#1563 Acts 8 Part 2 Uh Oh, It's Magic

 

9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astounding the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” 11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astounded them with his magic arts. 12 But when they believed Philip proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly astounded.

14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit had been bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you supposed you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray earnestly to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness.” 24 But Simon answered and said, “Pray earnestly to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” Acts 8: 9-24 LSB

Acts 8: 9-24 Wolves Among Sheep

…10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. 11But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts. 12Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.… Exodus 7: 10-12

…18The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast. 19“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. Exodus 8: 18-19

…10So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast. 11The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians. 12But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.… Exodus 9: 10-12

V. 9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city - So look at this against the backdrop of the same chapter, verses 1-8. This draws a contrast between Phillip's ministry, where demons were fleeing people and people were actually getting healed. Phillip performed miracles like Christ, and Jesus's miracles were attested to by even his enemies. Pharaoh's sorcerers and magicians relied on the occult, slight of hand, and when necromancers say they are communicating with the dead, I believe that, when not just trickery, to be demonic. In other words, I believe they talk to demons, not your dead relatives. Moses and Aaron, with the power of God, were able to do above and beyond what Pharaoh's sorcerers could fake. They could only make the problem worse. 

5 Now Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching Christ to them. 6 And the crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was doing. 7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. Acts 8: 5-8

“Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city,” the city of Samaria which, of course, is mentioned back in verse 5, “and he was astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.” He was practicing magic, mageun in the Greek. Magic: To be skilled in the art of the magi.

You remember the magi who came to visit the Christ child? They were sorcerers; they were star gazers; they were magicians. That’s what the magi means. They were the ones who, with their arts and magic, tried to discern the times and discern reality, and understand the purposes of the divine mind. They were pseudoscientists whose superstitions basically were very influential in the Medo-Persian realm. They were like priests, but not priests of God and not priests of the true revelation of God. They were priests who didn’t know God, and who conjured up their superstitions and their magical arts.

In fact, the term magi, or magic, came eventually to refer to more than just the magi themselves, it came to refer to all practice of magical arts of any kind: astrologers, soothsayers, sorcerers – any pagans who dealt in incantations, charms, spells, divinations, horoscopes. They could pull off some amazing things, as magicians can today, by slide of hand, by deception, by trickery; and also were aided and abetted by demonic power.

The Samaritan people were generally superstitious. Now, remember, the Samaritans had long since been cut off from the true religion of Israel. When they were taken into captivity 700 years before this, they were destroyed at that point as the kingdom – they were the northern kingdom, capital city Samaria. And then they were repopulated – the Jews that were left – with pagan nations, with whom they intermarried and created a half-breed kind of nation; and they had a kind of an eclectic, syncretistic form of religion. They mixed some parts of the Old Testament with superstition and magic. They had fallen under the spell of this man, Simon, and his magical powers. So here we meet really the first false teacher to sort of infiltrate the church with his heresy. He is, for sure, the first false teacher to propagate what later became known as gnostic ideas.

Gnosticism, as sort of a philosophy of religion, didn’t really come into shape until much later than this. But the seeds of Gnosticism are already in the New Testament. They’re in some of the writings of the apostles in the New Testament, and you can see them here in Simon.

What is Gnosticism? It’s from the Greek word gnosis which means people in the know; people who have the secret knowledge; people who have the elevated knowledge; people who feel that they have ascended beyond the hoi polloi, the masses, and they somehow commune with God or gods. The Gnostics were those who are the only ones who had access to the divine secrets. - J Mac

More on the authenticity of Jesus miracles note by His enemies

V. 9 b&c And astounding the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great - Simon had already been active in the region. His motive is pride, power and money, much like Balaam. They don't just stay in their hippie, new age communities either, they try to come into the church, and bring their bad doctrine. They are arrogant in this too, men and women saying that they have a special call, an anointing. Men like Todd White and others try to do slight of hand, like making one leg grow to match another, or babble and call it speaking in tongues. Over and over again we have to hear how unique they are, and "God told me", putting the light on themselves rather than glorifying the Lord Jesus. Simon is promoting himself like this as well.  

