people were also healed. 8Everyone in that city was very glad because of what was happening.
9For some time a man named Simon had lived in the city of Samaria and had amazed the people. He practiced witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great. 10Everyone, rich and poor, crowded around him. They said, "This man is the power of God called `The Great Power.' "
11For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him. 12But when they believed what Philip was saying about God's kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they were all baptized. 13Even Simon believed and was baptized. He stayed close to Philip, because he marveled at all the miracles and wonders.
14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John. 15When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit. 16Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit.
18Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he brought money 19and said to Peter and John, "Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on will also be given the Holy Spirit."
20Peter said to him, "You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God's gift! 21You don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right. 22Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you. 23I can see that you are jealous and bound by your evil ways."
24Simon said, "Please pray to the Lord, so that what you said won't happen to me."
25After Peter and John had preached about the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem. On their way they told the good news in many villages of Samaria.
The hardest thing for most Christians is disciplining our minds to subordinate themselves to scripture. After all, we love our minds. We're constantly amazed by their abilities. We take pride in them.
It's almost like idolatry...
I had a long conversation with my friend Dan the other night...regarding the seeming conflict between election and free-will. His pastor had told him that the doctrine of "election" necessitated a belief that there is no such thing as "free-will". Human choice has no role in salvation. This was the only way his pastor could reconcile the apparently irreconcilable.
Most of us recognize this view to contradict the well established biblical doctrine of repentance. I don't have to comment on this other than to quote Charles Spurgeon. When he was asked how he reconciled the conflict between the two he responded "friends do not need to be reconciled".
Perfect...
If we elevate the authority of scripture (as we should) we have no need to "reconcile" anything. The fact that our finite intellects occasionally have difficulty only serves to remind us that we are children of God by faith, not by reason.
And, of course, the world ridicules us...
Which brings me to our text today...
We know that the clear teaching of the apostles in scripture is that the giving of the Holy Spirit is a birthright of every Christian, received at conversion (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor 12:3, 13; Ephesians 1:13-15). Yet...the reality in Acts 8 is that the Samaritans did not receive the Holy Spirit when they believed.
But why...?
9For some time a man named Simon had lived in the city of Samaria and had amazed the people. He practiced witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great. 10Everyone, rich and poor, crowded around him. They said, "This man is the power of God called `The Great Power.' "
11For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him. 12But when they believed what Philip was saying about God's kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they were all baptized. 13Even Simon believed and was baptized. He stayed close to Philip, because he marveled at all the miracles and wonders.
14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John. 15When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit. 16Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit.
18Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he brought money 19and said to Peter and John, "Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on will also be given the Holy Spirit."
20Peter said to him, "You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God's gift! 21You don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right. 22Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you. 23I can see that you are jealous and bound by your evil ways."
24Simon said, "Please pray to the Lord, so that what you said won't happen to me."
25After Peter and John had preached about the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem. On their way they told the good news in many villages of Samaria.
The hardest thing for most Christians is disciplining our minds to subordinate themselves to scripture. After all, we love our minds. We're constantly amazed by their abilities. We take pride in them.
It's almost like idolatry...
I had a long conversation with my friend Dan the other night...regarding the seeming conflict between election and free-will. His pastor had told him that the doctrine of "election" necessitated a belief that there is no such thing as "free-will". Human choice has no role in salvation. This was the only way his pastor could reconcile the apparently irreconcilable.
Most of us recognize this view to contradict the well established biblical doctrine of repentance. I don't have to comment on this other than to quote Charles Spurgeon. When he was asked how he reconciled the conflict between the two he responded "friends do not need to be reconciled".
Perfect...
If we elevate the authority of scripture (as we should) we have no need to "reconcile" anything. The fact that our finite intellects occasionally have difficulty only serves to remind us that we are children of God by faith, not by reason.
And, of course, the world ridicules us...
Which brings me to our text today...
We know that the clear teaching of the apostles in scripture is that the giving of the Holy Spirit is a birthright of every Christian, received at conversion (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor 12:3, 13; Ephesians 1:13-15). Yet...the reality in Acts 8 is that the Samaritans did not receive the Holy Spirit when they believed.
But why...?
We can imagine there were a lot of "firsts" during those seminal days of the Church. It's possible that many things happened "just once" to establish a norm, but did not need to happen again. In this case, it may have been important for the apostles to clearly establish the fact that the Holy Spirit was distinct from the "magic, and sorcery" that was so prevalent in Samaria. The best way to do this would be for the Holy Spirit to be delivered via the apostles.
At any rate, the incident in Samaria should be viewed as extraordinary...not normative. Meaning, we should not use this incident to establish controlling doctrine. We should view it as a reminder that God will not be bound by our conventions.
I find when I can't "wrap my mind around" sacred scripture I'm in a good place. That is when God's Holy Spirit is most likely to offer me a confidence and peace about His word that transcends reason. I can live comfortably with "contradictions", how about you?
I'm not suggesting we bury our heads (or minds) in the sand and naively ignore the struggles that are common to all people of faith. I am suggesting that we avoid reliance on any source that is susceptible to fear, anxiety, pride, hatred, dishonesty or Alzheimer's...
Live boldly out there today...
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