Acts 8:18-25 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” 24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” 25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
 
WE learn in Acts 8:13 Simon believed and was baptized…astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. But when Peter and John laid hands on the new believers, Simon wanted to buy the power. Is Simon’s belief real? Or was he merely believing in the miracles?
   Many people Jesus encountered were like Simon. They believed the evidence of Jesus’ miracles. How could they not? People dramatically changed to health, even resurrected lives! But they did not believe Jesus is Lord of Life. Some even claimed he was of the devil. God’s gifts do not automatically produce faith in Jesus’ salvation.
   Peter’s response to Simon seems to be an angry rebuke. In part he said, “May your money perish with you. Your heart is not right. Repent. Pray to the Lord. You are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
   Peter had the gift to know a man’s heart. One who is saved will not be full of bitterness. He will not be captive to sin. Simon wanted to profit from the Spirit’s gifts as he had from the devil’s sorcery. He apparently had no relationship with the Lord. That’s why he implored Peter, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” He did not ask Peter to pray for a true faith, only protection from God’s judgment.
   Long before this Pharoah’s dark heart implored Moses in the same way. Three times he asked Moses, “Pray to the LORD your God that I may…” (Exodus 8, 9, 10). He continually rejected God’s sovereign power to free Israel; yet he recognized God’s power to judge Egypt. Pharaoh, like Simon, did not pray for repentance.
   People may acknowledge God exists. But they refuse to receive him as Lord and Redeemer of their lives. Their goal is to get what they can from God in this life with no concern of their eternal life. They are willing to have others pray for them, but they have no interest in seeking God for a personal living relationship. Self remains their god.
   The evidence of true faith is the Spirit empowering your life with particular gifts. Among those are a desire to pray for yourself and others, to repent of sins, to obey God’s commands and most of all, to love God and love others. Your redeemed life produces fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and gifts for building up the church (Romans 12). Perhaps Peter’s rebuke awakened Simon to true faith.
          

Acts 8:14-17 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
 
LUKE, author of Luke and Acts wrote of God’s activity in the world in a sequential pattern. One thing led to another. In Acts. Luke first informs us of Jesus’ ascension as the event that gave the apostles a true understanding of Jesus as the Divine Son of God. When the apostles genuinely believed in Jesus, God anointed them with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. He baptized them with tongues of fire, giving them the gifts of specific tongues, preaching, teaching, healing and more. Jesus rising and the Spirit descending are two events in God’s sequence to equip the apostles for ministry in Jerusalem. We learn the fruit of these gifts in chapters 2-7.
   God next revealed his power in Samaria: Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. As the apostles believed in Jesus at his ascension, the new believers had faith to know Jesus is Messiah. Salvation for eternal life is through faith in Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension. We can only truly know this when it has now been revealed by the Spirit. (Ephesians 3:5)
   That brings us to a question the church has deliberated for centuries: If the Spirit has revealed Jesus to the new believers, why does Luke say that the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them?
   In God’s order of events to reveal Jesus to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth, he used Peter and John to be the messengers of a second Pentecost event. God had given his apostles the keys of the Kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 16:19) Peter and John discerned God’s work in Samaria. They understood people had come to faith in Jesus. They also knew God would deliver the Spirit’s gifts into Samaria. Through the Spirit’s work in John and Peter, the new believers received God’s power for kingdom work, just as the apostles had received the Spirit’s power at Pentecost.
   Many believe God revealed himself in this sequence to unite Jerusalem and Samaria. Their centuries-old division had created great hostility between the Jews. They would not readily unite as one church. The LORD used Peter and John as a unifying authority, so his church would be one body under one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  (from Ephesians 4:4-6)
   God’s salvation is a sequence of events. The Spirit reveals the gospel. The Spirit then anoints you with particular gifts to be a kingdom builder. 