Adrian Rogers gives an interesting True/False question - Satan is against religion - true or false? Satan is not opposed to religion. He is in the religion business up to his ears. The first temptation was a religious one - to be like God. "Let me tell you how to be godly." It was a temptation to fall up, not down. Satan's chief weapon against the Gospel is false religion. God has been working in revival power and now there comes a conflict (Acts 8:8-9). There was great joy in that city. Heaven comes down and glory fills the soul. Revival brings joy and it also brings opposition. If you have never met the devil, it's because you and the devil have been going in the same direction. Satan's chief weapon against the Gospel is false religion. - PA

Vs. 10-11 "This man is what is called the Great power of God" - The people were so astounded that they attributed his show as being from God. We see this a lot today, people blending the occult with Judaism, with Christianity, losing focus of the gospel, and weighing things based upon their emotions rather than God's word rightly and soundly divided. So a lot of them, most of them, don't go around saying, "I am from Satan", no, they will say, "God, Christ, Jesus", and tell you that they are prophets, apostles, preachers, priests etc.

Vs. 12-13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized continued on with Phillip - I want you to note this, because it will bring another huge contrast, a much scarier one. Simon believed in Jesus and was baptized. He continues on with Phillip, so Phillip doesn't seem to notice anything off-putting  about this guy. Phillip is an evangelist and carrying out Jesus command to preach the gospel and baptize people in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I went forward as a young boy, believed the gospel story and was baptized, but later left the church to chase atheism. The demons recognized Jesus, and many of Jesus' haters recognized the miracles, so it is possible to mentally ascent to something, but be without the power that changes the inward person. It is possible to be baptized, like I was as a child, outwardly, doing it as a work, the next step in the process, but remain filthy on the inside and self absorbed. Does baptism save you or Christ?

…9that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. 11It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”… Romans 10: 9-11

…20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water. 21And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also— not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God— through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.… 1 Peter 3: 20-22

…35And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. 36But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues. 37Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.… Psalm 78: 35-37

Vs. 14-17 That they may receive the Holy Spirit - This has puzzled many, and in Roman Catholicism they think this is a power passed along to popes and priests. Some priests and even pastors have gone so far as to teach that baptism confers the grace of salvation. I think it's obvious here that Simon has only done this ceremonially. Others in the Pentecostal movements think this is a pattern to be consistent throughout the church age, a second baptism, that this occurs at some other point in the believers life, and is evidenced by tongues. A careful study of Scripture will reveal tongues as a gift, and not a gift that everyone received, and a sign to unbelievers. For those confused on this here are some links below:

Acts 2 Part 1

Acts 2 Part 2

And this then brings up the issue, because in verse 15 it says, “They came and prayed for the people who had believed and been baptized,” the genuine believers, “that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for He had not yet fallen upon any of them. They had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

You say, “Well, wait a minute. I thought that when you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came immediately.” That’s true now; that’s true. But the book of Acts is a historically critical time for transition; very, very important.

Why didn’t the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit at the very instant they believed as believers do now? I’ll tell you why; because the Jews needed apostolic testimony and apostolic evidence that they were to be included in the one church. Why? Because the Jews basically hated the Samaritans. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans.

For 500 years, they had worshipped in Mount Gerizim on their own. The Jews in the south and the Samaritans in the north each claimed in their own way to be God’s chosen people; there was intense rivalry between them. Jews didn’t even go through Samaria. It would have been very difficult for the Jews in Jerusalem and in Judea, who had come to faith in Jesus Christ and received the Holy Spirit, to believe that the Samaritans were in the one church, the one body, baptized into the one body, as 1 Corinthians 12 says.

Strife between the two, the Jews and the Samaritans, would have been perpetuated, unless the apostles came, identified the fact that they were true believers, and that they were there when the Holy Spirit came upon them, that they were thus placed by the Holy Spirit into the same body as the Jews. There was always the danger of two churches, separation. There had to be Jews present.

Now, remember, Philip was sort of a non-Judean Jew. He was a Hellenistic Jew, as were the deacons in Acts 6. Now the rest of the people are Samaritans. They need Jews there to witness this unity; and not just any Jews, but the most trustworthy witnesses, Peter and John, so that everybody knows that the Holy Spirit came in the same way on the Samaritans that He did on the Jews at the Day of Pentecost. And I believe that’s exactly what happened because verse 17 says, “These apostles began laying their hands on these believers, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit, and Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands.” - J Mac

Vs. 18-19 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit had been bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money - It doesn't say what he saw, but he saw something that made him want this power. It is most probable that it was a manifestation of the Spirit like in Acts 2, where the believers received the promised Holy Spirit and His presence was made known by the believers being able to speak in languages they had not learned. The unbelievers standing present to this were astonished because they each heard the gospel message in their own language. If Simon saw or heard people speaking in indiscernible gibberish, he wouldn't have been impressed, but people want something like this so bad today, that they lay on the hands, and then babble, but it's a cheap counterfeit, yet they have no worries about assigning it to the Holy Spirit. 

