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Simon the (Former) Sorcerer


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I don't remember if we have hashed this out here, though we haven't lately and I am interested to see what others believe.

Question: Was Simon the (former) Sorcerer, a true, born-again believer, or was he a false convert?

There are two primary schools of thought on this: That Simaon WAS indeed, born again, but in error. This is my view. I believe this because 1: the Bible makes the simple statement:

     "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 when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done." (Acts 8:9, 12&13). This statement of his salvation doesn't appear to be a statement of opinion, but a simple declaration of fact: "Then Simon himself believed also..." I see nothing in this statement to bring any doubt as to his salvation, a true rebirth.

However, of course, we also know that he foolishly thought to purchase the power of the Spirit, and he is soundly rebuked for it, and warned that he is in the gall of bitterness and the bond iniquity. To many this is taken to say that he is unsaved, but I disagree. I believe that this is an excellent picture of someone who has come out of where Simon had been: he was a sorcerer, he used sorceries, and anyone familiar with such things will tell you that to gain more power, money is usually involed-higher spells cost m,oney-talismen of power cost money. Money=Advancement in one's arts. Now, Simon is a new believer, and how many of us have ever known of a new believer, still immature in the things of God, fall back into old habits of sin, because they just don't yet know any better? I can think of, well, just about ALL of them that I have known. This was his thing, so he just apparently thought it was the way it was done. no one would argue that what he wanted, the power of the Spirit of God, was a BAD thing-we SHOULD desire the gifts to do the work of God-his problem is trying to get it using his old ways.

Now, why was Peter's rebuke so severe? I believe it is because it NEEDED to be severe, because Simon needed to realize the dangerous ground he was walking, even by accident. Any immature Christian can be easilt led into great error simply by not rebuking sin and error when it comes about. So Simon was rebuked soundly for his sin, for it WAS sin, and dangerous sin, at that, sin which could cause others to fall as well,seeing as they were used to following him. Simon needed to see what a weak, powerless man he was, to keep him so. So he was rebuked.

I also see his salvation in his humble acceptance of the harsh rebuke, " And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me." Some have said that the fact that Simon didn't pray himself for repentance, proves he didn't really repent, but again, knowing new believers and immature Christians as I do, they often tend to be quite afraid to pray, not quite sure how to, and having to face God for their error can be hard, so that he asked Peter to pray for him, both shows he recognized Peter's aughority as an Apostle, and that it was a good thing to have a godly man pray for him. Do not all of us seek to have godly prayer warriors pray for us, along with our own prayers?

So I see in Simon a weak, immature Christian falling back to his old ways to try to obtain something good, though not his, and unintentionally falling into wickedness that could be very bad if not immediately checked. And especially I see a humbled and repentant man after rebuke.

The other view is that he wasn't saved, and fell back to sorcery, mingled with false Christianity, and continued in his ways, because apparently there are some books that say such.

So what are your views on this?   

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I think your assessment is well thought out and accurate.

In addition, it sure makes me wonder at our own reactions to sin even among the newly saved. If one just received Christ one minute ago, that they will believe everything shown to them in God's Word from that point on and will want to obey (doesn't mean they will succeed in obedience) but they will want to. I think this passage proves this point. Peter's rebuke is Scripture.

The parable of the sower comes to mind. By coddling, not preaching against the "world" and sin, we try to make those seeded on bad ground stick which is a waste of time. If their heart was good ground, they will stick....Period. This is one of the root problems with easy believe-ism IMO (whether IFB or emerging). And easy believe-ism always goes hand in hand with lukewarm preaching. The Bible considers any preaching that falls short of losing your entire interest in anything at all that is temporal as lukewarm.

I also often wonder if there is a correlation between tares (Matthews 13) and Church discipline. Someone truly born again can and will "take" Scriptural rebuke and try to repent (whether successful the first time or even the 100th time is irrelevant). Those given over to satan for the destruction of the flesh does not mean they were saved, it says "that the spirit MAY be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" but THROW THEM OUT OF THE CHURCH. In every church "disciple" example of the NT I can see nowhere where the Lord distinguishes beyond a doubt that these are saved people. In the local church, sure; but saved?? He also explains that tares will be in the local church. I think Matthew 13 is all about tares from the parable of the sower to the mustard seed, leaven and the tares, parable after parable all dealing with tares among the wheat and all parables expound upon the parable of the sower. It is clear as day to me that the first three "grounds" are lost BUT IN THE local church.

I think we pamper new Christians so much that it almost makes their new life no big deal at all. The fact that they just got spared from eternal damnation should be the only coddling they need and that now it is time to grow in the Word. Off with the old and on with the new.

I think we have gone so long living and teaching the lie that we are to avoid only "established" sin in this world that we have created generations of tares with mental do and don't checklists. Remember, the religious lost attempt to avoid what the world calls sin but they love the world itself with it trappings and money and prestige and ambitions and goals and sports and entertainments.

I believe lukewarm Christians are tares (religious lost). They know all the basics of the Gospel and the growth rituals and the sin do's and don'ts after "salvation". But understand nothing of losing their life in this world. Problem is they only know what they know in their heads and not in their hearts. I believe they surround us in NT churches but only God knows them for sure. I mentioned it before under the title "replacement theology".

I wonder if more Peter-esque rebukes would expose them momentarily?? I wonder if a preacher preached the sermon on the Mount every Sunday morning, night and Wednesday would there be anyone left in the pews after a month? It all boils down to Matt 7:24-27. If a preacher would preach the Sermon on the Mount in detail with illustrations it would run the tares and most of the tithes right out of that building....guaranteed.

That is why they won't or worse yet, they just don't get it themselves and may be tares.

 

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1 hour ago, Standing Firm In Christ said:

The fact that Simon was told, "Thy money perish with thee" tells me that Simon was unsaved. 

The saved are not perishing.

1Co 8:11  And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

There are many ways to perish, not all of them mean "going to hell". Your brother, therefore a saved man, can perish through your actions.

Webster's 1828 defines "perish" thus;

 

PER'ISHverb intransitive [Latin pereo, supposed to be compounded of per and eo, to go; literally, to depart wholly.]

1. To die; to lose life in any manner; applied to animals. Men perish by disease or decay, by the sword, by drowning, by hunger or famine, etc.

2. To die; to wither and decay; applied to plants.

3. To waste away; as, a leg or an arm has perished.

4. To be in a state of decay or passing away.

Duration, and time which is part of it, is the idea we have of perishing distance.

5. To be destroyed; to come to nothing.

Perish the lore that deadens young desire.

6. To fail entirely or to be extirpated. 2 Kings 9:8.

7. To be burst or ruined; as, the bottles shall perish

Luke 5:37.

8. To be wasted or rendered useless. Jeremiah 9:12.

9. To be injured or tormented. 1 Corinthians 8:11.

10. To be lost eternally; to be sentenced to endless misery. 2 Peter 2:12.

PER'ISHverb transitive To destroy. [Not legitimate.]

 

While it sometimes means "death", it also is used at times to mean "wasted, or rendered useless" or "to waste away" etc. I myself read it as Simon believed and was baptized, he was a saved man. And he repented at the rebuke of the preacher, which is also the actions of a saved man.

But I guess we will know for sure if we meet him in glory, I myself surely wouldn't get heartburn over another's reading and understanding of that passage.

 

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