Acts 8:9-13 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
 
WE mentioned in the previous lesson that God had judged Samaria for their continual idolatry. This Satanic influence was still deeply influencing many people in Samaria.
   Simon, a sorcerer, had developed a following. He was proficient at magic, which is the false impression of supernatural skills. Satan had also given Simon the power to heal. This is difficult for us to understand. Healing is a good thing. How can the Evil One do anything good? How is it God allows him to influence people this way?
   The “good” healing is designed to disguise the truth. God seems to allow it as a way to test us. As mentioned, healing is not God’s primary purpose for mankind. Jesus warned us to be watchful: Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible.
   Here’s the evil in Simon’s healing: Simon deceived Samaria to the point some considered him to be Messiah and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.”
   Then Philip came with the truth. People believed. They were baptized. Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. Simon’s life seemed to change. He seemed to reject Satan’s influence to be a constant companion to Philip. Was this true repentance? Or was Simon performing more sorcery.
   His constant association with Philip could have been an attempt to be noticed. Sometimes people will claim faith in Jesus, so they will find favor with people. The truth of a changed life becomes evident when one desires most of all to be close to Jesus.
   There is some indication that Simon did continue to lead people away from Jesus. A group of Gnostic “Christians” in the 1st century church claimed Simon as their founder. Gnostics believe that they have superior knowledge of spiritual matters. As a result they believe they are greater in God’s sight. The Gnostic uses their claim of Jesus’ salvation as an instrument of superiority.
   Jesus very clearly wants us to understand our salvation is his gift to us through the redemption of our sin. We receive it with humility, understanding it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)
          The Holy Spirit seems to have inserted Simon into this account of the early church to help us understand the evidence of true salvation. We will see more of Simon when he encounters Peter.

Acts 8:4-8 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
 
FIRST, let’s know who Philip is. We could easily believe he is one of the apostles: John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Several passages in John tell of Philip’s responses to Jesus’ questions and of his relationship with other disciples. It’s easy to think Philip, the evangelist to Samaria, is one of the Twelve.
   But he’s not. This is Philip who is named with Stephen in
Acts 6:5 They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus… The Holy Spirit had anointed Philip in the same way he had touched Stephen’s life. In Samaria the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
   Four times in this passage Luke mentions Philip’s and the others’ preaching: those who were scattered preached the word wherever they went… the crowds heard Philip…proclaimed the Christ there…they all paid close attention to what he said.
   The healing miracles are extraordinary blessings to the sick and their families, aren’t they? Each of us likely has some condition we pray God will heal. How wonderful it would be to experience this kind of healing in our churches and families!
   But the most important way to expand the gospel is to preach and teach it. When we think of Jesus’ great work on earth, we must first consider his preaching is the core of his purpose: Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” The Holy Spirit anointed Jesus, fully man, to preach the gospel. Jesus’ entire mission on earth would have been fruitless if he had neglected the preaching. Many would have had new physical lives. But no one would have been born into a new life in heaven.
   Philip isn’t one of the Twelve, but he is Jesus’ disciple, obedient to making disciples. He didn’t go to Samaria to become a popular healer. He went to be a faithful gospel witness.
   Apparently the Spirit had given the Samaritans a hunger for the Word. They paid close attention, and we can assume many repented and believed.  
   God is calling his people to himself. Remember from John 4 that Jesus first reveled he is Messiah to a Samaritan woman at a well. The Samaritans were half-blooded Jews, whose ancestors intermarried with the Assyrians, who conquered them. This was God’s justice against the idolatry of his people Israel. Moving the gospel messengers from Jerusalem to Judea – from the city to the towns and villages – and then to Samaria, the long-despised territory – is God’s plan to reveal the gospel first to all of Israel.
   The gospel message requires Spirit-inspired preaching. This is the means for the eternal miracle of salvation. People must pay close attention. 

Acts 8:2-3 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
 
THE Holy Spirit had touched the apostles with the fire of God’s power, and the church had enjoyed a time of God’s miracles and wonders. Jesus’ messengers withstood the Sanhedrin’s threats. People repented and confessed Jesus as Lord. It seemed everyone who heard the apostles speak or felt their touch received God’s spiritual and physical salvation.
   Salvation’s power spread to others when the Spirit anointed people such as Stephen to be God’s ambassadors in God’s city. Surely Jesus’ promise, “The Kingdom of heaven is near.” was becoming more real each day.
   But now the gifted, dutiful Stephen is dead. What had happened? It was as if a violent storm ravaged a quiet village, uprooting trees and destroying homes. Stephen’s death would have been a devastating blow to the Jerusalem church. Godly men shouldn’t die this way, should they?
   Then the storm raged more fiercely and spread into  homes and villages beyond Jerusalem. The Jews’ killing Stephen ignited the young, passionate Pharisee Saul to extreme violence. Saul began to destroy the church. The Greek meaning of “destroy” is to ravage violently. The term compares to wild boars uprooting a vineyard. Saul believed he was protecting the Jews’ religion, uprooting these blasphemers.
   Years later as apostle Paul, he stood before King Agrippa and described his former deep hatred of Jesus’ church: Acts 26:9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”  
   Saul was testifying to Jesus’ powerful transforming love.  He also expressed this in 1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10a But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.
   Saul’s and others’ persecution could have discouraged the apostles and many new converts. But it seems Jesus’ church reacted to the violent storm as do many who suddenly lose all in the floods and the wind. With a determined effort they got up and continued with passion and purpose for their Lord. The apostles and the church would arise to continue to build the kingdom of heaven on earth.  Jesus’ suffering had taught the apostles that  physical pain and death is a way to eternal life. They know Jesus is alive. They know the Gates of Hades, including violent persecution, will not prevail against them. 