…14Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.… 2 Peter 2: 14-16

…10These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively. 11Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted.… Jude 1: 10-12

He offered them money - See chrema below. Sadly Simon was like a lot of folks in the organized church in America -- he was in it for what he could get, not what he could give! Simon saw money in merchandising miracles (Does this sound familiar? Or perhaps you have never watched some of the "religious" programs on television!) As someone has well said, the hottest part of hell is reserved for folks like this!

Tannehill - ‘Whenever religion is used to make its leaders seem great and powerful, and whenever religion becomes a commodity by serving the interests of those who have or want money, it has become corrupt.’ - PA

V. 20 May your silver perish with you - Simon had made it past Phillip for a time, and "Elect" is not branded by the Holy Spirit upon true believers foreheads, so we don't know who has truly believed or who is a false professor always or even easily. It is so important to pray for wisdom and discernment, and check not only the doctrine of the one making the claim, but also their life. You don't want them bringing heresy into your church, nor do you want someone with sound doctrine getting in the pulpit, but then taking advantage of the people that he is teaching. Often it is about money, prestige, or sex. We have to take these things seriously, and today people will call you divisive for calling out false teaching, superstition and bad morals, but Peter shows no such restraint. He is not about the prosperity or politeness gospel. 

…8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.… 1 Timothy 6: 8-10

V. 21 You have no part or potion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God - Ouch, but Peter had already suffered through a Judas, and this is actually more kind than anyone politely patting you on the back to hell. Peter is a shepherd and this requires confrontation. Simon's words have revealed the true state of his heart, not regenerate as one being born of the Spirit. He would tie these things to money, much like those today promise wealth, health, your best life now, and some of these try to show for a sign, speaking in what they want to pass off as tongues and people falling over in what they attribute to the Spirit. Some try to show they are special by picking up rattle snakes in West Virginia, saying God told me, look at my expensive watch etc... ad nauseum. 

…2And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way? 4Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,… Ezekiel 14: 2-4

…3For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay. 4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright— but the righteous will live by faith— 5and wealth indeed betrays him. He is an arrogant man never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death, he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself and collects all the peoples as his own.… Habakkuk 2: 3-5

…22Behold, I will cast her onto a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. 23Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you.… Revelation 2: 22-24

V. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours - This is always the call. It was never a call to a free ticket, God paid dearly for our salvation. He is calling us, through these messengers of the gospel, to see our state, that we are sinners that need to be made right through Jesus Christ. Peter doesn't offer a watered down version of the gospel, a call to continue in sin. He is calling out to Simon to turn around, "your thoughts aren't right about this, your intentions are all wrong, repent and come to God."

…18But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer. 19Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, 20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you.… Acts 3: 18-20

You have no part or portion in this matter (logos) - No is the Greek ou which signifies absolute negation. What matter? Luke has just been referring to the receiving of the Spirit, so that is what Simon has absolutely no part or portion. And of course by implication no Spirit signifies no authentic new birth or regeneration (Ro 8:11+). In turn Simon has no part in the privileges belonging to God's children (in this life or the life to come!)

Polhill adds that the word translated matter "is logos, a word used throughout Acts for the Gospel (cf. Acts 8:4+) (ED: AND logos IS TRANSLATED "MESSAGE" 10X IN NASB). Simon had not responded to the gospel; he had responded to greed. He lacked the contrition and inner conviction that accompany a true response to the gospel. - PA

V. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness - It would appear that he is not receiving this well, as most won't who hold a high opinion of themselves. Being impressed by power was not enough to change his heart, you have to be born again. 

I see (present tense - continually) that you are (present tense - continually) in the gall of bitterness - Peter has a discerning spirit. He discerns that Simon is "poisoned by bitterness." (NKJV) and that this was not just a passing problem, but a present tense (habitual) problem!

Louw-Nida explains that the gall of bitterness is "an idiom, literally ‘to be in the gall of bitterness’) to be particularly envious or resentful of someone - ‘to be very jealous, to be terribly envious, to be bitterly envious."

Zodhiates adds that gall of bitterness "denotes extreme wickedness, highly offensive to God and all good men, likely to be hurtful and destructive to others, for which much suffering is reserved in the world to come for unbelievers [cf. Dt. 32:32 - describes the wickedness of Israel's enemies was described as having its roots in Sodom and Gomorrah.]) - PA

14Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many. 16See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright.… Hebrews 12: 14-16

…18Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit, 19 because when such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself, saying, ‘I will have peace, even though I walk in the stubbornness of my own heart.’ This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. 20The LORD will never be willing to forgive him. Instead, His anger and jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse written in this book will fall upon him. The LORD will blot out his name from under heaven… Deuteronomy 29: 18-20

V. 24 Pray earnestly to the Lord for me yourselves, that none of what you have said may come upon me - Some think he was earnest in this request, thinking that it would mean more coming from the apostles, yet as earnest as it may be, we see what for. He finishes with, "so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." He is only concerned about the consequences. Faith and repentance our gifts from God, allowing us to see our state and hate the sin that has separated from Him. It is a work of the Holy Spirit that regenerates in us life and points us to the answer that is Christ. 

Alexander Maclaren - Simon was but slightly moved by Peter's stern rebuke. He paid no heed to the exhortation to pray for forgiveness and to repent of his wickedness, but still remained in substantially his old error, in that he accredited Peter with power, and asked him to pray for him, as if the Apostle's prayer would have some special access to God which his, though he were penitent, could not have. Further, he showed no sense of sin. All that he wished was that 'none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me. How useless are convictions which go no deeper down than Simon's did! What became of him we do not know. ' (Simon the Sorcerer) - PA

…9Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.… Psalm 51: 9-11

…26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. 28Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.… Ezekiel 36: 26-28

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#1562 Acts 8 Part 1 A Sprouting Seed

 

Now Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.

And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he was delivering them into prison.

Philip Preaches in Samaria

4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about, proclaiming the good news of the word. 5 Now Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching Christ to them. 6 And the crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was doing. 7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. Acts 8: 1-8 LSB

Acts 8: 1-8 On the Waves of Persecution

- PA

V. 1 Now Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death - This is Saul of Tarsus, who later becomes Paul, and he was present at the stoning of Stephen previously discussed. 

V. 1b And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem - We can become very settled in our comforts and locations. You can live somewhere that the weather is nice, you are close to family, the jobs pay well and the cost of living is fair, so it's very hard to picture leaving, much less wanting to. This is the great thing about persecution, it's like pruning, you cut to cause something to grow where you want it to. Remember the tower of Babel, the people did not want to leave as God told them to, to spread out and fill the earth. He confounded their languages and so they finally moved. We need to start seeing God's hand in all these things, even the persecution of the church, it removes the fruitless branches, exposes the tares, and drives off many a wolf. 

25It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.…

28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.… Matthew 10: 25-29

…49Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.… Luke 11: 49-51

Derek Thomas - There is a vital principle at work here, one that Luke was intent on ensuring we understand as he tells us the story of the church. In commenting on 1 Peter 1:11, Calvin puts it this way: “The government of the Church of Christ has been so divinely constituted from the beginning that the Cross has been the way to victory, death the way to life.”...It is the principle that dying in one produces life in another. This is what Saul will later learn when (as Paul) he will write to the Corinthians, “So death is at work in us, but life in you” (2 Cor. 4:12). - PA

V. 1C - They were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles - This is like seed being broadcast away from the city of Jerusalem. Remember though, Christ had already started this work in Samaria. Many Samaritans believed even back then, and so now these people of the early church, who were staying in Jerusalem, are being sent out to discover their brothers and sisters elsewhere. They will be able to provide them sound teaching and a connection with the Apostles as word of God is being finalized. 

7 A woman of Samaria *came to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How do You, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 She *said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst—ever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

15 The woman *said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come back here to draw.” 16 He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come back here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman *said to Him, “Sir, I see that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when He comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

27 And at this point His disciples came, and they were marveling that He was speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar, and went into the city and *said to the men, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; is this not the Christ?” 30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?” 34 Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 Even now he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.” John 4: 7-38

V. 2 And some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him - They went into deep mourning. He was quite a man, a rarity even among men, that God had made this way. Those are always missed because they bring so much to the table, yet God needs no man, and in fact will make good of this great sorrow. 