Read Acts 7:1-53
 
Acts 7:54-8:1 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. 8:1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
 
IF you ever wonder, “Is the Old Testament relevant?” be sure you understand the value of Stephen’s words in the first 53 verses of Acts 7. In defense of the Sanhedrin’s question, “Are these charges true?” Stephen urges, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me!” He has the truth to tell. He tells of God creating Israel. He tells of Israel’s captivity in Egypt and Babylon. He elevates Moses’ leadership to refute the false charges he was blaspheming Moses.
   Then Stephen points to the priests of old and the ones who stood before him that day: Acts 7:52 “They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him.” Stephen attacked the lies with the truth. But the liars decided to remove the truth, just as they had done against Jesus.
   Then Stephen gives us a beautiful vision of the future: “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Jesus is risen. Jesus is ascended. Jesus awaits to return in glory and power.
   Stephen followed Jesus into suffering. He followed Jesus into grace. Note his final words, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Yes, forgive them because they do not understand evil grips  their hearts. We must pray for God’s enemies to come to his truth.
   Then note Saul was there, giving approval to his death. We have mentioned Saul of Tarsus could have been among Stephen’s accusers. It seems he was even overseeing Stephen’s murder. As Saul approved of Stephen’s execution, little did he know God was about to pass the mantle of faith to him. One day soon Jesus would transform Saul of Tarsus to become Paul the apostle to the Gentiles. He would become a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. With unsurpassed love and gratitude, Paul would follow Jesus even into suffering and death.
   The time of peace for the church in Jerusalem has ended. God is using Stephen’s death as a catalyst to send his apostles into Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world.

Acts 6:11-15 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
 
STEPHEN’S calling moved from aiding the widows’ food and money distribution to following Jesus into suffering. As we learned in the prior lesson, a group of Jews from two Africa and one Asian province (possibly including Saul of Tarsus) were determined to destroy Stephen. If they could kill the messenger, would they not also kill the Message, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) The accusing Jews wanted no one, not even God, to surpass their authority.
   What was their plan? They gave false testimony against God’s anointed man of Truth. These Jews did the same as they had done to Jesus. Matthew 26:59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
   When corrupt oppressors can’t convict with the truth, they create lies to accuse, judge and sentence the innocent. This is sin’s pattern. Consider the devil accused God before Adam and Eve: Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of the forbidden fruit your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The couples’ response judged God as unfair to them. With their disobedience they sentenced God to be lower than Satan. Satan was the lying prosecutor. Adam and Eve were the corrupt jury. They found God guilty of lying. Their corrupt verdict became the core of mankind’s disobedience. The books of the Law and the Prophets describe God’s chosen people constantly judging God’s commands as irrelevant. Eventually they condemned and executed God when he came to earth to save them. False testimony kills.
   Amid the accusations, God prepared Stephen for his transition into heaven. His opponents saw that his face was like the face of an angel. “It appears that the light and power of God that was in Stephen’s soul shone through his face. God gave the Sanhedrin this proof of the false testimony. As the face of Stephen now shone as the face of Moses did when he came down from the mount, it was the fullest proof that he had not spoken blasphemy against Moses or God.” (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)
          God shines through the darkness. Be of good cheer to show you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Be steadfast to obey God’s truth. Allow God’s glory to light your countenance, even in the very hard times.  

A Full Faith
 
Acts 6:7-10 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)-Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
 
THE Spirit was expanding the church. Jesus’ gospel was pouring into many lives. Even a large number of priests – many who had opposed Jesus face-to-to-face – became obedient to the faith. But then came the opposition to Stephen.
   We met Stephen in the previous passage when the apostles chose him to help care for widows. He was described in Acts 6:5 a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Luke confirms again he is a man full of God’s grace and power. How did people know? They know because he lived faithful to Jesus’ commands. The Spirt had filled Stephen with heaven’s glory. He did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
   A surprising element of this trouble for Stephen is the Jews who opposed him. The Synagogue of Freedom was a composed of Jews from two Africa and one Asian province. Although the Jews’ rulers in Jerusalem allowed the apostles and church members to preach and teach Jesus, this group from a particular Africa-based synagogue remained very hostile to Stephen and the Lord.
 