…34“Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered. 35 Jesus wept. 36Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”… John 11: 34-36

12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” 13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.… Joel 2: 12-13

V. 3 Saul began ravaging the church - He thought he was doing the Lord's work.

1“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.… 

4But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. 5Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’… John 16: 1-5

V. 4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about, proclaiming the good news of the word - See how that worked out. They took the word of God into new areas as they were being pushed out. Now they will travel roads made by a pagan Rome, bringing the gospel to the world. A seed must die in the ground in order for a plant to grow. We have to go out in order for them hear. 

…6Therefore My people will know My name; therefore they will know on that day that I am He who speaks. Here I am!” 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, together they shout for joy. For every eye will see when the LORD returns to Zion.… Isaiah 52: 6-8

V. 5-8 Now Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching Christ to them - Jesus had been through these parts and performed miracles, with many believing. Philip comes in the same power, preaching Christ. Samaria is an interesting place, it is in the northern kingdom of old Israel, and it has a bastardized form of Judaism. The Jews of Jerusalem saw the Samaritans as unclean sort of half breeds. 

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#1561 Acts 7 Part 2 Getting Stoned

 

54 Now when they heard this, they became furious in their hearts, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But crying out with a loud voice, they covered their ears and rushed at him with one accord. 58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And having said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7: 54-60 LSB

Acts 7: 54-60 The Murder of Stephen

V. 54a Now when they heard this - This goes back to Stephen's sermon, and a quick recap: 1. Stephen went through their shared history as Jews. 2. They accused him of speaking against Moses and the temple, but he refutes this by simply walking them through the story of Moses, and Moses own prophecy about a Prophet Who would come after him. He recounts the reaction of their forefathers towards Moses. 3. He indicts them for being no different than their fathers when it comes to the Holy Spirit. They persecuted the messengers and now they have killed God's Righteous One, the Messiah. 

…10Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. 12Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.… Isaiah 53: 10-12

The Patriarchs (Acts 7:2-16) - Refutes the Charge of blaspheming God (Acts 6:11+)

Moses and the Law (Acts 7:17-43) - Response to the Charge of blaspheming Moses (Acts 6:11+) and Speaking against the Law (Acts 6:13+)

The Tabernacle and Temple (Acts 7:44-50) - Response to speaking against the Temple (Acts 6:13+)

The Indictment the Jews (Acts 7:51-53) - PA

V. 54b They became furious in their hearts - If you look at verses 51-53, he calls them stiff-necked, like oxen that raise their head and refuse the yoke. He accuses them of being murderers which is no small charge. Imagine being a Jew and told that you killed your long awaited Messiah, the One Who would vanquish your enemies and bring peace. He came, you saw Him, but you didn't recognize Him. That's like running up a mountain to escape water because you didn't get in the ark that was sent to carry you through the flood. It's like seeing yourself as the great purveyor and protector of truth, only to be called a liar and a murderer. They did exactly what their forefathers did to God's true prophets, only this time to the Landowner's Son. The Jewish Sanhedrin saw themselves as well educated, refined, and discerning, but just like those who went before them, they elevated traditions, wallowed in pride, promoted false prophets, and killed God's true prophets. They were materialist, satisfied with their works, and the only thing they felt they needed was for a Messiah to come and rid them of Rome. The Pharisees wanted to hear that they were right for following their scribes, for weighing out herbs and adding so much to the law that wasn't there, but rejecting God's true intent. Of course the Sadducees were a bit mixed, they believed in no resurrection, and so were even more materialistic and just wanted their piece of the pie. Many of them didn't even mind Rome as long as they had their comforts.  

51 “You men—stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears—are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 And which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not observe it.” Acts 7: 51-53 LSB

…36Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.… Hebrews 11: 36-38

V. 54c They began gnashing their teeth at him - This is the same expression used of those in hell, weeping and gnashing of teeth. That will be an eternal bitterness. I believe that Jesus paid for the sins of everyone who believes at the cross. I believe that the promise of Him in the garden is what allowed for history to continue, that God had called the elect from eternity past, but what about those who are stiff-necked? Well, though they bow the knee of necessity, not being able to resist, their hearts remain hard, angry at God, and so for eternity they go on with the sin of pride, of hating their Creator, of exalting themselves and their feelings. They go on calling God unfair, and become more callous and unrepentant. God is Holy and infinitely opposed to sin, so for eternity they gnash their teeth at Him, and never receive His mercy. They continue in sin, and He continues to oppose it. They did not want God's One Way to be right with Him, and so they don't receive what they didn't want. 

Gnashing (1031)(brucho) is used only here means to grind, making sounds by striking one's teeth together, grating, bite with a loud noise. Vincent - "Originally to eat greedily, with a noise, as wild beasts." Here with the noun teeth (odous). The related noun brugmos is used 7x in the Gospels - Mt 8:12, 13:42, 50, Mt 22:13, Mt 24:51, 25:30, Lk 13:28. The Sanhedrin are furious and grinding their teeth together like a pack of snarling, ravenous wolves! Stephen understood what this meant but he calmly (Spirit empowered) stood his ground, while his opponents were out of control (flesh empowered)!

Here is the tragedy of tragedies -- these religious men (if they never repented and believed) are in Hades today (and will thrown into Gehenna in Rev 20:11-15+) and are not repentant! They are not sorry they killed Stephen or His Savior! They are furious and still gnashing their teeth in rage and anger and this is what they will be doing throughout eternity! Woe!

Jesus was clear when He warned that "the sons of the kingdom (THE HEBREW NATION) will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing (brugmos) of teeth.” (Mt 8:12)

John MacArthur comments on the weeping and gnashing of teeth - "This expression describes the eternal agonies of those in hell....This speaks of inconsolable grief and unremitting torment. Jesus commonly used the phrases in this verse to describe hell (cf. Mt 13:42, 50; 24:51)." (The MacArthur Study Bible)

ESV Study Bible note on weeping and gnashing of teeth - This description of terrible suffering in hell appears several times in Matthew (cf. Mt. 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30) and in Luke 13:28. - PA

V. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit - We are told to be filled with the Spirit, which is to be more and more in the power and control of the Spirit, seeking Christ's glory over our own, made fit for ministry. 

…21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.… Galatians 5: 21-23

And saw the glory of God - Stephen begins with a description of the God of glory (Acts 7:2) and now sees the glory of God. And not only that, but God's glory has been reflected from the face of Stephen during this entire speech (cf Acts 6:15). And likely the Sadducees (who preferred the Pentateuch) would recall Moses' shining face (Ex. 34:29-30). It was as though God was saying, "This man is not against Moses! To the contrary he is like Moses—he is My friend (cf Ex 33:11)!" And all of this is more than the anti-supernaturalists Sadducees can stomach! - PA

Vs. 55b -56 Son of Man standing at the right hand of God - This would have been considered blasphemy to the Sanhedrin. They had killed Jesus as a blasphemer, now this man with the glowing face is saying that he sees Jesus at the right hand of the Father. Now listen carefully so you don't make up some fanciful and demeaning picture in your mind. This is true, that, "no one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, God is Spirit, the Son is the image of the invisible God." So when Daniel, Isaiah, John and even Paul, see a vision of God, that is God making His presence known to those who have the senses that we have been afforded inside time and space. When He was with them in the wilderness, He made His presence known by the Shekinah, fire by night, cloud by day, a burning bush before Moses. This is God condescending to men of low estate, making himself known to us through our language and faculties. With the eyes I see the beauty and majesty of His creation, yet He is infinitely above what He makes. With the telescope and the microscope, I see further into the things that He has made, I marvel at the depths, yet He remains unfathomable. I hear His words every time someone reads the Holy Scriptures, and I study them to learn what He has made known. The visions of God given to men spoke to His otherliness, even Christ, as we can see in the transfiguration, reveals that He was fully man, and yet unveils that He is also otherly, fully God. These visions were also traumatizing, like darkness coming before light, or paper trying to touch the sun. No one doth protest so much as they say they will here, before even a vision, that much reality is beyond their ability to stand before, to make words, they melt away. 

…17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. 19And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”… John 1: 17-19

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.… Colossians 1: 14-16

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory.”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the house of God was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said,

“Woe is me, for I am ruined!

For I am a man of unclean lips,

And I live among a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 And he touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is atoned for.” Isaiah 6: 1-7

V. 57 They covered their ears and rushed at him - Grown men doing what little kids do. We actually see that a lot today with many strange movements. These guys are throwing away Roman law and forming a lynch mob. This is very emotionally charged with reasoning being set aside. Feelings have become the source of both anger and justification, just like a toddlers temper tantrum. 