It is interesting to note – and remember this – Saul of Tarsus could have been a member of this group. 
   One continues to wonder why people refuse to embrace the gospel when God so publicly heals many, and thousands of lives visibly change.
   But isn’t this the Jews’ pattern throughout Scripture? Even as God very plainly reveals his miraculous signs and wonders to his people, the Jews have long rejected his Spirit-filled prophets.
   Why did this group object so strenuously to Stephen in particular? His preaching and miraculous works were not unique among the apostles and others who were faithful and full of the Spirit in Jerusalem. Perhaps Stephen’s faith is God’s reason to choose him for persecution. To stand before hateful men who threaten your life requires one to be full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. God prepared him for martyrdom. A high calling requires a full faith.
   

Acts 6:1-5 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
 
IN the first weeks and months of the church it is reported in Acts 2:44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. But the “everything common” became less common as the church expanded to include a more diverse group of people. There was a history of differences between the Hebraic Jews, who lived in Israel, and the Grecian Jews, who lived in other regions. These differences caused some challenges as they began to worship Jesus together. How would the apostles respond to the Grecian Jews’ complaint their widows received too little food – and also many believe too little money – in the distribution?
   The apostles, full of the Spirit, developed a gospel-centered plan. They knew their appointed work. Instead of taking time from their ministry of the word of God, they determined to select seven qualified men to serve the widows. Who will be the seven new helpers?
   The apostles looked for men who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. How would they know? To be full of is to be under the Spirit’s control. When the Spirit fills the Christian, one lives according to the Scripture’s as closely as possible. A Spirit-filled daily walk is a purposeful journey in Jesus’ footsteps. Full of the Spirit, one bears spiritual fruit, humbly understanding that life is in the Spirit’s hands, blessed in the Savior’s redemption. To be full of the Spirit is to minimize the world and maximize the Word in your life. Wisdom is your guide. Faith is your foundation.
   Note the men they chose. Stephen is mentioned first. He is a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. God has a larger role for Stephen. But for this moment, he will faithfully serve the widows because the apostles have appointed him to this.
   A faithful life will open opportunities for you to serve Jesus’ church. This is the Spirit’s wisdom to help you know you are on the right pathway toward a life full of the Spirit. 

Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
 
JESUS had told the 12,  “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) We can imagine their initial response to this was fear and discouragement – even resignation and thoughts of abandoning Jesus. Crosses are heavy. Taking it up is the pathway to a suffering death. The pain and suffering of the cross is unbearable just once. But Jesus had said this kind of life would be their daily life. Who could do this?
   The apostles discovered they could do this. They could suffer for the sake of Jesus’ salvation. When they left their persecutors, their lashed skin, bruises and aching muscles were good reasons to go home to heal and rest. The injuries were good reasons to stop speaking of Jesus. Yes, they were good reasons until they focused on Jesus’ gospel as the reason for their suffering.
   The apostles had quickly understood their mission was God’s mission. Instead of wondering, “Why, Lord, have you brough this on us?”  they celebrated their Lord counted them worthy to suffer for his gospel.
   These fully-committed disciples had taken up the cross and discovered joy! Faithfully, they continued to teach and preach the Name in the temple and house to house in Jerusalem. Jesus had chosen. Jesus had commanded. Spirit-empowered they took action. God blessed them with a joy in their salvation.
   Persecution’s purpose is to disgrace the Christian and Jesus. When authorities arrest and abuse Jesus’ followers they want the public to see that following Jesus leads to disgrace. But what is humiliation before man is glory to God.
   When people mock you for speaking of Jesus, the Spirit is doing a special work in you. He has moved your heart to a new level of faith that demands you defend Jesus at all costs. Written on your heart is the truth that sin destroys and Jesus saves. Physical and emotional abuse is a cost you are willing to pay, so the sinners will know the Savior.
   Jesus calls each of us who declare faith in him to this high purpose. We grow in faith to more faithfully understand the value of our salvation and the promise of eternal life with Jesus. In faith and love we become willing to joyfully suffer for the One who has so sacrificially redeemed us. Peter later wrote: 1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
 God has given salvation of your soul. This must be the Christian’s goal. In all circumstances be willing to tell the good news.