…10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’ 11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. 12They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.… Zechariah 7: 10-12

Robertson - No vote was taken by the Sanhedrin. No scruple was raised about not having the right to put him to death (John 8:31). It may have taken place after Pilate's recall and before his successor came or Pilate, if there, just connived at such an incident that did not concern Rome. At any rate it was mob violence like modern lynching that took the law into the hands of the Sanhedrin without further formalities. - PA

V. 58 They began stoning Him - The government, which would be Rome at this time, holds the power of death. These men have bypassed that. They are mad about being accused of murdering Jesus, and this man claiming that Jesus is at the right hand of God, so they murder him too. In their law, during the time of the Theocracy and not being a vassal kingdom, the punishment for blasphemy was stoning. They had lost this power long ago when they were taken over by Babylon and had come under Gentile rule. 

…14“Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him. 15 And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin. 16Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death; the whole assembly must surely stone him, whether he is a foreign resident or native; if he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.… Leviticus 24: 14-16

V. 59 Lord Jesus receive my spirit - What a powerful vision and comfort given to a man in the most violent of circumstances. I would rather be shot. There are breaks in this when they take off their coats to lay them at Saul's feet, so they can continue. They must be getting too hot from their work, and he is not dying quickly, but they are relentless. This is brutal, too agonizing even to think about. 

…19‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You. 20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”… Acts 22: 19-21

V. 60 Lord, do not hold this sin against them - What a powerful testimony. I have witnessed people dying, cursing other people in their life that they felt owed them. I have seen them curse the people that are present for not being able to make it stop, or maybe because they were going on living, and the one dying did not want to let go of this life, but Stephen dies with compassion towards his murderers. This is the blood of the martyrs that sparks the growth of the church. Satan means evil, these men mean evil, yet God uses this especially in the life of one of them standing there. 

Blind Chang - The Boxer Rebellion in China was the largest massacre of Protestant missionaries in history, with 188 adults and children being killed. Thirty thousand Chinese Christians also perished during the summer of 1900 at the hands of the Boxers. Among them was Chang Shen, the best known evangelist in Manchuria.

Chang had been a notorious character prior to his conversion—a gambler, thief, and womanizer. At midlife he lost his eyesight, and neighbors considered it a judgment from God. Hearing of a missionary hospital in a distant area, Chang traveled hundreds of miles only to find all the beds full. The hospital chaplain kindly gave him his own bed, and over time, doctors partially restored Chang’s vision. In the process they introduced him to Jesus Christ.

When Chang asked for baptism, missionary James Webster told him, “Go home and tell your neighbors you have changed. I’ll visit you later, and if you are still following Jesus, I will baptize you.” When Webster arrived in Chang’s village five months later, he found hundreds of inquirers.

Chang’s eyesight didn’t last, but his evangelistic zeal did. He traveled from village to village, winning hundreds to Christ. Missionaries followed in his wake, baptizing and organizing churches of the converts he had won.

When he was finally arrested by the Boxers, he was put in an open cart and driven to a nearby graveyard while singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know. …” At the cemetery, he was shoved into a kneeling position. Three times he uttered the words of Stephen, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then the sword sliced through his neck like a knife through butter.

The Boxers were so deeply shaken by Chang’s quiet authority that they had his body drenched in oil and burned, so as to prevent, they thought, his resurrection. But still apprehensive, they retreated from the area altogether, thus saving other Christians from being butchered to death. (Robert Morgan - From this Verse)

David Reed - Acts 7:59–60

Jehovah’s Witnesses never address Jesus in prayer. They have been taught that their prayers must be directed only to the Father and that they must call him “Jehovah.” If a Witness were overheard praying to Jesus, he would be put on trial by a judicial committee and would be disfellowshiped unless he repented of his “sin.”

But the Scripture passage above clearly shows Stephen praying to Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. (The JW Bible changes “Lord” in v. 60 to “Jehovah,” but v. 59 still says “Jesus.”)

A Witness may try to claim that Stephen was not praying to Jesus; he was merely speaking to him face to face, because he saw him in a vision. In that case, ask the JW to read the context. The vision in verse 56 took place when Stephen was in Jerusalem, standing trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin court. When he told the Jews that he saw a vision of Christ in heaven at the right hand of the Father, they were filled with fury. They ended the trial, dragged Stephen out of the court chamber, led him through the city streets, took him all the way out of the city (v. 57), and then stoned him. This naturally took a considerable amount of time. There is no indication that Stephen’s vision as repeated again outside the city at the time of his stoning. Rather, he was, as the Scripture states, praying to Jesus. (Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse) - PA

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